Custom-Designed Reactor Solution

For a customer in the chemical industry, the Austrian family-owned company Kremsmüller manufactured what is known as an oxidation reactor. For this project, Kremsmüller assumed full responsibility for the design of the reactor according to the customer’s specifications, its manufacture at the Steinhaus facility, and its on-time delivery and installation on site.

Impressive Dimensions
The reactor is an engineering masterpiece. With a total length of about 33 meters, a shell diameter of approximately 3.8 meters, and a total weight of just under 200 metric tons, it poses significant challenges in terms of design, manufacturing, and logistics.
Due to its size, the reactor could not be transported as a single unit; instead, it was manufactured and delivered in three sections—a lower section, a middle section, and an upper section. The middle section, being the largest and heaviest segment, was transported by ship to the assembly site, while the other two sections were delivered by truck.

Precision Work by Skilled Workers
The reactor was manufactured under demanding conditions. Work was carried out simultaneously in three different factory buildings, with up to 15 skilled workers—some working in shifts—during peak periods. The precise assembly of the reactor core, which consists of nearly 4 kilometers of cooling water pipes, was particularly challenging. Access to the weld seams was severely limited in some areas, requiring the highest level of precision and experience. High-quality materials were used: carbon steel for the reactor vessel and the tube bundles, and stainless steel for the gas distributor.

Implementing the Customer’s Requirements
From the very beginning, the customer’s requirements were highly customized and demanding, which made the project particularly exciting. As the exact specifications evolved over time, this led to an intensive engineering phase that spanned just under two years. During this period, numerous adjustments were made to best meet the customer’s expectations. Thanks to close coordination and constructive collaboration, the project team was able to respond flexibly to all changes and, together with the customer, develop a tailor-made solution that meets the highest technical and quality standards.
Special attention was paid to integrating the new reactor into the existing plant. Integrating it into the existing infrastructure required careful planning and coordination with the customer.

Project Conclusion
Despite the technical complexity and the long lead time, the project was a complete success. The constructive collaboration with the customer deserves special mention. The project impressively demonstrates how even highly demanding tasks can be mastered through flexibility, technical expertise, and a partnership-based approach.

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