Lleal goes back about 150 years and it’s one of the leading companies in the chemical industry. Specialising in the design and manufacture of equipment and facilities for the industry, it’s one of the long-standing visitors to Expoquimia and a Global Partner at the fair to be held in 2023.
A track record lasting almost one and a half centuries has given you a starring role in the history of Spanish chemistry. What’s the formula for remaining one of the leading companies?
If such a formula exists, we believe that it’s the one we’ve incorporated into our motto, that of supporting the customer from the outset without an expiry date. We never regard our work as finished because a need can always arise – spare parts, an adaptation to a new process and so on. We’re proud of our portfolio of very loyal customers and we believe that the reason why we have them is that we always respond to their loyalty with answers and solutions suited to their needs.
Now that the pandemic has been overcome, we’re witnessing moments of uncertainty due to different factors. How is Lleal dealing with the current situation?
The two years of the pandemic have been difficult for everyone, because we’ve had to adapt to a new reality in which the way we work has had to change in many ways. Now that the pandemic has been overcome, we’re facing a new state of affairs that’s just as complex: the energy crisis, climate change (increasingly evident and with more serious consequences) and the war in Ukraine. These factors are also obliging us to change the way we work, becoming more far-sighted and, above all, as thorough as we can in the management of the raw materials.
Several years ago, well aware of the risks posed by climate change, Lleal began investing in renewable energy with the installation of photovoltaic panels and we’ll be fully self-sufficient by the end of 2022. Throughout these years we’ve also striven to minimise the generation of waste as much as possible.
What are the features that define Lleal and set it apart from other companies in the industry?
As we said before, we have a long track record in the market because we’ve always been loyal and honest with our customers, providing a comprehensive service. We aren’t just machinery manufacturers. There are customers who, due to their experience, have well-defined processes, but sometimes our work begins with a customer’s idea and a question: we want to make this product, how can we do it?
We’ve invested a lot of money in laboratory equipment to provide a service that allows our customers to secure a guarantee that the devices they buy are the ones they need for their product, with the highest possible degrees of productivity and profitability.
We have two rooms for laboratories and a pilot plant. One of the laboratories also has a clean room and our team of laboratory technicians has built up a long history of advising our customers.
We’re also distinctive in that we have an experienced and dynamic human team, one which is, above all, always very close to our customers. Thanks to them we can continue to expand and improve our catalogue of machinery.
You’re a classic company at Expoquimia, how do you rate your attendance at the fair?
We’ve been exhibitors at EXPOQUIMIA and a sponsor since it began. We take part as Global Partners because we believe in the fair’s potential as a showcase for the companies in the industry. Expoquimia is a multi-disciplinary event that provides us with the opportunity to introduce ourselves to our customers and new companies from very diverse sectors by displaying our products. As usual, we’ll exhibit our most representative equipment at our stand, but also some of the innovations that we’ve been working on.
Could you tell us about any of the innovations that you intend to include in your participation in this year’s fair?
One of the products we want to highlight is our new CLL compactor. The compressing process is highly sensitive to the shape, composition and size of the powder mixture to be processed. The lack of homogeneity of the powdered product can lead to tablets that aren’t very resistant or liable to break, so it’s vital to compact and granulate the mixture. Lleal has designed a compaction unit in which the two processes can be carried out.
One of the benefits of our new compactor is that we have a model, the CLL 160, that can incorporate a removable compaction unit to facilitate deep cleaning and prevent cross contamination.
Tablets made using low-density powders are one of the most common dosage forms in the pharmaceutical industry. The new Lleal compactor is the ideal device to compact them, increasing their apparent density and converting them into granules suitable for the process’s requirements, thanks to the adaptability of the sieves in terms of their mesh size and material.
The compactors manufactured by Lleal, S.A.U. may also be useful in the chemical industry and for manufacturers of detergents and fertilisers, as they can densify the product in a controlled manner.
Another advantage of our compactors is that they’re designed to operate as briquetting machines with a simple change in the format of the compaction rollers.
Lastly, what do you hope to achieve at Expoquimia 2023?
The last fair was difficult due to the situation at the time, but as a group we ensured that it was a success. We’re confident that this year’s event will provide us with new opportunities to expand our market both at home and abroad.
It will also be a chance to present our much fresher corporate image with which we hope to ensure that everyone understands what sets Lleal apart from our competitors.
