Alfa Laval to open R&D testing facility
It says the measures, part of an announcement made during its third and fourth quarter results last year, are to secure long-term competitiveness and improve cost efficiencies.
Research & Development
Nish Patel, president, Food & Water division, Alfa Laval, said there are two reasons for carrying out the changes; to strengthen the company's global position within food and water and to consolidate its manufacturing footprint to fewer sites.
“Alfa Laval has invested and built two important global competence and test centers in Denmark; in Kolding – hygienic fluid handling to the food and pharmaceutical industry, and recently in Aalborg – a test and training center for products and applications to the marine industry,” he said.
“Based on the positive experiences and after a careful evaluation, Søborg was our first and natural choice for a Food & Water competence center."
The transfer will affect about 100 employees in Søborg and is expected to take up to a year-and-a-half to complete.
It will shift focus from manufacturing to sales, research and development and engineering and supply, and will see the opening of a testing facility on the site.
Alfa Laval PureBallast
Patel, said the shift away from manufacturing means by the end of 2017 Alfa Laval will have moved production of its ballast water treatment system, Alfa Laval PureBallast, to the existing facility in Aalborg.
The production of decanters will move to Alfa Laval's facility in Krakow, Poland. The transfer is expected to be completed during the fourth quarter 2018.
The company expanded its Test & Training center in Aalborg in March this year for gas testing, making it an advanced test center for environmental and combustion technology.
The company, which provides heat transfer, separation and fluid handling, helps heating, cooling, separating and transportation of products in industries that produce food and beverages, chemicals and petrochemicals, pharmaceuticals, starch, sugar and ethanol.
