What were the most important product developments in 2019?
A milestone was the market launch of the i-Series, which makes networking a reality in dry ice production. All i-Series models are equipped with state-of-the-art remote control devices. They offer a wide range of services in the areas of remote access, remote data and remote management. ASCO will soon offer different service packages for its customers with a login to their own ASCO platform. Thus, customers will be able to see their machine status, production data, service recommendations and much more on their computer or in the ASCO app.
For example, we have developed the dry ice pelletizer P75i to market maturity. It is our most modern and powerful pelletizer with innovative and selected components. New standards have been set in the area of intuitive operation, maintenance reduction and the latest industry 4.0 technology, the i-Series. The possibility of remote maintenance reduces downtimes and offers the possibility to support our customers more efficiently.
Another interesting topic is our automatic packaging line, which upgrades the dry ice production machines to complete dry ice production centers. On the one hand there is our new block packaging machine APM120, which packs the blocks even more efficiently and of course our unique pellet packaging machine, PBM 500/1000/1500, which automatically and individually packs dry ice pellets into bags as required, thus providing great flexibility in the field of dry ice production. In addition to an economical and efficient production process, the pellet packaging machine ensures that any contact with dry ice is avoided. Thus we can guarantee the highest safety standards for employees.
What will your development of dry ice technology focus on in 2020?
The focus for existing products will be on progressive optimisation. Machines will be upgraded to the latest state of the art and communication technologies. Customer needs and excellent service are our top priorities. In addition, the i-Series described above gives us the opportunity to inform our customers about upcoming maintenance and to offer needs-based support.
Furthermore, we have achieved very promising results in basic research. These guarantee that we will continue to develop innovative machines with a very high degree of efficiency in the area of dry ice production and dry ice blasting.
In dry ice production we are looking forward to a new machine that will replace the existing A120P. The new pelletizer P15, which is already in the test and trial phase, will produce 150kg/h. Optimal operation, maintenance reduction and an increase in production output have been improved. The pelletizer is designed to enable fully automated blasting solutions in combination with a dry ice blasting machine. The development will soon be successfully introduced to the market.
This will be followed by a pelletizer in the range of 560 kg, which is characterized by its high flexibility.