Roben, Mfg., Inc. specializes in the custom engineering and fabrication of distillation columns for chemical, fine chemical, petrochemical, pharmaceutical, food and beverage, defense, and power-generation industries. Every project is designed to ASME Section VIII Division 1 (with optional Division 2), is National Board registered, complies with the European Pressure Equipment Directive (PED 2014/68/EU) for CE marking, and is registered under the Canadian Registration Number (CRN) system for all Canadian provinces.
What Distillation Columns Are
A distillation column is a vertical pressure vessel used to separate a mixture of liquids into its individual components based on differences in their boiling points. The column achieves separation through repeated cycles of vaporization and condensation across a series of internal trays or structured/random packing, allowing lighter (more volatile) components to rise to the top while heavier components descend to the bottom.
Why Distillation Columns Matter
Distillation columns are the workhorse of separation processes in chemical, petrochemical, refining, fine chemical, and pharmaceutical manufacturing. They are essential wherever a process requires the purification, recovery, or fractionation of liquid mixtures — from crude oil refining and solvent recovery to API purification and food-grade alcohol production. A properly engineered distillation column directly impacts product purity, energy consumption, throughput, and regulatory compliance.
Distillation Columns — Specifications and Capabilities
- Configurations: Tray columns (sieve, valve, bubble cap), packed columns (random and structured), hybrid tray-packed
- Operating pressures: Atmospheric, vacuum (sub-atmospheric), and high pressure (internal/external)
- Diameters: From 4 in. up to 470 in.
- Weight capacity: Up to 150 tons
- Length: Custom-engineered up to 1,250 in.
- Materials: Austenitic and Duplex Stainless Steel, Ferritic Stainless Steel, Nickel Alloys, Aluminum, Clad combinations, Monel, Hastelloy C-276/C2000/C-22, Inconel, Incoloy, Alloy 20
Certifications and Codes
- ASME Section VIII Division 1 — U-stamp
- ASME Section VIII Division 2 — available on request
- National Board registration — R-stamp
- PED 2014/68/EU — CE marking with Notified Body coordination
- CRN — registered for all Canadian provinces
- NACE MR0175 / ISO 15156 — sour-service compliance
- AWS D1.1 / ASME Section IX — qualified welding procedures and welders
Frequently Asked Questions About Distillation Columns
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