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Approfondimenti GEA
La svolta che ha rivoluzionato lo spray drying
Nel 1976, gli ingegneri di NIRO risposero a una sfida della concorrenza ripensando radicalmente le potenzialità dello spray drying. Da questa intuizione nacque l'essiccatore multistadio MSD. Cinquant'anni dopo, lo stesso principio fondamentale contribuisce a trasformare i liquidi nelle polveri utilizzate in prodotti nutrizionali essenziali e in importanti farmaci in tutto il mondo. Perfezionato grazie a decenni di competenza ingegneristica, attenzione alle esigenze dei clienti e sviluppo continuo, l'MSD rappresenta una storia di innovazione dall'impatto duraturo.
Oltre le macchine: come migliorare le prestazioni dell’impianto
Una macchina efficiente non garantisce automaticamente l'efficienza di uno stabilimento. Il vero miglioramento spesso inizia guardando oltre le singole attrezzature e comprendendo come i processi, i sistemi energetici e le decisioni operative si influenzino a vicenda. Si tratta di un approccio olistico pensato per individuare opportunità che altrimenti potrebbero sfuggire.
Come una valvola rivoluziona la produzione di alimenti e bevande
Negli impianti di produzione di alimenti e bevande, le valvole vengono solitamente azionate tramite aria compressa. GEA Hydract® Actuation Technology utilizza l'acqua all'interno di un circuito chiuso e controllato digitalmente. Il risultato è una valvola che può essere mantenuta esattamente in posizione e regolata con per piccoli incrementi con grande precisione. Ciò si traduce in un minor consumo energetico e in un maggiore controllo.
With a design based on proven high shear mixing technologies, the GEA INLINE FORMULA® Powder Dissolver offers energy efficient, cost-efficient powder dissolving for multipurpose manufacturing but with a small footprint.
Fluidizing powder into liquid requires process knowhow and engineering skills
With the focus on flow characteristics the unit is designed to fluidize powder and hydrocolloids into liquid and meanwhile apply shear forces to the product. Compared to conventional addition of powder into the mixer tank with top-mounted agitator – the GEA INLINE FORMULA® Powder Dissolver will reduce the process time significantly. Achieving a homogenized product (without powder lumps) is crucial to keep the uptime on the downstream equipment.
Using a design based on proven high shear mixing technology with the use of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) to ensure optimum flow pattern, we can provide more accurate costing, achieve greater accuracy in design, provide better process insight and significantly reduce risk for customers.
Homogeneity matters
We understand the challenges faced by customers when it comes to dispersing powder into liquid:
- Inhomogeneous products caused by undissolved powder agglomerates can lead to phase separation/precipitation of solids in the downstream mixer tanks. This in turn can lead to an increased risk of fouling of downstream heat treatment resulting in reduced process time due to more frequent cleaning requirements.
- Lack of flexibility with a limit of shear forces applied to the product can often result in a long process time and undissolved powder agglomerates causing an inhomogeneous product.
With the GEA INLINE FORMULA® Powder Dissolver, liquid accelerates over the specially designed injector creating a venturi-based effect. This core design enables the operators to fluidize high volumes of powder without facing issues of “back-flush” or powder blockages of the entire system.
Likewise, the Powder Dissolver is equipped with an integrated stator/rotor in order to apply shear forces to the product to ensure a rapid dispersion of powder and achieve a better, finer distribution of powder and ultimately a homogeneous mix. By using the same flow characteristics as a centrifugal pump, we achieve high recirculation flow over downstream tanks enabling a fast turnover.
A high amount of powder easily fluidizes into a liquid stream due to the combination of vacuum and the liquid injector. With this design, the operator can divert the flow into two streams – partly over the downstream storage tanks, partly over the Powder Dissolver itself. This special feature ensures multi-pass through the high shear mixing device enabling the operators to process applications even with high total solids content of up to 20% (TS).
Key benefits
- Low CAPEX and OPEX
- Pre-assembled skid offering fast installation and set-up
- Designed with the same flow characteristics as a highly efficient centrifugal pump to achieve optimum and simplified installation
- Ergonomic working environment for operators
- Fully drainable after Clean-In-Place (CIP)
- Integrated stator / rotor in order to apply mechanical stress to the product to achieve homogeneity
- A booster pump between recirculation tanks and the unit is not needed (in most cases) due to a low NPSH curve
- A discharge pump after the unit will (in some cases) not be needed due to high dynamic outlet pressure
- Diverted flow streams – partly over the downstream storage tanks partly over the Powder Dissolver This special feature ensures multi-pass through the high shear mixing device enabling the operators to process applications with high total solids (TS) in a short time
- Special design of powder funnel ensures a non-uniformity powder flow to avoid powder from bridging
- Powder addition flowrate can be adjusted to individual processes by using the manual butterfly valve.
Fully equipped for every application
Compact and easy to ship, the GEA INLINE FORMULA® Powder Dissolver complies with the highest safety standards. Further design elements include
- Clean-in-place (CIP)
- Hygienic design
- All parts in contact with the product are made from stainless steel EN 1.4404 (AISI 316L). Other parts are made from EN 1.4307 (AISI 304L).
