In 1915, International Exposition Company’s inaugural Chem Show in New York City aimed to stimulate pharmaceutical, dye and organic chemical manufacturing in the United States.

Over the last 100 years, the exposition’s focus has shifted toward showcasing the industry’s best practices and latest technological advances, while providing a valuable learning experience for all participants. Next month, show attendees will have another unique opportunity to visit hundreds of exhibits and attend seminars that will highlight the newest trends, products and methods of production in the chemical processing industry (CPI).

Providing a comprehensive offering, the majority of this year’s exhibitors (approximately 75 percent) are those responsible for manufacturing the equipment and developing the technology that make today’s CPI methods a reality.  According to show management, exhibitions well-align with the Chem Show’s aim to provide key insight into how to accomplish more in less time and with fewer resources, while immersing attendees in hands-on exposure to the latest trends and technological advancements.

The 2015 Chem Show’s exhibits will echo the importance of everything from electronics and wastewater management to the latest practices in sustainability, while exemplifying that, 100 years later, controls and automation have dramatically changed the face of the industry.

With the evolution of automation has also come advancement in required safety measures, including one of this year’s exhibitor’s new safety instrumented system (SIS).  Used to increase process reliability, reduce lifecycle costs and avoid adverse consequences, the SIS automatically shifts controls into a “safe state” immediately upon detecting operational errors.  

At the upcoming Show, approximately 10 percent of exhibitor’s business focus will be waste treatment practices – an area that has grown exponentially since the first show 100 years ago.  Featured innovations in this category include a filter press tool, used to dewater sludge from purification plants for chemical and pharmaceutical processes. While filter presses are among the oldest machine-driven dewatering devices, this particular technology is able to dewater notably larger volumes of sludge than past models.

As one of the most substantial shifts over the past century, the CPI’s focus on improving energy efficiency and sustainability will be seen across numerous 2015 Chem Show exhibits.  The past several shows have exemplified how manufacturers and their CPI products have had to change to accommodate these trends.  Clarification technologies for filtration will be a prime example of this at Chem Show 2015.  These technologies provide new and creative solutions for process filtration, while addressing energy consumption issues typically associated with malfunctioning or sluggish machines.

With a century’s worth of history in highlighting CPI advancement and evolution, the Chem Show’s foundational goals remain the same – to provide a valuable exhibition experience at which today’s CPI engineers, plant managers and related professionals can immerse themselves among the trends, technology and resources advancing the industry’s production quality, efficiency and economic viability.