2009 Readers' Choice Awards: Who Rises to the Call?

June 24, 2009
Readers reveal which technology providers they consider the leaders.

More technology providers than ever before were identified by readers of Chemical Processing in the 2009 Readers’ Choice Awards survey. That’s because the survey garnered the highest number of respondents (975) in its now six-year history.

Our readers told us which providers they consider to be technology leaders in 44 categories.

Picking a  single leader probably proved tough for some readers. The survey caused another reader to reflect upon his career. “Some of the categories made me realize how long I have been in this business,” he says.

The Elastomers category in this year’s survey deserves a bit of explanation because some readers selected DuPont Dow as their choice. However, the joint venture of those companies was dissolved a couple of years ago, so we evenly distributed the totals for DuPont Dow between the two.

Making the list is important to vendors as it shows them that their technology is highly regarded by end users. Other vendors, who did not make the list, can use the information to further develop their products so that they may become your choice in the future.

By the Numbers
Emerson Process Management continued the strong showing it’s had over the years, coming in first in seven categories and placing in three others. Emerson also garnered the most comments when respondents were asked to identify one technology provider as the best and explain why. “Emerson Process Systems is the best becausue they are always bringing the most up-to-date products to market. They also provide excellent customer support,” says one respondent, which echoes the views of others.

 Other vendors who earned multiple mentions include Alfa Laval, Fluke and Siemens, each with two first place finishes. ABB, Endress+Hauser, Honeywell and Rockwell Automation all placed highly in multiple categories.

More detailed survey results are located below. If you desire additional information about any of the vendors or products listed, we encourage you to visit http://www.chemicalprocessing.com/vendors/products/index.html and search for bearings, pumps or any other category that interests you. Results from previous Readers’ Choice Awards also are available online:

• 2008 — www.ChemicalProcessing.com/articles/2008/112.html
• 2007 — www.ChemicalProcessing.com/articles/2007/108.html
• 2006 — www.ChemicalProcessing.com/articles/2006/111.html
• 2005 — www.ChemicalProcessing.com/articles/2005/523.html
• 2004 — www.ChemicalProcessing.com/articles/2005/363.html

How Results Were Gathered
Readers received e-mail notices and electronic newsletters or used a link posted on our Web site to complete the questionnaire. The survey was open for responses for just over one month. A total of 975 readers cast their votes about which vendors they consider technology leaders in 44 different categories. Categories were listed, but respondents had to enter the name of the technology provider in a blank text box. By not providing a pre-selected list of companies in each category, the survey avoided bias.

The rankings show the percentage of total responses in each category that a particular company received. A minimum of at least 5% of the votes in a category is required to be listed. Scores within 3% of each other should be considered a statistical tie.

The Results

Bearings  
 
SKF 32% 
Timken 16% 
Motion Industries 6% 
    
Boilers/Steam Systems   
Cleaver Brooks 21% 
Babcock & Wilcox 15% 

Catalysts   
BASF 18% 
Sud-Chemie 9% 
Johnson Matthey 8% 
UOP 7% 
Criterion 6% 
    
Centrifugal Pumps   
Goulds 38% 
Flowserve 20% 
    
Centrifuges   
Alfa Laval 20% 
Wesfalia 11% 
Bird Machine 8% 
Heinkel 6%  
Kraus Maffei 6% 
    
Compressors   
Ingersol Rand 33% 
Atlas Copco 15% 
Sullair 5% 
    
Computerized Maintenance Management Software (CMMS)
Maximo 22% 
SAP 19% 
Emerson Process Management 6% 
    
Cooling Towers    
Marley 51% 
BAC 10% 
Delta 5% 
    
Distillation Equipment   
Koch-Glitsch 50% 
Sulzer 13% 
   
Dryers   
GEA Niro 18% 
   
Dust-Control Systems   
Donaldson-Torit 32% 
Micropul 7%
Flex-Kleen 5% 
 
Elastomers
DuPont 41% 
Dow 12% 
   
Engineering/Design Services  
Jacobs Engineering 12% 
Fluor 7%
CH2M Hill 5% 
    
Explosion Protection Systems  
Fike 35% 
Fenwal 24% 
   
Fans & Blowers 
New York Blower 29% 
Howden-Buffalo 9% 
Dresser Roots 9% 
Chicago Blower 6% 
   
Feeders 
K Tron 29% 
Acrison 16% 
Schenck AccuRate 9% 
Flexicon 5% 
   
Filtration Systems 
Pall 15% 
Millipore 11% 
Siemens (U.S. Filter) 8% 
Filter Specialties, Inc. 5% 
   
Flow Instrumentation
   
Emerson Process Management 59% 
Endress+Hauser 7% 
   
Heat Exchangers   
Alfa Laval 21% 
Tranter 7% 
ITT 6% 
APV 5% 
   
Heat Transfer Fluids   
Dow 61% 
Solutia 21% 
   
Infrared Thermography Equipment  
FLIR 31% 
Fluke 30% 

Instrument Calibration Systems  
Fluke 28% 
Emerson Process Management 14% 
   
Level Instrumentation   
Emerson Process Management 41% 
Endress+Hauser 11% 
Ohmart Vega 6% 
Magnetrol 5% 

Lubricants   
ExxonMobil 25% 
Shell 15% 
Royal Purple 11% 
Lubrizol 7% 
Chevron 6% 
Dow 5% 
   
Mixing Systems   
SPX Process Equipment  35% 
Chemineer 20% 
Philadelphia 5% 
   
Motors   
Baldor 51% 
GE 14% 
Siemens 12% 
   
Pipe/Tubing/Fittings   
Swagelok 40% 
Parker 12% 

Plant Design Software
Autodesk 24% 
AspenTech 22% 
Intergraph 10% 
   
Positive Displacement Pumps  
Viking 18% 
Moyno 8% 
Milton Roy 7% 
SPX Process Equipment 7% 
Wilden 5% 
   
Pressure Instrumentation    
Emerson Process Management 51% 
Ashcroft 8% 
Honeywell 5% 
   
Process Analyzers  
Emerson Process Management 22% 
ABB 15% 
Siemens 14% 
   
Process Automation Systems   
Emerson Process Management 35% 
Rockwell Automation 17% 
Honeywell 15% 
Siemens 7% 
Invensys 7% 
ABB 6%
   
Process Simulation Software   
AspenTech 48% 
Honeywell 8%
ChemStations 8% 
   
Seals    
John Crane 46% 
Flowserve 10% 
Chesterton 9% 
   
Spray Nozzles    
Spray Systems 43% 
Bete 27% 
Sprayco 7% 
   
Tanks & Vessels    
Mueller 7%
Pfaudler 6% 
   
Temperature Instrumentation   
Emerson Process Management 50% 
Omega 10% 
   
Vacuum Systems    
Nash_Elmo 22% 
Busch 15% 
Sihi 11% 
Graham 8% 
   
Valves & Actuators    
Emerson Process Management 35% 
Neles-Jamesbury 7% 
Flowserve 6%
   
Variable Speed Drives    
Rockwell Automation 34% 
ABB 16% 
Toshiba 7% 
Siemens 7% 
GE 5% 
   
Vibration Monitoring Equipment   
GE (Bently Nevada) 56% 
Emerson Process Management 13% 
IRD 5% 

Water Treatment Systems   
GE 24% 
Nalco 16% 
Siemens 14% 
Calgon 6% 
   
Weighing Systems    
Mettler Toledo 58% 
Hardy Instruments 5% 

Ken Schnepf is Chemical Processing's Managing Editor. You can e-mail him at [email protected].

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