เกจ์แรงดัน of Dutch firm DSM Nutritional Products AG uses the spray drying methodology when producing vitamin and carotenoid powders for the pharmaceutical and meals industries. The procedure makes use of pump know-how to convey varied emulsions into a spray tower, where they’re dried into powder. But the feed and booster pump that was being used proved to be an uncertainty issue because the diaphragm required for the pumping course of tended to tear when the pump was started up. Generally, such manufacturing interruptions can be corrected through quick upkeep and repair work.
However, it is rather costly to replace a diaphragm or a whole system. DSM was in search of an alternative and at last made a find after they talked to the pump experts at Lewa Nikkiso Switzerland, who recommended a Lewa triplex course of diaphragm pump for the spray tower software. The drive unit contains a protected start-up mode that retains the diaphragm located within the neutral place, and continuous regulation utilizing an integrated monitoring system. Since the hermetically tight pumps are electropolished and CIP-approved, it is simple to meet the meals industry’s stringent hygienic provisions.
a hundred PERCENT INTEGRATION
“Pump technology performs a central function in drying oil-in-water emulsions for the meals and pharmaceutical industries. These emulsions comprise substances corresponding to nutritional vitamins, carotenoids, or polyunsaturated fatty acids as active elements,” explains Natalie Ibald, plant manager of formulations at DSM Nutritional Products AG. “As a half of the process chain, each pump is one hundred pc integrated into the closed plant system. The pumps are used for conveying the mixtures into the spray tower.”
With the previous system, the chance of unforeseen interruptions to this process couldn’t be ruled out. As a outcome, the totally different emulsions couldn’t be processed further. In other words, it was not potential to dry them into powder. The pump diaphragm was the explanation: it was often too sensitive to withstand the stress placed on it when beginning up the pump and would rupture. Replacing the diaphragm decreased the system’s service life and generally meant that trouble-free operation couldn’t be guaranteed.
FINDING THE RIGHT PARTNER
In the course of trying to find a reliable alternative, DSM got in contact with the Swiss subsidiary of pump producer Lewa.
“We have been already acquainted with Lewa Nikkiso Switzerland as a provider of sturdy techniques with lengthy service lives in the SFP sector. To guarantee trouble-free spray drying, we thought it would be smart to join forces with the specialists from Lewa and provide you with a design to solve the technical problems,” says Ibald.
DSM is dedicated to repeatedly enhancing its processes and investing in technology. This commitment, along with prior expertise with the short service lives of the previous pumps, led DSM to position particular concentrate on reliable function and a strong design during the challenge planning phase. The list of requirements also included a considerable number of stringent hygienic provisions that had to be fulfilled.
“Certain meals have provisions concerning microbiological purity which are many instances more stringent than those for producing different food products,” explains Ibald. “This meant that the brand new feed and booster pump needed to meet these more difficult circumstances and every kind of contamination had to be ruled out to supply the widest possible variety of products on the system.”
ROYAL DSM: PARTNER PROFILE
Royal DSM is a world science-oriented firm that is especially energetic in the areas of vitamin, health, and sustainable dwelling. DSM’s mission is to improve the lives of all. Products and solutions from DSM address a few of the world’s largest challenges while concurrently creating financial, environmental, and societal worth for all its stakeholders—including prospects, workers, shareholders, and society at large.
DSM delivers revolutionary options for the nutrition, animal nutrition, personal care and aromatics, medical products, environmentally pleasant products and functions, as nicely as new mobility and interconnectivity.
DSM and its affiliated companies make use of more than 23,000 individuals and generate an annual net turnover of approximately 10 billion euros. The company was based in 1902 and is listed on the Euronext Amsterdam stock change.
For extra info, go to www.dsm.com.
GUARANTEED SAFE START-UP OPERATION
After a visit on the firm premises to suppose about the spatial and technical parameters, Lewa Nikkiso Switzerland really helpful a sort G3F triplex course of diaphragm pump for the spray tower application. This pump includes a completely safe start-up operation, since a spring constantly holds the built-in sandwich diaphragm situated in a neutral position.
This protects the diaphragm towards incorrect positioning and prevents it from being broken whereas the pump is starting up, rising system availability substantially. And the Lewa triplex is controlled using a stress relief valve that is installed in the hydraulic part and can be configured for the specific situation. Therefore, the pump could be adapted to completely different operational situations to be able to forestall any overloads that may come up. This ensures that the unit has a long service life and clean common operation for the complete system.
THE POWER OF DESIGN
In addition to the pressure aid valve and the spring management, the design of the diaphragm additionally performs an necessary function in guaranteeing reliable pump operation. The patented sandwich diaphragm consists of two separate PTFE diaphragms that are extraordinarily long-lasting. They are connected to every other via optimistic interlocking in the course of the discharge stroke and mechanical force-fitting through the suction stroke.
This makes the pump hermetically tight and successfully prevents external contamination. As a further security function, the DPS monitoring system from Lewa continuously screens the situation of the diaphragm. The monitoring unit promptly shows any harm to the system that results in elevated strain in the diaphragm house.
This makes it possible to hold out preventive maintenance and repair work before the diaphragm even begins to rupture and doubtlessly contaminates the pumped fluid. Thus, it is normally unnecessary to switch the pump off instantly, which implies that neither the pumping course of nor spray drying are negatively impacted to a big extent. If injury to a diaphragm is detected, production can continue with none problems up to a deliberate upkeep cease. The components can then be replaced rapidly and easily by releasing the cassette for the meeting.
ASEPTIC, FDA-COMPLIANT OPERATION
The hermetically tight design of the process diaphragm pump does more than simply guarantee reliable steady operation. It can be a central component for fulfilling the stringent hygiene provisions that the spray tower application is topic to. The Lewa triplex maintains a hermetically tight house without dynamic seals, guaranteeing utterly clean and aseptic production situations. All pump heads that come into contact with the product are also electropolished, which makes it attainable to make sure FDA-compliant pump operation.
Because the pump may be cleaned in place (CIP) utilizing totally different alkaline and acidic agents and without prior dismantling, it is attainable to fulfill the particular necessities for baby meals as well. The provisions for child meals are 1,000 times more stringent than those for different products within the food sector. Thanks to the hermetically tight design, electropolishing, and CIP cleaning, we had been capable of rule out any contamination of the pumped medium and clearly meet the required hygiene commonplace.
QUICK RESPONSE TIMES AND WELL-FOUNDED EXPERTISE
The first quote was obtained in June of 2018 and in September of the identical year, DSM Nutritional Products AG positioned an order for the triplex course of diaphragm pump. In operation since April 2019, the pump has turn into an indispensable part of production at the plant in Sisseln.
“In each part of the venture, Lewa Nikkiso Switzerland demonstrated quick response occasions and well-founded expertise, which made a key contribution to implementing the venture efficiently,” says Ibald. “Our specs with regard to quality, robustness, and hygiene had been adopted to the letter on this project. As a result, our manufacturing has turn into noticeably more environment friendly and reliable.”
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Lewa develops applied sciences and supplies options for the vast array of functions amongst its clients. Its products are used primarily within the oil and gasoline business, in gasoline odorization, in refineries and petrochemicals, in addition to in the production of plastics, detergents, and cleaners. Additional software areas embrace the chemical business, cosmetics industry, pharmaceuticals and biotechnology, meals and beverage industry, and power utilities. For extra info, go to www.lewa.com.
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