Is CEI certified to any quality standards?

Yes, CEI is ISO 9001 certified, reflecting its commitment to quality management, continuous improvement, and meeting international engineering standards.

Alkali Metals, Chemical Engineering | Creative Engineers, Inc.

CONTACT

Contact Us

Richard VanLieshout
President
Phone: 443-807-1202
Email: rich@ceina.pro

Debee Sommer
Executive Administrator
Phone: 717-235-5469
Email: debees@ceina.pro

Head Office

15425 Elm Drive

New Freedom, PA 17349

General email: info@creativeengineers.com
Invoice email: invoice@creativeengineers.com
Ordering email: orders@ceina.pro

Phone: 717-235-5469

Employment

To apply for a job with Creative Engineers, please send your resume to: rich@ceina.pro

Frequently asked questions

General

Alkali metals

Equipment

Critical metals

Etch

Yes. CEI is capable of doing the design, procurement, fabrication, testing, and startup of your pilot plant and skid-mounted process units. Our staff of chemical-process engineers will prepare the required mass-and-energy balance details and develop P&IDs so that CEI and the customer can agree on what is to be built. The mechanical, automation, and electrical groups will prepare equipment specifications, if necessary, and do detailed design. With the design agreed upon, our staff will procure the equipment, assemble, and deliver the complete package. At CEI, we believe that the success of any project depends heavily on the proper development of the project scope. We work with our customers to provide the up-front detailed process engineering needed to succeed.

Process and Project Engineers

1996

YEAR ESTABLISHED

>150

CUSTOMERS

406

PROJECTS COMPLETED

Zero Moving Parts. Zero Seals. Proven Up to 1,500°F. Specialized liquid metal equipment built for the toughest industrial applications: EM Pumps · EM Flow Meters · High-Temp Pressure Transmitters · Liquid Metal Heat-Transfer Systems

Electromagnetic Pumps

Electromagnetic Flow Meters

High-Temp Pressure Transmitters

Liquid Metal Heat Transfer Systems

Join the Leaders Working with Us

Our clients are at the heart of everything we do at Creative Engineers. As a leading engineering firm, we work closely with individuals and organizations across various industries. Our team of highly skilled engineers is dedicated to providing innovative solutions to meet the unique challenges faced by our clients. We strive to understand our clients' needs and expectations, and work collaboratively with them to deliver quality services that meet their technical requirements, budget, and timeline.

Our commitment to safety, sustainability, and excellence in engineering practices is evident in the successful outcomes we have achieved for our clients. At Creative Engineers, we pride ourselves on building strong relationships with our clients, and we look forward to working with you to help you achieve your engineering goals.

Alkali

Metals

Trust our team of alkali metals experts to provide comprehensive solutions for your unique project needs.

Process Engineering

Optimize your operations and maximize your productivity with our expert process engineering services.

Chemical Innovation

Fuel innovation and drive growth with our dedicated R&D services, tailored to meet your specific industry and business objectives.

Fabrication & Electrical

Our company provides top-quality fabrication and electric services to meet the requirements of our diverse client base.

Our Services

Featured Customer Solutions

At our core, we are dedicated to delivering tailored customer solutions by harnessing the power of chemical and physical processes. Our expertise lies in designing, optimizing, and scaling up processes, as well as developing groundbreaking products that push the boundaries of innovation. Put simply, we're here to revolutionize your business with our cutting-edge solutions.

Background
Since 2004, CEI has been at the forefront of building advanced etching systems for fluoropolymer medical and industrial tubing, as well as fluoropolymer-coated wire. Over the past five years, the demand for small-diameter, thin-wall medical tubing has surged, driving the need for specialized etching equipment.
Challenge
SEA Wire Inc. required a cost-effective solution for etching PTFE-coated wire of various specifications and sizes. The project demanded a highly productive etching system capable of handling four spools of wire simultaneously, including both unspooling and respooling capabilities. The system needed to be straightforward enough for existing employees to operate and had to be delivered within six months.
Solution
To meet SEA Wire's requirements, CEI developed a two-part solution:
1. Etching Process Enhancement: Leveraging our extensive experience, CEI engineers designed an etching system capable of processing four independent strands of wire through a unified set of alcohol and hot water rinses. We also incorporated an air wipe to remove residual water, ensuring a clean finish.
2. Wire Handling Innovation: Handling four spools of wire simultaneously posed a unique challenge. The solution required unwinding, aligning with the etching system, measuring length, respooling, and maintaining precise tension control. Traditional equipment manufacturers were no longer in business, and available new systems were too complex, expensive, and had prohibitive lead times.
CEI partnered with Atlantic Wire Machine Services, a small but experienced equipment service company, to design and adapt the wire handling equipment to meet the four-strand requirement. This partnership allowed us to deliver a customized, efficient, and cost-effective wire handling system tailored to SEA Wire's specific needs.

