INTERNATIONAL
Biggest and best Achema draws 170,000 Exhibitors of chemical equipment number 2000 at Germany's triennial chemical engineering show The biggest and best yet. This was Achema 67, the gigantic exhibit-congress for chemical engineers, held in Frankfurt, West Germany. More than 170,000 visitors flocked into Congress City for the triennial show, sponsored by Dechema (Deutsche Gesellschaft fuer Chemisches Apparatewesen E.V.). They trooped past row on row of displays occupying 810,000 sq. ft. and crammed with the very latest in chemical processing equipment and technology. Some 2000 exhibitors vied for visitor attention at the show, the world's largest meeting for chemical engineers. Over half of them were West German firms. Indicative of the growing international flavor of the show, however, was the sharp rise in foreign exhibitors, up 34% from three years ago to 701. Great Britain led the foreign con-
tingent with 179 exhibitors, followed by the U.S. with 161. Forty-seven American companies participated in a group exhibit (sponsored by the U.S. Department of Commerce) of measuring, recording, and controlling instruments for the chemical industry. Of these, 31 were new to Europe. Achema 67 offered little in the way of startling new equipment or technology. What was evident, however, is a growing similarity between European and U.S. equipment in terms of design and philosophy. Labor-saving devices, automatic controls, more instrumentation—all the things that American chemical engineers have become accustomed to seeing at U.S. trade shows—were more in evidence than ever at Achema 67. Thus many of the same forces that have strongly influenced U.S. equipment design are obviously now at work in Europe.
STROLL. Achema visitors in Strasse der Nationen of the congress grounds. Exhibit space at Achema 67 was increased by a third over 1964 congress OUTDOORS. Outdoor exhibits were commonplace at West Germany's 10day congress and show in Frankfurt. There were lectures, films, excursions, concerts, and social events as well 32 C&EN JULY 10, 1967
U.S. FIRMS. Booths of 47 U.S. instrument firms that exhibited jointly under Department of Commerce sponsorship. Thirty-one of the firms made their European debut at the show
SPILL OVER. Exhibitors of measurement, control, and automation equipment filled this hall (Hall 1) and spilled over into three others. Some 2000 companies exhibited at Achema 67
DISCUSSIONS. Heat exchangers in the foreground, discussions under way in the background at the booth of SigriElectrographit, GmbH, Meitingen, West Germany
DIMPLED. A thin-film evaporator, with dimple-jacketed column, by Samesreuther Mueller Schuss, Butzbach, West Germany, dominates the ground-floor view in hall devoted to equipment JULY 10, 1967 C&EN 33
