A regenerative economy at all levels
At Bürkert, economic success means more than just numbers. The fluidics experts are committed to holistic, regenerative management - with solutions that take people and nature into account. From energy-efficient components to sustainable business models, approaches are emerging that can shape entire industries.
There are all kinds of ways in which companies can measure success. The fluidics experts at Bürkert believe that it should be measured not just in economic terms, but also in terms of the impact that the business has on people and nature. This leads to holistic, systemic thinking that identifies starting points for a regenerative economy on a whole range of levels – both in-house and in the support provided to customers. Opportunities can be found in individual components, in applications and at the customer process level, extending all the way through to perspectives on individual industries (Figure 1).
Component level
Operating on the basis of a regenerative economy at this level can mean optimising energy use with the help of suitable components. Dairy farms, for example, rely on compressed air in numerous applications. Using Bürkert solenoid valves with dual coils and kick-and-drop technology in compressed air generators can save up to 80 percent energy compared to conventional solutions. This also means achieving savings in CO2 and waste heat, and thus in energy-intensive cooling processes. Reduced heat dissipation also has a positive effect on the service life of components.
Application level
Approaches to achieving a regenerative economy can often be found by adopting something of a distance when viewing applications, rather than viewing them individually at component level. When switching between production and cleaning, for example, waste can be avoided if a media changeover is detected quickly and reliably. At Dr. Kurt Wolff GmbH & Co. KG, the FLOWave flowmeter has reduced waste by more than two-thirds during the production of high-quality shampoos (Figure 2). The sensors distinguish between the product, cleaning medium and mixed phases within milliseconds. Dairies and many other areas of application also benefit from these flowmeters, significantly reducing waste as a result.
Customer process level
New Food represents a sustainable alternative to conventional meat production. The cultivation of proteins in bioreactors and fermenters requires significantly less energy. However, in order to produce high-quality food efficiently, all the control loops involved must function perfectly. To take one example, Bürkert has supported the company DDE, based in Pune, India, with a fluidic solution – a process that included developing new pipeline and instrumentation flow charts (Figure 3). DDE has developed seeding bioreactors with capacities of 20, 200 and 2,000 litres, as well as a 10,000-litre production bioreactor for a start-up in California.
Industry level
Shaping or rebuilding entire industries can also have a huge impact on sustainable business practices. One example lies in green hydrogen, which Bürkert believes will play a significant role in the energy transition – for example, in industrial applications in the chemical sector or in steel production. In cases such as these, Bürkert provides support at various levels with fluidic solutions for infrastructure in research at universities and for both established companies and start-ups. Examples of applications include mobile hydrogen filling stations, methane plasmalysers, electrolysers and test benches for fuel cell stacks.
Business models
A systemic approach to regenerative management gives companies the opportunity to develop business models that make the circular economy not only practicable, but also economically attractive. For example, products could be paid for on the basis of not only flat-rate prices, but also the actual savings achieved through the use of the product. This would mean the user paying for the specific benefit the product provides, rather than for the product itself. In this business model, the components remain the property of the fluidics experts, who are best placed to assess how they should be handled once they have reached the end of their service life. Can they be calibrated and then continue to be used, for example, or is it best to break components down into individual materials that can then be reused? It is becoming clear that an understanding of success in business today needs to include a regenerative, sustainable economy, which opens up many new opportunities in various areas and at various levels.
