Laser-cutter Ilari Pietilä believes that a little stress improves concentration and performance. He thrives on decision-making, positive feedback and meeting seemingly impossible deadlines.

Vahterus tests its products at a steam laboratory installed in the Naantali power plant of Turun Seudun Energiantuotanto (TSE), an energy production company in the Turku region. The test laboratory, which has exceptionally high capacity, is used to study the qualities of Vahterus steam condensers for product development purposes.

The Vahterus R&D team comprises six people whose goal is to identify potential problems in existing heat-exchanger solutions and find ways to improve products. Successful product development requires perseverance, an understanding of product properties and a curiosity regarding new experiments.

PSHE 12 offers a large heat transfer plate with the traditional round shape and corrugation angles. The diameter of the plate is close to 1200 mm and the portholes are DN250. Size 12 fills the gap between sizes 9 and 14.

Dave Rule, President of IIAR, which advocates for the best refrigerants available to support an efficient and healthy food supply and a clean and safe environment, explains how the industry is adapting to harness new markets and embrace new operational challenges.

The lower cost of renewable fuels such as solar power is impacting positively on the Energy sector, and they may soon be cheaper than fossil fuel. The Chemical and Process industries are focusing on energy integration in cooling and heating. In the Refrigeration industry, Natural refrigerants are the key to tackling environmental issues.

Tracy Hakala is our Managing Director for China, Australia and New Zealand. Living and working in different countries and environments has made her an expert on cross-cultural communication.

A pioneer in refrigeration, John Wijbenga has devoted his career to understanding and developing systems with ammonia. At 72, he is still an active contributor to the industry and believes that the secret of success lies in carrying out ordinary daily activities unusually well.

In order to build a safer tomorrow, both for the planet and for people, industries are creating new technologies and solutions. While change can take time, examples of positive trends can be seen in each sector. The rise of heat and exhaust recovery, for example, has been made possible and increasingly efficient by new product innovations.

While standards have helped the refrigeration industry to improve and set safety requirements, the International Institute of Refrigeration is proposing a working group to enhance refrigeration safety.