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Andy Joseph - Apeks Supercritical - Extraction of Botanical Essential Oils - August 16, 2013
Andy Joseph - Apeks Supercritical - Extraction of Botanical Essential Oils - August 16, 2013
Andy Joseph has two degrees in welding engineering and served 6 years in the US Navy, both as an instructor and aboard the USS San Francisco (SSN-711) a nuclear submarine, stationed out of Pearl Harbor. While serving our country, his time in the Navy taught him the mechanical and piping system safety principles that have kept the US Navy from having a single reactor accident in over 60 years of operations.
Andy went on to manage the $2.5M Lab Services business unit of EWI for 12 years.
Working in support of welding R&D, project execution and physical testing for internal and external customers; including equipment installation/ removal, preventative maintenance, effective floor space management for short and long term research needs, and personnel management, he created a culture of customer focus, which facilitated repeat business, Andy was able to grow Lab Services by 10% year over year.
Next, Andy founded Apeks Fabrication over 12 years ago primarily fabricating stainless steel botanical extraction and distillation systems for the food processing and medical industries. As part of the organic growth of the Apeks, he developed a line of modular vacuum distillation, extraction systems, and a family of automated supercritical CO2 fluid extraction systems. Andy created a business model that allows for profitable manufacturing of both off-the-shelf and custom system design, prototyping and fabrication for extraction and separation industry. A unique differentiator is the ability to convert napkin sketch concepts into engineered systems.
Apeks Supercritical has delivered 40+ subcritical and supercritical CO2 systems for cannabis applications. Systems range in size from 1/4 pound to 30 pound capacity.
Apeks Supercritical employs the same safety principles Andy learned in the Navy’s nuclear program to ensure that their systems are safe and reliable for their clients.
Andy has earned the 2002 IIW Henry Granjon Award - Category A, Joining and Fabrication Technology and holds the following patents for his work:
1.Torch-Based Cutting Tool; Patent #6764640, issued 7/20/2004
2.Method and Apparatus for Material Processing; Patent #8,306,079, issued 10/9/2009 3.Pumpless Extraction Technology: Provisional Application #61728656, filed 11/20/12 4.Valveless Expansion Technology; Provisional Application #61799665, filed 3/15/13