A Fleeting Bond

With its own fleet of vehicles, a “watchdog” team, and a product that vanishes almost completely shortly after use, the MPP BU‘s Velcorin® plants, located in Dormagen and Krefeld-Uerdingen, stand out for numerous reasons. The Xpress team visited the plants where the cold sterilizer is produced.

Andreas Gratz is an expert in sensitivity. But he’s neither a dermatologist nor a behavioral therapist. The chemical engineer is a deputy plant manager at LANXESS, and deals with a real “sensitive soul”: dimethyldicarbonate. Marketed by LANXESS under the name Velcorin® it is something of a diva among chemicals: “Our product breaks down extremely easily. It is highly sensitive to moisture, temperature, and any materials it comes into contact with. That’s what makes the production of our cold sterilizing agent particularly challenging,” reports the deputy plant manager.

Two Sites, One Team
Fortunately, the Velcorin® plant team consists of real experts who have knowledge and experience from several decades of production. The Velcorin® plant in Krefeld-Uerdingen started operations in 1963, with production in Dormagen commencing in 2005. “Two sites, one team – that’s basically our motto here,” explains Nils Brinkmann, head plant manager of the two Velcorin® facilities.

What makes this situation unique is that the two plants alternate with each other – production runs at one site for about six months, then the plant is shut down for maintenance and upkeep while the other site takes over. “We established this redundancy at the request of our customers. This is because we are the sole producer of Velcorin®. Should any unexpected downtime in production occur causing delays in delivery, the customers’ plants would also be forced to stop operations. And this is obviously something that we need to prevent at all costs,” Brinkmann continues.

That’s also why the team regularly assigns members to “watchdog” duty. This involves checking that everything is in order at the idle plant when the machines are not running. “Who knows, maybe this position will eventually become obsolete. Demand for our product has now increased so much that, over the medium term, we might not be able to manage with just one production facility,” the plant manager says proudly.

Same but Different
Manufacturing a product alternately at two sites naturally demands a lot of flexibility from the team. On the one hand, the team’s workplace changes regularly, and employees may occasionally need to commute between the locations at short notice. Thanks to the plant’s own fleet of vehicles, this isn’t a problem, however. But the team’s work is also complex from a technical standpoint: “While both facilities use the same production method, they differ in specifics because, for instance, some equipment is made from different materials. In addition, we use two different process control systems,” explains Christian Hachenberg, head of the technical department. “That’s why we expect that it will take new team members around one to one and a half years to become fully proficient at operating both plants.”

Purity Requirement
In addition to reliable delivery, purity and quality are also top priorities for customers. Because Velcorin® is an approved food additive, both plants are audited annually under the FSSC 22,000 standard. “Maintaining a high level of purity is crucial to the stability of this product, which decomposes easily. We achieve a purity level of 99.9%,” explains plant supervisor Markus Maubach. “This is only possible when every process parameter is exactly right.” As a result, none of the 5-liter and 28-liter aluminum cans leave the warehouse without first undergoing thorough quality checks. Each plant has its own lab specifically for this purpose. The final inspection, however, always takes place at the Uerdingen Preventol® facility – effectively an independent location.

A few samples from Dormagen are currently making their way along the roughly 45-kilometer route between the sites. Once the lab there gives the green light, the filling process can begin, and afterwards the pallet of goods for an overseas customer can leave the warehouse. Inside: an “invisible product” made by a visibly motivated team.

Infoboxes

Four Decades of Experience and Expertise
•    Dimethyldicarbonate – that is, Velcorin® – has been manufactured at the Uerdingen plant since 1978. The Dormagen plant started operations in 2005, at which time it was still part of the Saltigo BU. Both facilities have been part of the MPP business unit since 2011.
•    Altogether, the plant team includes 48 staff members: 35 working in shifts, 8 in shipping and administration, and 5 in technical support.
•    Both plants are certified for food safety, kosher, and halal, and undergo various audits annually to maintain these certifications.

The Sensitive Powerhouse
•    Velcorin® is a cold sterilizing agent for the beverage industry. It is used in juices, spritzers, beer mixes, and wine, among other drinks.
•    The LANXESS product is manufactured in Dormagen and Krefeld-Uerdingen and shipped from there to customers across the globe.
•    Dimethyldicarbonate (Velcorin®) decomposes quickly – within approximately four hours, it hydrolyzes in the drink to methanol and carbon dioxide, becoming undetectable.
•    Velcorin® is a food additive and has its own E number (E242).