News & Views c o n t r o l a c c o r d i n g to T e t r a t e c , a n d is a low c o s t a l t e r n a t i v e to o t h e r m e m b r a n e p r o d u c t s on t h e m a r k e t . For.furlher inlbrmation contact: Tetratec, 1741 Loretta A v e n u e . Feasterville, PA 19053, USA. Tel: +1 215 355 7111. Fax: +1 2 1 5 3 5 5 6745.
Microbiological monitor cuts costs and saves time S a r t o r i u s S e p a r a t i o n T e c h n o l o g y h a v e d e v e l o p e d a 100 ml m i c r o b i o l o g i c a l m o n i t o r d e s i g n e d for t h e d e t e c t i o n of m i c r o - o r g a n i s m s in a wide r a n g e of a p p l i c a t i o n s i n c l u d i n g b e v e r a g e s a n d w a t e r s a m p l e s . Sterile a n d disposable, the monitor has a 47mm diameter cellulose nitrate membrane with a large bottom port w h i c h a c c o r d i n g to S a r t o r i u s , gives f a s t e r flow r a t e s and significantly decreases testing times. S a r t o r i u s c l a i m s t h a t t h e biological m o n i t o r c o s t s less t h a n c o m p a r a b l e p r o d u c t s a l r e a d y on t h e m a r k e t . Available as a complete pre-sterilised package, i n e m b r a n e , petri d i s h a n d m e d i a , it d o e s a w a y w i t h all the l i m e involved in s e t t i n g u p steel f u n n e l s , flame s t e r i l i s i n g a n d p r e p a r i n g m e d i a . A s p e c i a l f e a t u r e of the new u n i l is t h e i n t e g r a l m a g n i f y i n g disc on the cover, w h i c h e n a b l e s t h e user, b y r o t a t i n g t h e disc, to e a s i l y e x a m i n e a n y c o l o n i e s w h i c h h a v e a p p e a r e d on lhe membrane surface. For f u r t h e r inJbrmation contact: Sartorius AG, W e e n d e r L a n d s t r a s s e 94-108, D - 3 7 0 7 5 Goettingen, G e r m a n y . Tel: +49 551 3 0 8 O; f a x : +49 551 3 0 8 289.
Winflows program s i m p l i f i e s RO system design O s m o n i c s h a s a n n o u n c e d t h e r e l e a s e of W i n f l o w s - a new membrane system design program. This s o f t w a r e p a c k a g e w a s c r e a t e d to s u p p o r t O s m o n i c s " Desal membrane elements, and features s o p h i s t i c a t e d m o d e l i n g in a n e a s y - t o - u s e w i n d o w s based format. O s m o n i c s s t a i e t h a t Winflows i n c l u d e s s e v e r a l u n i q u e f e a t u r e s , i n c l u d i n g t h e n e w E x p l o r e r tool
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w h i c h a l l o w s u s e r s to s e e t h e p o t e n t i a l p e r f o r m a n c e of e a c h i n d i v i d u a l m e m b r a n e e l e m e n t in a s y s t e m . A l t h o u g h W i n f l o w s is c o m p l e x e n o u g h for t h e m o s t sophisticated membrane systems, Osmonics m a i n t a i n t h a t it is e a s y e n o u g h for b e g i n n e r s to u s e . It f e a t u r e s a n a u t o d e s i g n m o d e w h i c h t a k e s b e g i n n e r s t h r o u g h s y s t e m d e s i g n s t e p - b y - s t e p , giving t h e m a h e a d s t a r t on s y s t e m d e s i g n . C u s t o m i z e d p r o d u c t s p e c i f i c a t i o n s h e e t s c a n b e p r i n t e d on demand. U s e r s c a n m o d e l d e s i g n s w i t h feed, i n t e r p a s s a n d p r o d u c t c h e m i c a l d o s i n g , CO 2 s t r i p p i n g or feed softeners. The program includes complex system c o n f i g u r a t i o n s s u c h a s d e s i g n s w i t h feed b y p a s s , recycle, t w o - p a s s , a n d t w o - s t a g e c o n f i g u r a t i o n s . W i t h the two-pass and two-stage configurations, the user even h a s t h e a b i l i t y to c h o o s e i n t e r p a s s p u m p s . By o p e n i n g m u l t i p l e w i n d o w s , u s e r s h a v e e a s y a c c e s s 1o information about how design changes affect p e r f o r m a n c e . W i n f l o w s is c o m p a t i b l e w i t h W i n d o w s '95 a n d W i n d o w s 3. ix. For f u r t h e r information contact: O s m o n i c s , 760 S h a d o w r i d g e Drive, Vista, CA 9 2 0 8 3 - 7 9 8 6 , USA. Tel: +1 8 0 0 4 2 3 3 7 2 5 ; f a x : +1 760 5 9 8 3335.
Osmonics r e v e n u e up for second quarter O s m o n i c s Inc. h a s r e p o r t e d s a l e s of U S S 4 1 . 8 m i l l i o n for t h e s e c o n d q u a r t e r e n d e d J u n e 30, 1997, w h i c h r e p r e s e n t s a 13.8% i n c r e a s e over s a l e s for t h e s a m e p e r i o d l a s t year. However, n e t i n c o m e for t h e s e c o n d q u a r t e r of 1997 w a s U S S 2 . 5 9 m i l l i o n (SO. 18 p e r s h a r e ) , d o w n from n e t i n c o m e of U S S 3 . 0 6 m i l l i o n (S0.21 p e r s h a r e ) for t h e s e c o n d q u a r t e r of 1996. F o r t h e six m o n t h s e n d e d J u n e 30, 1997, O s m o n i c s r e p o r t e d s a l e s of U S S 8 4 . 1 m i l l i o n , a n i n c r e a s e of 11% over s a l e s for t h e first six m o n t h s of last year. On a reported basis, revenue growth, i n c l u d i n g a c q u i s i t i o n s , w a s 30.696 y e a r - t o - y e a r . Net i n c o m e for l h e first six m o n t h s of 1997 w a s u s S 5 . 3 5 m i l l i o n (S0.37 p e r s h a r e ) , d o w n f r o m U S $ 6 . 6 9 m i l l i o n (S0.46 p e r s h a r e ) for t h e s a m e p e r i o d l a s t year. O s m o n i c ' s c h a i r m a n , D. D e a n S p a t z , c o m m e n t e d that equipment growth was stronger internationally, b u t s l o w e r t h a n l a s t y e a r d o m e s t i c a l l y . He a l s o s t a t e d that product and component sales were not quite as s t r o n g a s a n t i c i p a t e d e a r l i e r in t h e year. I n t e r n a l l y g e n e r a t e d s a l e s g r o w t h of e x i s t i n g p r o d u c t s w a s s l i g h t l y u n d e r 6% w i t h t h e r e m a i n i n g g r o w t h a t t r i b u t e d to t h e A q u a M a t i c a c q u i s i t i o n ( F e b r u a r y 1997) w h i c h is a l r e a d y s h o w i n g good s y n e r g i s t i c r e s u l t s a c c o r d i n g to S p a t z . For f u r t h e r information contact: O s m o n i c s Inc., 5951 C l e a r w a t e r Drive, Minnetonka, MN 5 5 3 4 3 - 9995, USA. Tel: +I 612 933 2277; fcc~: +1 6 1 2 933 0141.
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