Carl DeLaval, a chemist-metallurgist and machine designer from Sweden, is inducted for his invention of a simple machine that could continuously separate cream from whole fresh milk.

DeLaval was a brilliant inventor in many fields, but is recognized for his profound impact on dairy farmers and commercial dairies. Before he invented the DeLaval high-speed centrifugal cream separator in 1879, cream was typically obtained by skimming the top of milk that had stood in shallow containers for several hours.

The invention of the cream separator created a new cash crop for farmers: sweet fresh cream. This invention changed the way the world handled milk.

By 1885, the DeLaval Separator Company was incorporated and began manufacturing in Poughkeepsie, New York. The company expanded worldwide and went on to pioneer a wide range of milk handling and cooling equipment and the first practical milking machine. The development of the separator led to the invention of the steam turbine.

DeLaval is a vibrant company today and is also credited with initiating other industrial applications to separate and purify liquids of varying densities.