THIRD QUARTER 2015 2015 Annual Meeting 2 IOMA Member News 5 ISSUE 3 | www.iomaweb.org Related Association News 4 Calendar 6 established. All member companies agreed to start the work immediately. It became clear in Harmonization in Focus the first teleconference that all companies felt the urgency of closing gaps related to liquid oxygen Developing a globally harmonised valves in their HSE management system. The work was finished in May 2015 after nine document on liquid oxygen valves in ASUs face to face meetings alternating between By Lars Kirchner, General Manager Conceptual Design European and U.S. locations. Air Separation Units, The Linde Group Creating a harmonised document for the global ASU industry he air separation industry has seen an energy release) involving a DN 150 (6 inch) The group members worked very efficiently and accelerating shift to globalisation in the last manually actuated butterfly valve and the T against a tight schedule. We saw the team spirit decade. Ten years ago the majority of plants were enclosed stainless steel and aluminium equip- growing and changing as a group of individuals designed in the engineering headquarters of the ment in liquid oxygen (LOX) service in an air turned into a team while we made progress with companies. Today projects are executed globally separation plant. Regretfully this resulted in two the document. It became clear to all of us, that and markets for air separation units (ASUs) have fatalities. In total the fire consumed approxi- our companies are confronted with similar prob- moved to the fast developing countries in Asia mately 200 kg of stainless steel and aluminium. lems in valve design, installation, operation and and South America. The pump system had already been cooled maintenance. The only way to address the uncer- down with LOX and it was in the process of New approach in terms of quality, safety tainty and mitigate the risks for the future was to being brought on-line by opening the down- Competition has driven the use of local engi- agree on global requirements in a harmonised stream isolation valve. The incident happened neering capacities and local suppliers. Strong document for the whole ASU industry. All team during the initial opening of the valve. This specialisation and a focus on the core competen- members were aware of the importance of the pump had not been started at the time of the cies of all partners involved make the process of work and showed a high degree of commitment incident. engineering, manufacturing and construction by sharing knowledge and experience, collecting more cost effective but less easy to control in Setup of a joint working group ‘Valves in data and information and preparing the docu- terms of quality and safety. We can see this effect LOX and GOX Systems’ ment. In the course of working offline and in not only for complete projects but also for the After this severe incident Linde felt the responsi- meeting face to face or in web meetings, the manufacturing processes of suppliers and sub- bility to ensure that such an incident would team made efficient use of all the different suppliers, for example valve manufacturers. never happen again. Consequently Linde initi- expertise available. Such working groups are an Material is purchased from different vendors, the ated the process of developing a globally har- ideal incubator for making valuable knowledge assembly of valves takes place in different loca- monised document on liquid oxygen valves. accessible for our industry. tions and the quality assurance systems need to Based on this suggestion, in October 2013 the Author details: reflect the individual manufacturing and sourc- International Harmonisation Council proposed, Lars Kirchner is a chemical engineer and joined ing circumstances. and the IOMA Global Committee approved, the Linde in 1988. He started his career as commis- Harmonisation projects are an integral part of work item request and a joint working group sioning engineer in the air separation business, IOMA activities to continuously improve the consisting of globally recognised experts was worked in process calculation, instrumentation safety requirements in the international indus- and advanced control systems. trial and medical gases industry. The importance Lars was responsible for the basic design of of this work is shown by the following example Linde’s hydrogen and syngas business, before he of a severe incident in an air separation unit. took this role for the air separation business in In the spring of 2013 a high pressure liquid 2010. Lars chaired the joint EIGA/CGA working oxygen valve caught fire in an internal oxygen group ‘Valves in LOX and GOX Systems’ develop- compression system of an ASU while the second ing a harmonised document which covers the pump of a redundant pair was being put back on safe design, manufacture, installation, operation line after maintenance work. Click to watch “A Way Forward – Globally and maintenance of valves used in liquid oxygen There was a violent metal