LEHIGH VALLEY, Pa.,
July 7, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Air
Products (NYSE: APD), the world's largest producer and supplier of
liquid and gaseous helium, announced today it won the "Innovation
for Growth 2010" award in Royal Philips Electronics Supplier Awards
program. Air Products received the award for its work
together with Philips to significantly reduce the amount of helium
used at Philips' Latham, New York
manufacturing facility. The award was presented by Philips at
a recent event held in Andover,
Massachusetts.
"Customer service is essential in today's globally competitive
market and we are very proud to have our dedicated efforts in this
essential area recognized by Philips," said John Van Sloun, general manager, Worldwide
Helium at Air Products. "We worked closely with Philips in
restructuring a segment of its operations to reduce their overall
usage of helium. The result benefits Philips from an
operations and cost standpoint, and we retain a satisfied
customer." Van Sloun added that the reduced sales of helium
to Philips will be used to grow Air Products' helium business
beyond magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and to supply the
increasing demand for the product in several other product
markets.
At Latham, Air Products and
Philips are making further investments into the MRI manufacturing
process by constructing new equipment that will enhance the helium
recovery and recycle processes within the factory. The
project is scheduled to be completed during the summer of 2012, and
once operational the new equipment will significantly reduce the
amount of helium purchased by Philips. Air Products had
previously worked with Philips at its facility in Best,
Holland to install a similar
system.
In selecting the winner, Philips noted that its judges were
convinced that Air Products deserved the Innovation Award.
Philips added that in a tough market situation with strong
upward helium price pressure, Air Products worked together with
Philips to mitigate this price pressure by restructuring the Latham
Factory operations and investing in new equipment, resulting in the
significant reduction in helium consumption.
Philips uses liquid helium at Latham to cool down the magnets they
manufacture for the MRI industry and to test them prior to final
placement at medical imaging facilities. A substantial amount
of helium is used in the manufacturing and testing of these MRI
magnets, which must be cooled to -452 degrees Fahrenheit.
Air Products assists the global MRI industry with vital service
by keeping the superconducting magnets at cryogenic temperatures to
provide the highest quality medical imaging. An MRI system with a
superconducting magnet consists of many wound coils of wire through
which a current of electricity is passed to create a magnetic
field. This requires a significant amount of energy and is achieved
through superconductivity, or reducing the resistance in the wires
to almost zero by continually bathing the wire coils in liquid
helium.
Helium is used in many unique and valued applications beyond MRI
including: lifting for high altitude scientific research balloons,
blimps and party balloons; fiber optics and semi-conductor
manufacturing; metallurgy; breathing atmospheres for deep diving or
unique blood gas medical mixtures; analytical chemistry;
pressurizing and purging pipes, vessels, and other critical
equipment; leak detection; and other advanced applications.
About Air Products
Air Products (NYSE: APD) serves customers in industrial, energy,
technology and healthcare markets worldwide with a unique portfolio
of atmospheric gases, process and specialty gases, performance
materials, and equipment and services. Founded in 1940,
Air Products has built leading positions in key growth markets
such as semiconductor materials, refinery hydrogen, home healthcare
services, natural gas liquefaction, and advanced coatings and
adhesives. The company is recognized for its innovative
culture, operational excellence and commitment to safety and the
environment. In fiscal 2010, Air Products had revenues of
$9 billion, operations in over 40
countries, and 18,300 employees around the globe. For more
information, visit www.airproducts.com.
***NOTE: This release may contain forward-looking statements
within the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities
Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are
based on management's reasonable expectations and assumptions as of
the date of this release regarding important risk factors. Actual
performance and financial results may differ materially from
projections and estimates expressed in the forward-looking
statements because of many factors not anticipated by management,
including risk factors described in the Company's Form 10K for its
fiscal year ended September 30,
2010.
SOURCE Air Products