Busch Award for Innovative Ideas

The first recipient of the Busch Award was GEA Food Solutions GmbH. The Düsseldorf-based company is the successor to Union Verpackungsges. mbH, which was founded in Kempten in 1957.

At the start of the 1960s, Union developed a new type of packaging for fresh foods: vacuum packaging.

The first packaging films that could be used for this process were already available. It was just a matter of developing a machine capable of automatically shaping plastic film into a tray to hold the food for packaging. This tray would then be sealed with another film to make it airtight and at the same time, any air between these films would be extracted. This process had to be as quick and effective as possible but a high vacuum also had to be ensured in the packaging. Busch took care of the technical development for Union’s vacuum generator and with the Huckepack, created the ideal vacuum pump. Union was then able to introduce the world’s first automatic thermoforming machine for packaging. And so vacuum packaging was born – a product of innovative ideas and effective collaboration.

Dr. Karl Busch was able to present the prize to Manfred Schmidt, purchasing manager at GEA Food Solutions, and Christoph Ullmann as part of the evening celebrations for the company’s 50th anniversary. Christoph Ullmann was the designer of this first automatic vacuum packing machine at that time – and Busch’s very first customer.

The award acknowledges an idea that was realised 50 years ago, has long since made triumphal progress around the world and now represents the “state of the art”.

Busch Vacuum Pumps and Systems has decided to present the Busch Award every year. As a leading force in industrial vacuum technology, Busch is looking to set an example that will encourage young developers and designers to continue to make innovative use of vacuum technology and so exploit the many technical possibilities that vacuum offers.