Matter of Degrees
Expert Spotlight
Meet Thomas Lergenmueller, Product Manager - Packaged Components at GEA Heating & Refrigeration Technologies. In an exclusive interview, Thomas sits down with us to share insights into the dynamic world of advanced compression systems for industrial heating and cooling.
Thomas Lergenmueller
Welcome in, Thomas. Tell our readers about what your work entails and what is meant by the “packaged components” part of your job title?
Thomas Lergenmueller: Packaged components describes our products which utilize GEA-manufactured compressors. The compressor serves as the heart of the overall system. A compressor package includes the complete compressor driveline with coupling and motor, the oil management system, main and service valves, sensors, and usually the controller. Available in a wide range of both screw and reciprocating compressor models, these units comprise our standard compressor package offerings.
Complete chillers and heat pumps covering the whole refrigeration cycle are also packaged components. These are very popular among our customers in many applications areas. Particularly when it comes to heating applications, a lot of customers seek the complete and convenient “plug-and-play” solutions from GEA. In addition to standard compressor packages, we also provide custom-engineered systems to meet the most sophisticated, high-spec applications.
How did you get to where you are today and what makes GEA a good fit for you?
TL: With degrees in both engineering and management, I was lucky I had some degree of flexibility and freedom of choice. While completing the last exams, I was working in a small consulting company, but I already knew I wanted to use my technical skills for something more substantial. An opening for a design and development engineer at GEA was exactly what I sought. While GEA is a large and growing global company, the culture provided a family environment and ample opportunity for creativity.
During the first years in the design department, I created the technical basis for our heat pumps and continued their development on a broader level ever since I became a product manager. It is the diversity and versatility, the international nature, and the global relevance of our energy-efficient, decarbonizing products that I cherish about my job.
Engineering is often associated with precision, science, advanced mathematics, and technical detail. Is there also a creative component to your work?
TL: I would like to argue that mathematics, science, and engineering can be highly creative, yet detailed engineering is no longer a big part of my everyday work. Now, the work is manifold, and I find many tasks satisfying my penchant for creativity. Some examples include collaborating to develop customer success stories, conducting live product webinars and recorded videos, creating training programs, improving processes, and initiating marketing campaigns for new products and product extensions. Indeed, my role goes well beyond spreadsheets, calculations, and CAD design.
GEA customers care about increasing productivity and efficiency while also addressing climate-change challenges. Can both goals be addressed simultaneously?
TL: Absolutely. Here is a simple project example: we supported a major food producer in redesigning the factory layout by replacing a very old chiller and boiler with one streamlined heat pump unit which meets both cooling and heating demands. This takes less space, so the customer can make use of the vacant area or increase the production volume using a larger heat pump unit, but still smaller than the old chiller plus boiler layout. More importantly, the customer has cut primary energy consumption by about 75%, CO2 emissions by 85%, and saves a six-figure amount of energy costs every year. Quite an efficiency increase, while effectively reducing the carbon footprint.
Advancements in digitalization of our products, such as a smart digital energy management, predictive maintenance, and “self-learning” machines reduce energy usage, prevent unnecessary downtime and maintenance, thereby increasing productivity and energy efficiency at the same time.
GEA Blu-Red Fusion combines highly efficient cooling and heating in a single product.
As decarbonization is such a hot topic across industries, how does this affect the approach you take to designing and modifying the types of products for which you are responsible?
TL: The challenge indeed is the enormous demand for sustainable products, heat pumps in particular of course, accompanied by a deluge of inquiries of all sorts and consequently more heat pump projects for our GEA factories. It requires a balancing act between further developing our products, for example considering alternative refrigerants to reach higher temperatures, and the need to further standardize and optimize existing products, but also a lot of processes, guidelines, trainings and such.
Are you working on anything new that you can tell us about?
TL: In product management at GEA, we are always working on several projects of various size and scope. One that will have a huge impact, though still in the early stage, is the development of large, screw compressor-based heat pump standards targeted at district heating applications.
Municipalities, residential living complexes, and college campuses, among others, are looking for sustainable district heating solutions and GEA is positioned to meet this demand.
GEA ammonia heat pump plant for district heating in Malmö, Sweden.
For young people considering a career in engineering, what helpful tips can you share?
TL: Ladies, you still are very underrepresented in this field and the opportunities in engineering are enormous. One of our GEA Values is diversity, and we have strategic goals that place emphasis on comprehensive recruiting efforts aimed at attracting female engineers and others that make GEA a dynamic company where all colleagues can thrive in a supportive environment.
My other advice is to be courageous, be motivated and intrigued, and don’t worry about gaps in knowledge – they can be filled as you advance along your career path.
Looking out five, 10, 15 years, how do you think the industrial heating and refrigeration space will evolve?
TL: Well, it is a bit of a traditional industry and high-quality, efficient, reliable products and solutions never lose their appeal, however, efficiency and sustainability have become more important in the last 15 years, the latter will continue to be a central global requirement.
Another trend is that heating and cooling is now more commonly thought of together, as one, not separately like in earlier industry times. Of course, the industry now walks more and more on digital tracks. In 10 to 15 years, I expect that most heating and refrigeration units will be digitally connected, many of them supported by AI.
