The Swiss subsidiary of Dutch firm DSM Nutritional Products AG uses the spray drying technique when producing vitamin and carotenoid powders for the pharmaceutical and meals industries. The process makes use of pump expertise to convey numerous emulsions into a twig tower, the place they are dried into powder. But the feed and booster pump that was being used proved to be an uncertainty factor as a outcome of the diaphragm required for the pumping process tended to tear when the pump was began up. Generally, such manufacturing interruptions could be corrected through instant upkeep and repair work.
However, it is extremely costly to switch a diaphragm or an entire system. DSM was in search of another and finally made a find when they talked to the pump experts at Lewa Nikkiso Switzerland, who beneficial a Lewa triplex process diaphragm pump for the spray tower software. The drive unit contains a safe start-up mode that keeps the diaphragm situated in the neutral place, and steady regulation utilizing an built-in monitoring system. Since the hermetically tight pumps are electropolished and CIP-approved, it is straightforward to satisfy the food industry’s stringent hygienic provisions.
100 PERCENT INTEGRATION
“Pump know-how plays a central role in drying oil-in-water emulsions for the food and pharmaceutical industries. These emulsions include substances corresponding to nutritional vitamins, carotenoids, or polyunsaturated fatty acids as energetic components,” explains Natalie Ibald, plant manager of formulations at DSM Nutritional Products AG. “As part of the method chain, every 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 danger of unexpected interruptions to this process couldn’t be ruled out. As a end result, the different emulsions could not be processed further. In different phrases, it was not possible to dry them into powder. The pump diaphragm was the explanation: it was usually too delicate to face up to the stress placed on it when beginning up the pump and would rupture. Replacing the diaphragm lowered the system’s service life and sometimes meant that trouble-free operation could not be guaranteed.
FINDING THE RIGHT PARTNER
In the course of trying to find a reliable alternative, DSM obtained in contact with the Swiss subsidiary of pump producer Lewa.
“We had been already conversant in Lewa Nikkiso Switzerland as a supplier of strong methods with long service lives in the SFP sector. To ensure trouble-free spray drying, we thought it will be sensible to affix forces with the experts from Lewa and come up with a design to solve the technical issues,” says Ibald.
DSM is dedicated to continually improving its processes and investing in know-how. This commitment, along with prior expertise with the quick service lives of the previous pumps, led DSM to place special focus on dependable function and a robust design during the project planning phase. The record of requirements additionally included a considerable variety of stringent hygienic provisions that had to be fulfilled.
“ เครื่องมือวัดpressure have provisions relating to microbiological purity which are many instances extra stringent than these for producing other meals merchandise,” explains Ibald. “This meant that the model new feed and booster pump needed to meet these more difficult situations and every sort of contamination needed to be dominated out to provide the widest attainable variety of products on the system.”
ROYAL DSM: PARTNER PROFILE
Royal DSM is a global science-oriented company that’s particularly active within the areas of vitamin, well being, and sustainable living. DSM’s mission is to improve the lives of all. Products and solutions from DSM address some of the world’s largest challenges while simultaneously creating financial, environmental, and societal worth for all its stakeholders—including prospects, staff, shareholders, and society at massive.
DSM delivers progressive solutions for the diet, animal nutrition, personal care and aromatics, medical merchandise, environmentally pleasant merchandise and applications, in addition to new mobility and interconnectivity.
DSM and its affiliated corporations employ greater than 23,000 people 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 exchange.
For more data, go to www.dsm.com.
GUARANTEED SAFE START-UP OPERATION
After a go to on the company premises to contemplate the spatial and technical parameters, Lewa Nikkiso Switzerland beneficial a kind G3F triplex course of diaphragm pump for the spray tower software. This pump contains a utterly secure start-up operation, since a spring continuously holds the integrated sandwich diaphragm positioned in a impartial place.
This protects the diaphragm against incorrect positioning and prevents it from being broken whereas the pump is beginning up, rising system availability considerably. And the Lewa triplex is controlled utilizing a stress relief valve that’s put in within the hydraulic part and can be configured for the specific state of affairs. Therefore, the pump can be tailored to different operational conditions in order to forestall any overloads that may arise. This ensures that the unit has a protracted service life and smooth regular operation for the complete system.
THE POWER OF DESIGN
In addition to the pressure relief valve and the spring management, the design of the diaphragm additionally performs an essential function in ensuring reliable pump operation. The patented sandwich diaphragm consists of two separate PTFE diaphragms which are extraordinarily long-lasting. They are related to one another by way of positive interlocking during the discharge stroke and mechanical force-fitting during the suction stroke.
This makes the pump hermetically tight and successfully prevents exterior contamination. As an additional safety function, the DPS monitoring system from Lewa continuously screens the condition of the diaphragm. The monitoring unit promptly shows any harm to the system that leads to increased stress within the diaphragm space.
This makes it potential to carry out preventive maintenance and restore work before the diaphragm even begins to rupture and potentially contaminates the pumped fluid. Thus, it is normally pointless to switch the pump off immediately, 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 without any issues up to a deliberate maintenance stop. The parts can then be replaced rapidly and easily by releasing the cassette for the assembly.
ASEPTIC, FDA-COMPLIANT OPERATION
The hermetically tight design of the method diaphragm pump does extra than just ensure dependable steady operation. It can be a central element for fulfilling the stringent hygiene provisions that the spray tower application is subject to. The Lewa triplex maintains a hermetically tight house with out dynamic seals, guaranteeing fully clean and aseptic manufacturing circumstances. All pump heads that come into contact with the product are additionally electropolished, which makes it attainable to make sure FDA-compliant pump operation.
Because the pump could be cleaned in place (CIP) using different alkaline and acidic agents and with out prior dismantling, it’s attainable to satisfy the particular necessities for child food as well. The provisions for child meals are 1,000 occasions more stringent than these for different merchandise within the meals sector. Thanks to the hermetically tight design, electropolishing, and CIP cleansing, we have been in a place to rule out any contamination of the pumped medium and clearly meet the required hygiene standard.
QUICK RESPONSE TIMES AND WELL-FOUNDED EXPERTISE
The first quote was received in June of 2018 and in September of the same 12 months, DSM Nutritional Products AG placed an order for the triplex process diaphragm pump. In operation since April 2019, the pump has turn into an indispensable part of production on the plant in Sisseln.
“In each part of the challenge, 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 production has become noticeably more environment friendly and dependable.”
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Lewa develops technologies and provides solutions for the vast array of functions among its prospects. Its products are used mainly within the oil and gasoline business, in gasoline odorization, in refineries and petrochemicals, in addition to within the production of plastics, detergents, and cleaners. Additional utility areas embody the chemical trade, cosmetics business, pharmaceuticals and biotechnology, food and beverage trade, and vitality utilities. For extra info, go to www.lewa.com.
Share