Client: University of New Mexico

Challenge

At the University of New Mexico, the Extreme Materials Group is researching advanced alloy development. This group, led by Dr. Osman Anderoglu, seeks to support the next generation of nuclear reactors which will require materials that can withstand high doses of irradiation, high service temperatures, outstanding corrosion resistance, and high thermal conductivity. The investigation requires a study of long-term corrosion and erosion effects of molten lead on structural materials. The test loop will need to run for long periods of time and operate in a safe and reliable manner. The liquid lead requires a fully heated system with selection of materials, design methods, instrumentation, and a pump that can operate with the molten metal. Minimizing the potential for leaks is a key design constraint. A process control and data acquisition system will be required to monitor key features of the system and provide detailed data logging to allow researchers to analyze the data.

Solution

Dr. Osman and his team created the Lobo Lead Loop Lab to facilitate this important work. This test loop is built using an Electro-Magnetic pump from Creative Engineers, materials testing section, main and secondary melt tanks, and heat exchanger section. The all-welded design and lack of any moving parts or mechanical seals in the EM pump create a very leak-proof system. The pump features a removable pumping tube section that can be changed to different materials of construction should the need arise. An automated vari-stat variable transformer operates with local closed-loop control of pump current so that the researchers can “dial in” a desired current to the pump, with the voltage fixed at 240VAC, to vary the energy and therefore the pumping force. The lead velocity is adjustable for different tests. It is nominally 1 m/s while the velocity in the specimen holders can reach more than 3 m/s depending on the configuration of the test articles. The system utilizes NI Compact RIO hardware and LabVIEW software for control, monitoring, and data logging of the system.

Challenge

Testing components to be used in a liquid metal system such as Lead-Bismuth, Lead-Lithium, Sodium, NaK, or similar liquid metals can be very difficult. The customer needed a safe, reliable, robust system to handle molten liquid metals at temperatures ranging from 150 to over 400 degrees C. A large test section was necessary for testing the first item, but the system needed to be flexible for a wide range of future test articles that could include heat exchangers, traps, and more. All components in the system must operate in an inert gas environment, to preserve the chemical purity of the liquid metal alloy and prevent oxidation. The system needed variable temperature control, in-place filtering, and variable pump flow control. Large system shipment and installation in Asia with startup assistance was also a requirement.

Solution

The test loop was designed and built by Creative Engineers, Inc. (CEI). The system has 23 zones of single-phase and three-phase temperature control for piping, tanks, and instrumentation. The control system safely distributes hundreds of amps of current throughout the system. It features the CEI flat linear-induction pump (FLIP) which moves fluid throughout the system. A CEI Electro-Magnetic flow meter is used to measure the liquid metal flow rate, which is displayed on the control panel along with approximately 20 other critical process parameters. The sump tank and expansion tank have multiple level switches to guide the operator during charging, filling, and draining operations of the loop. At these temperatures, very careful selection of all materials of construction is imperative, as is piping, structural, and vessel design to accommodate expansion and contraction of the system. The complete design was modular to allow shipping in multiple sea-going containers and assembly at the customer’s final location.

Client: Guina Energy

Safely and accurately pumping hazardous liquid metals such as liquid sodium, potassium, or NaK (a mixture of the two) poses unique challenges for the process engineer or scientific researcher. Such is the case for Guina Energy, which has developed cutting-edge homopolar motor technology that incorporates a liquid-metal brush system. Creative Engineers designs and builds a wide variety of electromagnetic pumps that are useful for many applications. For detailed pump testing of the DC Lab Pump implemented in this case, the system used high-purity NaK liquid metal as the fluid, which mimics actual process conditions.

Client: NSP

Our customer needed a kilo-scale pilot plant with tightly controlled environmental conditions for scale-up R&D. Creative Engineers designed, built, and is operating a 250-cubic-foot glove box (6.8 m3) to meet the customer’s challenge. The glove box is fully inerted with Argon gas and is pressure-controlled to approximately 2½-in. water column. The moisture content is controlled to less than 50ppm, and the design supports up to five simultaneous operators.

Challenge

A world leader in fluoroplastic tubing products needed an extruder-to-reel solution to provide continuous, high quality fluoropolymer etching of many products in their portfolio. Newly extruded tubing must pass through the Etch Cart and be properly etched, allowing for any number of additional downstream processes. The solution needed to be simple and easy to use and maintain, and be compact to economize on floor space. Operations required that the design minimize the use of etchant, and generate minimal waste. An optimum design would consist of an etching chamber, an alcohol wash, and a heated water wash, with an additional feature that the etching chamber be adaptable to a variety of large and small tubing diameters.

