MOLLET is the producer of high-end devices for measurement and control systems for bulk solids mainly. Their customers are coming from many different industries, such as pharmaceutical industry as well as construction industry appreciate especially the safety equipment for silos and bulk material facilities. Established in 1983, MOLLET extend its position in the world market very quickly. Today MOLLET with its domestic and international sales partners supply quality control devices to many satisfied customers around the world.
The core competence of MOLLET is explosion-proof in accordance with ATEX. MOLLET became an expert for this topic. All devices of MOLLET are available with a wide range of different ATEX approvals for hazardous areas with combustible gases and dust. Unique for this kind of level measurement units are the approvals for hybrid mixtures that mean inflammable gas and dust together in the air at the same time. These explosive mixtures are the most dangerous ones. MOLLET’s units are suitable for potentially explosive atmospheres with zone 0 for gases as well.
The company’s technicians developed all the sensors according to customer requirements in house. All measurement devices have proven their suitability in tough operation in well-equipped testing room before they get the clearance for sale. They receive all high- quality components for the manufacturing of the devices from very reliable and flexible suppliers in the nearer surroundings. Assembling, testing, and sales to the customers worldwide are done by MOLLET in Osterburken. They are, of course, certified according to DIN EN ISO 9001:2015.
Interview with Wolfgang Hageleit, owner and General Manager CEO of MOLLET Füllstandtechnik GmbH
Easy Engineering: What are the main areas of activity of the company?
Wolfgang Hageleit: MOLLET meets customers’ highest requirements with the wide range of level control units for all kind of bulk solids. Another product line of MOLLET is hose couplings with integrated limit switches or with electronic encoding systems. A stand-alone silo-safe-system for fully-automated monitoring of the filling process for silos that have to be filled pneumatically by silo trailers completes the product range.
E.E: What’s the news for 2020 about new products?
W.H: MOLLET developed a new intelligent hose coupling system. This MOLOScode system avoids any faulty connection of hose-lines and pipes. For that purpose, electronically coded couplings are used at the interfaces of hose connections. These new coded couplings from MOLLET are based on the RFID technology and report the actual coupling situation to the process control. The transponder does not require any wiring due to the fact that the needed power is transmitted inductively by the read device. Each hose coupling is equipped with such a transponder thus providing each hose with its “own name”. At any pipe connection a read device is mounted that read out the data of the transponder without contact as soon as the hose is connected. All information about the connected hose are detected by the read device and directly transmitted to the process control via the RS485 bus system. In 2020 the new step of development has been that the MOLOScode system now works with other buses like PROFINET or PROFIBUS as well.
E.E: What are the ranges of traded products?
W.H: MOLLET offers four different product lines with high sophisticated products for bulk solids:
Devices for continuous level measurement including, e.g. MOLOSwave, a guided wave radar that is working with the Time Domain Reflectometry (TDR) measurement principle. It is specifically designed for the use in bulk goods. During the measurement high frequency microwave pulses with low energy are coupled onto the probe and guided along this probe to the bulk goods. The product surface partly reflects these pulses. The electronic detects the reflected pulses and calculates the actual filling level from the time difference of the transmitted and received signals. These filling levels are made available as a 4-20 mA signal for further signal processing. This signal can be visualized with easy to use and well legible indicating units that are mounted in a switch cabinet.
Devices for point level measurement including, e.g. MOLOSroto series, the maintenance free rotary blade level indicators that are the best choice for all level control applications in bulk solids. It doesn’t matter whether it is dusty, powdery, or granulated bulk material; these measurement devices guarantee high reliability and safe operation even in very hard and extreme applications. The level measurement of sludge and pastes is no problem as well. You can get all of these quality products with ATEX approvals for all potentially explosive dust and gas atmospheres as well as for hybrid mixtures. They are even suitable for applications with process temperatures up to 1.000 oC and process pressures up to 100 bars. Such a wide range of applications make these rotary paddle switches unique in the world market.
Intelligent hose couplings including, e.g. MOLOSswitch coupling systems for industrial hoses equipped with electronically or mechanical limit switches. The wide range of coupling systems for industrial hoses with limit switch is available with ATEX approvals for use in gas and dust explosive hazardous areas. The different types of the couplings enable the optimal adjustment to the specific applications in all industries.
Bulk solids handling devices including, e.g. MOLOSvalve pinch valves that are the ideal solution for the shutting off, distributing, and dosing of powdery and grained bulk goods; viscous, soiled, and aggressive liquids; gases and mixtures. Typical applications are pneumatic conveyors and fillings lines for silos and tanks in the food industry, chemical industry, environmental industry, and construction industry. Due to the straight and not reduced passage through the valve there are no jams and no reduction of the feed pressure. Long service life of hoses and easy change of these if needed are a matter of course.
E.E: At what stage is the market where you are currently active?
W.H: The worldwide market of the process industry is facing a high price pressure and therefore the companies have to improve their competitiveness.
E.E: What can you tell us about market trends?
W.H: One important trend in the market will be for sure that the companies will increase the production line’s productivity through automation. Due to this we see high market potential for suppliers of automation equipment for the process industry like MOLLET Füllstandtechnik.
E.E: What are the most innovative products marketed?
W.H: The most innovative products marketed are radar level measurement devices for bulk solids. But although our MOLOScode system that avoids mistakes caused by human error and reduces accident risks due to the hose detection with RFID-technology belongs to the most innovative products as well!
E.E: What estimations do you have for 2020?
W.H: The trend of using more and more automation in the processes industries will continue especially for bulk solids handling processes. Therefore, we are convinced that we will be able to increase our sales in 2020 substantially like in the last years!