fire (a violent Harmonised Requirements for the ASU and cold gaseous oxygen systems. I Industry” (5:30 min video) IOMA Broadcaster | THIRD QUARTER 2015 2 nd Annual Meeting Of the International Oxygen 72Manufacturers Association ROME ANNUAL MEETING APPROACHING! Palazzo Colonna 7 – 11 November 2015 • ROME, ITALY OMA’s 72nd Annual Meeting is scheduled quoted extensively in print media including the marketing to digital consumers. As a leading Ifor Saturday–Wednesday, November Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, voice on strategic communications in the age of 7–11, 2015 at the Rome Cavalieri Waldorf Financial Times, USA Today, Investor’s Business distraction and a certified speaker at the Center Astoria. We look forward to welcoming our Daily, Business Week, Newsweek, Fortune, Forbes for Generational Kinetics, Curt has spoken across member company representatives and their and U.S. News and World Report. He also regu- the globe to audiences that include General spouses/companions from around the world to larly appears on radio and television programs Motors, Raytheon, The U.S. Naval Academy, The Eternal City. such as BBC World Business Report, NBC Nightly Aspen Ski Co, Hotel Association of Canada, and The 2015 Annual Meeting Program News, CNN Headline News, The News Hour, Fox YPO (Young Presidents’ Organization). His forth- Committee, led by Vice President Tom Thoman Business News, CNBC, Bloomberg TV and Radio, coming book, Cave Dwellers, offers readers (Airgas, Inc.), has assembled a great program and All Things Considered and Market Place on strategies for withdrawing from today's distrac- entitled, Thriving in the New Global Arena: National Public Radio. tions to focus on the heart of all great communi- Navigating Volatility and Fast Paced Change. Dr. Behravesh is a featured speaker at many of cation—idea creation. This year’s theme reflects the period of profound the top global conferences each year, including Dr. Marco Magnifico, political, economic, social and technological IHS CERA Week and the World Economic Forum Executive Vice President, Fondo change that our world has entered. In this time of in Davos. He holds Ph.D. and M.A. degrees in Ambiente Italiano (FAI) constant and fast paced change, regional and economics from the University of Pennsylvania, Italy’s Cultural, Artistic and global challenges are rising ever faster, are hard and a B.Sc. from Massachusetts Institute of Natural Heritage to solve, and yet must be dealt with in order for Technology. Dr. Magnifico is the executive vice president of organizations to remain relevant. To address the Curt Steinhorst, Fondo Ambiente Italiano (FAI). FAI is an Italian challenges and potential responses and solu- Founder and President, non-profit foundation whose mission is similar tions, we are pleased to welcome the following The Promentum Group to that of a national historic trust. Its purpose is speakers to our meeting. The Digital Deluge: protect, promote and enhance the heritage of How Trends in Technology are Transforming Italian art, historic and outdoor spaces, educate Keynote Speakers the Workforce & the World the community and monitor the properties. Dr. Nariman Behravesh, Curt Steinhorst is the founder and president of Dr. Magnifico is responsible for managing Chief Economist, IHS Inc. The Promentum Group, a communications con- FAI’s cultural relations with the Ministry of Dr. Behravesh is chief economist sultancy that crafts messages for today’s dis- Heritage and Culture, and maintain relationships of IHS and the author of Spin- tracted audiences. As its lead consultant, Mr. with various public and private institutions and Free Economics: A No-Nonsense, Steinhorst has helped an impressive variety of associations, both Italian and foreign. He also is Nonpartisan Guide to Today's Global Economic companies and public figures — from preparing in charge of the restoration and conservation of Debates (McGraw-Hill). IHS provides informa- American football star Johnny Manziel for his transportable objects and collections owned by tion and analysis to support the decision-making Heisman trophy acceptance speech (described the Foundation, the publications, the Corporate process of businesses and governments in indus- by ESPN as "the greatest in history") to advising Communications department and the prelimi- tries, such as aerospace, defense and security; the largest record label in country music on its nary investigations for future acquisitions. He is automotive; chemical; energy; maritime and a co-author of FAI's main publications, including trade; and technology. Directing the entire eco- "The Book of FAI," which illustrates and nomic forecasting process at IHS, Dr. Behravesh describes in detail the properties of the is responsible for developing the economic out- Foundation while narrating each estate's stories. look and risk analysis for the U.S., Europe, Japan, Dr. Magnifico graduated in Liberal Arts at the China and other emerging markets. University of Pavia following a course of studies Dr.