Solution

Creative Engineers, Inc. responded with the Tubing Etch Cart product shown above. It features a proprietary designed glass tube etching section, quickly and easily removable to change sizes or for cleaning and maintenance. The design ensures even contact with the etchant while exerting minimal resistance on the tubing traveling through the system. Operating costs are minimized with a tube geometry that uses only a small amount of etchant, with minor carry-over to other parts of the process. Waste is greatly reduced by using carbon filters for the alcohol and water baths with flow switches to protect the pumps if there is a filter becoming clogged. The hot water rinse portion is automatically temperature controlled with a redundant overtemperature safety feature. The cart is optimized to work with Creative Engineers’ line of Fluoropolymer Etchants such as C Etch-A or C Etch-B. Options for the product include polished stainless steel tanks, air knives, upgraded filter housings, rinse tank level indicators, and more.

Challenge

EMC/SunEdison in Pasadena Texas is a producer of ultrapure granular polysilicon used in the manufacturing of silicon wafers. In 2016 the decision was made to close the facility in Pasadena, which required decommissioning of five (5) large storage tanks containing the intermediate stage product sodium aluminum hydride, and two (2) large storage tanks for liquid sodium. The intermediate products, and the sodium, are highly reactive to water as well as moisture in the air, which requires special techniques and processes to safely and effectively neutralize them. The sheer size of the tanks (some nearly 40 feet tall) and quantity of residual material presented significant challenges. Additionally, the tanks also had solids and other contaminants that were present from cleaning out the rest of the process.

Solution

Deploying a team of processing experts, Creative Engineers, Inc. (CEI) utilized their superheated steam process, tailored the solution for each tank, and performed round-the-clock treatment operations. The joint SunEdison/CEI project team included operations and maintenance support to make the most of on-site materials, labor, and plant experience. The CEI control system provided up to 600° F superheated steam and nitrogen utilizing two 20 kW super heaters, while scrubbing the outlet stream of any undesirable particulate. Critical pressure, temperature, flow, and analytical measurements were used to control the process and determine a safe endpoint for reaction within each vessel.

Challenge

The Southwest Experimental Fast Oxide Reactor (SEFOR) was a nuclear power research facility, closed in 1972 and the nuclear material was removed from the site. In 2011, after several years of use for research, followed by approximately 25 years of inactivity, the first phase of decommissioning activities started. The second phase was initiated in 2017 and is scheduled to complete in September. Energy Solutions, a world leader in decommissioning of nuclear power plants, needed a company with expertise in removal of sodium, used as a cooling fluid for many of the primary and secondary systems in the reactor. Sodium metal is a solid at room temperature, but upon melting, it is used as a heat transfer fluid at very high temperatures and low pressure. This highly water reactive alkali metal must be carefully handled, utilizing special techniques to carefully remove it from equipment and piping systems, and passivate the residual amounts which linger in the system. The intricate piping, control valves, heat exchangers, storage tanks, reactor, and other equipment inside the nearly 60-foot-deep structure had to be carefully analyzed to determine how to segment into manageable sections and safely passivate the sodium with a goal of recycling as much of the steel as possible. Removal of the residual sodium from the system was a vital requirement for the 2017 phase of the SEFOR project.

Solution

Energy Solutions first contracted with Creative Engineers, Inc. (CEI) in 2011 to utilize their superheated steam process, where CEI tailored the solution for each secondary-side component that contained residual sodium. After successful passivation of the secondary components, CEI was once again employed to passivate the primary side, which included the complex nuclear reactor. The 2017 deployment included a top-notch group of local companies who provided extensive resources, all coordinated and managed by CEI. The CEI control system provides superheated steam and nitrogen utilizing a super heater, while scrubbing the outlet stream of any undesirable particulate. Critical pressure, temperature, flow, and analytical measurements are used to control the process and determine a safe endpoint for reaction within each component. CEI successfully completed the 2017 passivation activities ahead of schedule and under-budget.

Challenge

To satisfy increasing customer demand, Munzing Corporation in Clover, South Carolina needed to expand its on-site storage capabilities for raw materials, and provide more storage of in-process and finished goods. The facility would require a new warehouse, upgraded indoor tank storage as well as additional storage tanks outdoors on the order of 50,000 gallons in the near term, and another 50,000 gallons in the future. Inside the production building, changes were needed to increase efficiency and capacity. The tight equipment arrangement inside the existing building necessitated careful planning and coordination. Additional unloading lines, piping, valves, instrumentation, process automation, and safety systems would complete the project and keep customers supplied with the products they need from Munzing.

Solution

Implementing the needed facility upgrades required a complex series of projects to add tankage, replace or upgrade existing tankage, re-pipe the production area, add additional processing equipment plus all the associated pumps, packaging equipment, instrumentation and controls. The existing plant presented many challenges to implement the needed upgrades not the least of which was continuing to produce product while making the improvements. The new warehouse also required cooperation between the Munzing management team, the engineers, and local officials to design a warehouse to meet the business needs as well as community land use requirements on a very small parcel of land. Creative Engineers, Inc. played the central role of engineering design as well as coordination between Munzing, specialized engineering companies, equipment suppliers, local town officials and contractors.

