Process Line
in a few words
A process line is the full sequence of equipment and technologies that transforms a raw feed into a finished, specification-grade product — not a single unit, but the complete chain: reaction, conversion, separation, purification, concentration and, where needed, drying or crystallization.
In purification-driven industries such as food ingredients, functional ingredients, and fermentation or bio-based production, a process line typically combines several technologies working together: enzymatic or catalytic conversion, filtration, ion exchange, evaporation, and crystallization. Getting the sequence right — and getting the interfaces between each step right — determines how much the finished plant actually costs to run.
A process line rarely fails because of one weak piece of equipment. It fails because the steps in between — the transitions, the utilities, the interfaces and/or the recycling, between technologies — were never designed as a single system. For a plant manager, that gap shows up later, as unplanned downtime, a CAPEX overrun, or a yield that never quite reaches the number in the feasibility study.
Applexion designs, engineers and builds complete process lines for industrial purification, combining chromatography, ion exchange and membrane filtration with partner technologies to match the objectives of each site.
PROCESS LINE
Process line design & build:
one partner for process expertise and performance
Choosing who designs and builds your process line is one of the few decisions that still affects your plant a decade later. Get the sequencing, sizing or interfaces wrong at this stage, and no amount of operational fine-tuning fully recovers the CAPEX or OPEX lost.
Applexion designs, engineers and builds complete process lines for purification — and stays engaged once the plant is running, so the performance built in at design stays built in.
Why investors and industrial project leaders
choose Applexion for their process line
For most providers in this market, the service scope around a process line looks similar on paper: design, build, commission.
What actually differentiates one process line from another is the purification technology at its core — and that’s where Applexion has built its depth.
Every process line Applexion designs is built on deep, hands-on know-how in chromatography, ion exchange and membrane filtration, so purification performance is engineered in from the start rather than assumed from a generic flow sheet.
A process line is only as effective as the technologies it is built on. Applexion brings best-in-class purification technologies of its own, and for the complementary steps (catalysis, enzymes, electrodialysis, active carbon, filtration, evaporation, crystallization, drying) it works with partners who are leaders in their own fields. Every step of your line relies on a leading technology, and Applexion remains responsible for making them perform together.
That technology depth is combined with process expertise and optimization software. Applexion delivers both — from designing your installation to running it with real-time digital control.
Once your process line is up and running, Run 4.0 and Perform 4.0, embedded in a full digital plant, are installed to unlock the full potential of your process data and turn it into actionable insights for day to day operations. The performance designed into your installation keeps being optimized throughout its operating life, not only at start-up.
The result isn’t just a purification step that works; it’s a complete process line performing better, with equipment and OPEX typically reduced by around 30%.
Three things back that claim up:
- A track record since 2006 across food ingredients, functional ingredients, and fermentation/bio-based markets, from a few thousand to tens of thousands of tons per year
- A single point of accountability for how chromatography, ion exchange, membrane filtration and partner technologies (catalysis, enzymes, electrodialysis, evaporation, crystallization, drying) perform together — not just individually
- A phased, risk-controlled method (“good start initiative”) that turns an early concept study into a secured business case before you commit to execution
What's included in an Applexion
Process Line
A process line project with Applexion covers the full scope, not a partial one:
- Concept and pre-engineering studies, aligned to your own standards
- Process design across upstream and downstream technologies
- Equipment manufacturing and sourcing
- Piping and automation studies
- Commissioning and on-site training
- Post-startup support: audits, technical assistance, and digital performance management
Process Lines Built for Your Application
Applexion’s technology depth translates into process lines across a broad — and growing — range of applications.
Food commodities — the historic strength
Liquid sugar, maltodextrin, glucose and fructose syrups: process lines built on decades of purification know-how in these established markets.
Functional ingredients — an increasing focus
Prebiotics (FOS/GOS), rare sugars (allulose, tagatose), fermentation downstream processing (citric acid, lactic acid, proteins), and biomass sugars (xylose and others): as demand shifts toward higher-value, more technically demanding ingredients, Applexion applies the same purification depth to secure yield and purity on more complex feedstocks.
A method built
to protect your business case
Applexion structures every process line into four phases, each de-risking the next before you commit further budget:
- Discovery — product sample assessment and concept study to identify the most suitable process solution. Several options can be evaluated according to feedstock quality, desired end-product specifications, plant capacity, operational constraints, and future expansion requirements. CAPEX/OPEX estimates with an accuracy of approximately ±30%.
- Concept — commercial-scale samples, guaranteed process performance, CAPEX/OPEX refined to roughly ±10%, with a documented risk analysis.
- Design — pre-engineering studies and binding lump-sum offers, so your project moves to execution with a fixed, agreed cost.
- Build — detailed engineering, procurement, construction and commissioning, with quality control on every equipment reception.
You can also opt out at the end of any phase — the engagement scales with your confidence in the project, not the other way around.
Flexible engagement, from first test to full execution
Applexion works under a Master Service Agreement structure, with lump-sum contracts scoped phase by phase:
| Phase | Typical scope | Typical duration |
|---|---|---|
| Discovery | Spot contract, concept feasibility | ~1 month |
| Concept | Business case, concept studies | 2–3 months |
| Design | Pre-engineering, binding offer | 3–6 months |
| Execution | Full build and commissioning | 9–24 months |
(Durations are indicative and vary by project scope — to be confirmed for your specific process line.)
Proven on Complex Process Lines
For a food ingredients producer, Applexion delivered a complete process line combining acid conversion, enzymatic conversion, ion exchange, isomerization and evaporation — producing low- and high-DE glucose syrups, maltose syrups and HFS42 syrup at a combined capacity of over 170,000 tons per year.
Applexion’s scope covered process engineering, equipment manufacturing and sourcing, piping studies, automation software, and commissioning and training — delivered as one integrated process line, with a single point of accountability from concept to start-up.
Process Line – Case Study
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get started with Applexion on a process line project?
Most projects start with a discovery-phase spot contract: a short, low-commitment engagement that produces test samples and an initial concept study, so you can evaluate the business case before any larger commitment.
Does Applexion work to our own engineering and safety standards?
Yes. Applexion’s positioning is “your standard is our standard“: internal reviews, kick-off meetings and engineering deliverables are built around your site’s certifications, regulatory requirements and technical standards.
What happens after the process line is built?
Applexion stays engaged post-startup: audits, technical assistance, training, re-engineering for non-stop operations and utility savings, and digital performance management to keep the line running at potential over time.
Why choose Applexion?
and offering on Chromatography, Ion exchange and Membrane filtration technologies.
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