GEA strengthens competence center for mechanical separation technology: Process Test Center at Oelde site to be expanded
Trade press release - September 2, 2026
Investment at the Oelde production site creates space for more complex pilot tests and a broader range of applications – completion planned by the end of 2026
Explosion-protected test in accordance with ATEX standards at GEA’s Process Test Center in Oelde, Germany. Source: GEA
Laboratory analysis at GEA’s Process Test Center in Oelde, Germany. Source: GEA
Industrial demand drives growth
For many years, the Process Test Center in Oelde has been a central part of GEA’s service offering for the development and application of centrifugal separation technology and looks back on a 70-year history. Customers from a wide range of industries use the facility to analyze product properties, select and design disk stack and decanter centrifuges, and validate separation processes under real-world conditions. To date, more than 60,000 test reports from diverse application areas have been created and archived. This database makes the PTC a long-standing knowledge resource for the design and further development of mechanical separation processes.
Key areas include chemical and pharmaceutical applications; in addition, the facility tests processes based on renewable raw materials as well as applications in beverage and dairy processing. Demand for pilot tests and customized process development has grown steadily in recent years: currently, around 800 product samples are tested and further developed in Oelde each year. With the expansion, GEA is responding to this trend and ensuring that customers will continue to have timely access to test capacity.
From sample to production – reliable data for confident investment decisions
Tests at the PTC give customers a reliable basis for planning: Which machine is the right one? Which process parameters deliver the best result? How does the process respond to varying raw material qualities – and which product qualities can be achieved consistently? Detailed product analyses, accurate measurements and centrifuge trials help answer these questions on a test scale and transfer the results to industrial processes.
With the third test room, GEA will gain the flexibility to test new applications faster and advance development projects in a more targeted way. This benefits both customers who need reliable and repeatable results before making an investment and GEA’s internal R&D team, which will have more scope for independent test series in the future. For the pilot tests, a broad spectrum of disk stack and decanter centrifuges is available, with more than 120 test machines ranging from small laboratory units to skid solutions close to industrial scale. The PTC also already has an ATEX-certified test room for use in potentially explosive atmospheres. This infrastructure enables demanding applications in the chemical, oil & gas and related industries.
Designed for resource-efficient operation
The new facility is designed for resource-efficient operation from the outset. Plans include a dedicated wastewater treatment system as well as the use of a GEA heat pump – both technologies that GEA also applies in customer projects and is implementing here in its own infrastructure.
Lilian Schmalenstroer
About GEA
GEA is one of the world’s largest suppliers of systems and components to the food, beverage and pharmaceutical industries.
The international technology group, founded in 1881, focuses on machinery and plants, as well as advanced process technology, components and comprehensive services. For instance, every second pharma separator for essential healthcare products such as vaccines or novel biopharmaceuticals is produced by GEA. In food, every fourth package of pasta or every third chicken nugget are processed with GEA technology.
With more than 18,000 employees, the group generated sales of about EUR 5.5 billion in more than 150 countries in the 2025 fiscal year. GEA plants, processes, components and services enhance the efficiency and sustainability of customers’ production. They contribute significantly to the reduction of CO2 emissions, plastic usage and food waste. In doing so, GEA makes a key contribution toward a sustainable future, in line with the company’s purpose: ”Engineering for a better world.”
GEA is listed on the German DAX, the European STOXX® Europe 600 Index and is also a constituent of the leading sustainability indices DAX 50 ESG, MSCI Global Sustainability and Dow Jones Best-in-Class World.