The Challenge

To meet its ever-increasing demand for high-purity chemicals, SACHEM Inc. (www.sacheminc.com) is a recognized expert in developing products and processes that respond to customer needs. A large market for its products is in the semiconductor industry. One particular supplier to the semiconductor industry was in need of a new high-purity blend of chemicals that would push the limits of current high-purity manufacturing and packaging technology. The project was large and required an accelerated design and construction effort. SACHEM assembled a team of highly skilled engineers to translate the customer’s new formulation into a large-volume production facility. The project required a complete rehab of an idle processing building, a tank farm, new processing equipment, instrumentation, controls, and installation of clean-room facilities. The project required intake of tanker trucks of industrial chemicals, storage, blending, purification, and packaging.

The Solution

Creative Engineers, Inc. (CEI) was selected to be a partner with SACHEM on the design, construction, and startup of the new facility. Working closely with SACHEM, the customer, equipment suppliers, and construction personnel, CEI provided the engineering manpower SACHEM did not have in-house for such a large project. The project had many technical and logistical challenges, including integrating the facility into the existing plant utility and services, designing and building a new tank farm, adding a new road for raw material ingress, and expanding the perimeter footprint of the plant. In addition to process and project engineering support, CEI was an integral part of working with local officials to secure the necessary environmental and building permitting.

Challenge

Moving any fully operational, FDA validated chemical process from one country to another is never going to be an easy task. A leading medical device manufacturer needed to relocate a complicated fully-automated chemical system. This required disassembly, shipment as sea cargo, reassembly, and the performance of all levels of quality activities to bring the system back online in the new location. “No process changes” was the ideal goal for the move. Any subtle deviations from the currently installed system would need to be thoroughly documented, reviewed, and evaluated to ensure compliance with the validated process. Deconstruction, shipping, re-installation, checkout, startup, and revalidation needed to proceed as quickly and smoothly as possible.

Solution

The first step was to update all system documentation. Careful system cleanout and preparation for dismantling was performed by the customer’s team. Based on fully documented guidance and supervision by CEI, the system was deconstructed into logical modules with attention to cleanliness and preservation of all piping connections. Over forty(40) sea-worthy crates containing precisely inventoried sub-assemblies were loaded into six(6) shipping containers. The customer went to great lengths to re-construct the physical dimensions of the new facility to match the existing location in order to re-use as much of the system as possible. Very detailed process documents were created with tie-points for each of the 200+ sub-assemblies, as well as full electrical documentation of the PLC control system and motor control center (MCC) with over 30 interconnection diagrams. The field wiring was pulled back to field elements to preserve the investment in conduit seals and save time for reassembly. The customer team performed extensive joint training of the new system before and after the move on all aspects of operation and maintenance of the system. Both teams were vital in selection of the best contractors for both disassembly at the original location and reassembly at the final destination. The reassembly project was completed approximately 4 weeks ahead of schedule!

Detailed Engineering Capabilities

Chemical Engineering

Conceptual and Detailed Process Design
PFDs – Process Flow Diagrams
M&EB – Mass and Energy Balance (also known as Mass and Heat Balance)
P&ID – Piping and Instrument Diagrams
Process Troubleshooting
Process Optimization
Debottlenecking
Operating Procedures and Automation Specifications
Pressure and Vacuum Relief–System Analysis

Mechanical Engineering

Piping Design, Specification, and Layouts
Construction Documents
Skid-System and Field-Construction Design
General Arrangement Drawings
Detailed Construction Drawings

Automation / Electrical Engineering

PLC, DCS, SCADA Control Systems
Instrumentation System Design and Specification
Instrument Loops
Electrical Elementaries and Schematics
Project Management
Cost and Schedule Control
Bid Packages and Construction Documents
Permitting Assistance
Maintenance Assistance
Process Hazard Assessments (HAZOP & What If?)

Specialty Areas

Alkali Metals
Hazardous Materials
Pilot Plants
Skid-Mounted Systems
Batch and Continuous Processing
Building and Fire Codes (as they relate to hazardous materials)

Welcome to our world, where engineering excellence meets limitless possibilities.

Join us on this extraordinary journey and unlock a world of unparalleled potential.

Get in Touch

CONTACT

Contact Us

Head Office

Employment

Frequently asked questions

Can Creative Engineers provide turnkey pilot plants or process units?

Is CEI certified to any quality standards?

Process and Project Engineers

1996

>150

406

Join the Leaders Working with Us

Alkali

Metals

Process Engineering

Chemical Innovation

Fabrication & Electrical

Our Services

Featured Customer Solutions

Detailed Engineering Capabilities