The thermoelectric circulation thermostat for quality assurance

The new, innovative LOOP L 250 thermoelectric circulation thermostat by LAUDA is proving its performance as an elegant all-rounder in quality assurance at VACUUBRAND. VACUUBRAND GMBH & CO. KG, from Wertheim, Germany, manufactures the most comprehensive range of vacuum generation, vacuum measurement and vacuum control products worldwide for coarse and fine vacuums in laboratories.

When certain workpieces are measured for dimensional accuracy during quality assurance, the temperature must remain constant to ensure comparability. Since the ambient temperature in the production hall varies considerably at different times of the year, the measuring equipment and workpieces are maintained at a constant temperature of 19 °C on a copper plate with water flowing through it. For this purpose, the LAUDA LOOP L 250 is switched on via an external timer at five am to pre-heat the plate. The device is switched off automatically at six pm. "The LOOP meets our requirements perfectly," says Martin Scheurich, who is responsible for technical services at VACUUBRAND. "It is extremely compact and works without any refrigerant whatsoever – that saves us a lot of technical testing, which would otherwise be necessary". The device is less maintenance-intensive and highly energy-efficient; even though it runs for 13 hours per day." The LAUDA LOOP has been available on the market since spring 2017, making it the most recent product development from LAUDA in Lauda-Königshofen. This external thermostatic circulator was developed for the requirements of modern laboratory work processes: The highly flexible thermoelectric circulation thermostat accurately maintains a constant temperature between 4 and 80 °C. The air-cooled LAUDA LOOP is ideal for laboratories with limited space, thanks to its compact design and low noise emissions, whilst still achieving impressive cooling performance. The smaller version, the L 100, has an output of 120 Watts at 8 kilogram, while the larger L 250 offers 250 Watts at 12 kilogram. With the LAUDA LOOP, LAUDA is the first leading manufacturer of thermostatic circulators to employ Peltier technology without the use of refrigerant. This provides benefits in operation and maintenance, in safety of the work processes and the environment. The LAUDA LOOP is used primarily in laboratory applications in a wide variety of industries: from bio-technology to life sciences, as well as the chemical industry, pharmaceuticals and medical technology, and even production.

About LAUDA

We are LAUDA - The world leader in precise temperature control. Our Constant temperature equipment and Heating and cooling systems are at the heart of many applications. As a full-service provider we guarantee the optimum temperature in research, production and quality control. We are the trusted partner, particularly in the fields of automotive, chemical/pharmaceutical, semiconductor and laboratory/medical industries. For over 60 years we have been inspiring our customers with our competent consulting and innovative, environmentally-friendly concepts, anew every day – globally.

True to the motto of "lifelong learning", the new LAUDA Academy was officially opened in July as part of the annual World Jour Fixe together with the business managers of LAUDA’s twelve foreign subsidiaries and the management and employees of our headquarters in Lauda-Königshofen. In addition to in-house training and customer training, core elements of LAUDA’s new field of activity are cooperation and networking with colleges, universities, associations and other institutions, as well as further exploration of topics such as health, nutrition and work-life balance. "The LAUDA Academy will prepare us to meet future challenges and support us in recognizing your potential," said Dr. Gunther Wobser, managing director of LAUDA – which celebrated its 60-year company anniversary last year – as well as the conceiver and initator for the company’s in-house academy. "The confidence that future issues will present us with more opportunity than uncertainty can only develop if these issues as well as proposed solutions are known," he emphasized in his opening speech. This will be the essential task of the academy, which the managing director also referred to as the cornerstone for future development.

Dr. Gunther Wobser named digitization as a particularly crucial challenge and task in general, and for LAUDA especially. "We live in a time in which digitalization, in particular is changing the world of work and business, reaching into all areas of business with increasingly rapid cycles of change," the managing director explained. This results in all our employees as well as our managers living in a field of tension between "normal terrain" and the challenge of being open to new and ever more rapid developments. There is no alternative to change. Even if this is not easy for some, everyone can manage it. "To do this, we require knowledge and skills," he stressed. The LAUDA Academy aims to not only prepare employees for the future, but also to make the company attractive to prospective employees and future applicants. Through this, the company also displays its intention to develop its role as a world market leader as well as its awareness of its responsibility for the region, emphasized Dr. Gunther Wobser. "The main thing now is to fill the academy with life," he pointed out. It is important to include all levels of the company, as far as possible. A taste of what might be offered under the roof of the LAUDA Academy was, firstly, an informative, exciting and entertainingly pointed lecture by Niels Pflaging, consultant and lecturer, on "Modern forms of organization in companies" and “The future of work". Secondly, a workshop developed together with the Jeunesses Musicales Germany, created a greater awareness and understanding of the interaction of voice and personality. Among other things, this workshop explored the art of self-presentation, for instance through expression and nuances of the voice – whether in discussions with colleagues or in team meetings, conversations with customers or during a presentation in front of an audience. Head of the LAUDA Academy is Matthias Mohr, who was already part of the extended management team at LAUDA as a project manager for LAUDA heating and cooling systems from 2002 to 2012, as well as being the deputy head of the business division of that sector from 2009 to 2012. In concept development and organization, he works closely together with Kirsten Schumacher, who has been working for the company for three years. They have both completed several training and advanced training courses in the fields of coaching, employee development and learning concepts, among others, and have worked extensively in these areas. "Expert knowledge acquired through training, study and professional experience is very often out of date after only a few years," says Matthias Mohr. In addition, organizations and world market leaders such as LAUDA in particular, have to respond and adapt to constantly changing customer requirements and market conditions ever faster and with ever more flexibility. "This is why individual further training and continued learning on the part of the employees is essential," Dr. Gunther Wobser and Matthias Mohr are convinced.

Dr. Ralf Hermann started work as the new General Manager Constant temperature equipment on June 1, 2017 at LAUDA, the global leader in the manufacture of Constant temperature equipment and systems. With his extensive experience and comprehensive specialized knowledge gained from many years in a managerial capacity at Eppendorf AG, as well as his PhD in biology, he will continue to expand the most important Constant temperature equipment sector covering thermostats, circulation chillers, and water baths. He will be leading approximately 80 agencies and coordinating the total of nine sales companies abroad. Dr. Ralf Hermann worked at Eppendorf AG in Hamburg for around 13 years, last acting as the vice president of global marketing and a member of the board of management. Before that, he also held management roles at Qiagen and Sartorius. “We are very excited to have Dr. Ralf Hermann, a proven expert with outstanding experience, join us. Constant temperature equipment is our largest business unit and holds the greatest potential for growth with new equipment. Furthermore, the most recently acquired product groups will need to be integrated into our overall portfolio,” according to Dr. Gunther Wobser, President and CEO of LAUDA.