An Overview of Sanitary Fittings

A lot goes into creating and maintaining a sanitary process, regardless of whether you are in food, beverage or pharmaceutical manufacturing.  The requirements to meet 3A, FDA and other sanitary guidelines are especially demanding.  Everything that the product touches, from pumps to tanks to piping, it is engineered to eliminate crevices that can create and harbor bacteria. Let’s tip our hat to the sanitary fitting, that is definetely one of the most useful pieces of equipment in your plant.

Sanitary Fittings 

A sanitary fitting connects different sections of your process – piping to pumps to heat exchangers and lastly to tanks.  A sanitary fitting is 2 ferrules, a gasket and a tri-clamp to hold them together. 

 A groove on the face of the ferrule provides a seat for the gasket.  The clamp provides the mechanical force to compress the gasket between the 2 ferrules.  Our hand tightens the clamp and we use torque tools to ensure a constant amount of force and eliminate over-tightening. 

 In sanitary processing, these fittings are more popular because they are easy to assemble, extremely easy to clean, leak-free and, when assembled correctly, have no small nooks or crannies to harbor bacteria.

The clamped union is the critical element for evaluating pipe pressure capacity.  Be certain your pressure ratings are for the union – not just the clamp.

Clamp Fittings 

Clamp style fittings are most popular because they offer easy assembly and breakdown of process lines and equipment.  They are available in 304 and 316L stainless steel in sizes ½” through 12”.

Weld Fittings 

Weld fittings is what we use are on permanent installations where process piping and equipment can be cleaned in place (CIP) and removal of the system components is not required.  We offer weld fittings in nominal tube sizes from ½” through 8” in both 304 and 316L stainless steel. Uniform wall thickness for ½” through 3” sizes measures 0.065.  In 4” size, wall thickness measures 0.083.  In both 6” and 8” sizes, wall thickness measures 0.109. It meets all 3A requirements. 

Bevel Seat Fittings 

We use bevel seat fittings on process equipment and piping to ensure rigidity of the system which is extremely important. Bevel seat unions consist of a threaded bevel ferrule mated with a plain bevel ferrule. We offer both in 304 or 316L stainless steel.  Bevel seat fittings meet all 3A requirements and are available in 1” through 4” sizes.

Gasket Selections

An again, 2 ferrules, a gasket and a clamp make up the tri-clamp fittings. Gasket selection is key to ensuring a leakproof connection.  The most common gasket materials are:

  • BUNA – nitrile rubber (NBR); a copolymer of butadiene and acrylonitrile
  • EPDM – ethylene propylene diene rubber
  • FPM – flourinated propylene monomer, commonly sold under the trade name Viton®
  • PTFE – polytetrafluoroethylene elastomer, commonly sold under the trade name Teflon®

For additional information on gaskets, check out our Elastomer Compability Guide and our Basic Elastomer Characteristics Guide.

Before tightening the clamp, make sure the gasket is seated properly into the seats of both ferrules.  Misalignment of the gasket is one of the main causes of leaks in tri-clamp fittings.

Check out our White Paper – An Overview of Sanitary Fittings – for more information or visit one of the links below.

For more information, visit our website:  www.mgnewell.com and www.newellautomation.com.

Solving Separation Anxiety with Systems Controls

One would expect a systems control integrator to understand equipment controls.  But what happens when your controls integrator also understands the process?

You get an improved production process, reduced maintenance, and more productivity!

Separator with Systems Controls 

A beverage producer in SC uses a separator as part of a hot tea fill process.  The original separator program forced the bowl to spin down when flow was not detected after several minutes.  The customer deemed that the time to spin down and then speed back up to processing speed was too long. He was losing too much production time.

The original integrator who installed the hot fill line changed the separator controls which allowed the separator to spin. Even when tea was not flowing, the separator would spin.  Because of the continuous spin of the bowl it created excessive heat, leading to a breakdown of the bowl gaskets. The gasket wear created a flow path around the seals to the solids discharge port on the separator.     

The customer then contacted M.G. Newell for help.  Our Newell Automation engineer installed a flow switch and timer on the outlet of the pump feeding the separator and then added a water circuit that allowed water to flow through the separator and to the drain.  He also programmed the system to allow automated butterfly valves to open when tea flow was not detected for the timer set point.  The water would flow to the separator inlet, through the separator and then dump to drain until the flow requirement was met.

After three months, the life of the bowl gaskets has increased 4-fold. The plant no longer has unplanned downtime due to gasket failure.  This has resulted in increased productivity and reduced maintenance costs.

Our Newell Automation team has a goal to understand the purpose behind the process.  They work with our process engineers to troubleshoot and streamline the process.  Contact one of our associates today to see how We Make It Work Better.           

For more information, visit our website:  www.mgnewell.com and www.newellautomation.com.

Gama Jet

Optimized tank cleaning is an opportunity for significant savings, although often overlooked.  

By optimizing your tank cleaning, you can:

  • Decrease cleaning times by 70%
  • Reduce water and chemical usage by 70-80%
  • Reduce or eliminate confined space entry by 100%
  • Achieve cleaning effectiveness of 100%

Remember, its not just safer and cleaner tanks you are offering – you are giving them more time, and time is money!

Justify their purchase

Static Spray Ball

Easy to cleaning application, such as :

–Water tanks
–CIP tanks

Operating pressure :

30-43 PSI (2-3 bar)

Tank sizes : 
50-2.500 gallons

Rotary Spray Head

Easy-difficult to cleaning application, such as :

–Syrup tanks
–Milk tanks

Operating pressure :

30-43 PSI (2-3 bar)

Tank sizes :

50-10.000 gallons

Rotary Jet Head

Difficult to very difficult to cleaning application, such as :

–Syrup tanks
–Tanks with complicated structure

Operating pressure :

72-116 PSI (5-8 bar)

Tank sizes :
5.000-40.000+ gallons

Static Spray Ball

Consumption of water/chemical: 
High water / chemical consumption used, due to low cleaning efficiency
 
Cleaning efficiency:
Low cleaning efficiency, cleans in spot only and cascading water
 
Cleaning time: 
Long cleaning time = less production time

Rotary Spray Head

Consumption of water/chemical: 
Medium consumption
−30-40% less compared to a traditional spray ball
Cleaning efficiency: Medium cleaning efficiency
−10 times more wall shear stress compared to spray ball
Cleaning time: Medium
−Up to 30% reduced cleaning time compared to spray ball

Rotary Jet Head

Consumption of water/chemical: 
Low consumption
−70% less compared to a traditional spray ball
−20-30% less compared to a rotary spray head 
Cleaning efficiency :
− High cleaning efficient, high impact tank cleaning.
− 100 times more wall shear
 stress compared to traditional spray ball
Cleaning time : Fast cleaning = more production time
−50-70% faster cleaning compared to traditional spray ball

For more information, visit our website:  www.mgnewell.com and www.newellautomation.com.

Carlton Scale

Attached pipes are the crucial difference between tank scales and other industrial scales such as platforms. As a tank scale is loaded, it deflects downwards pulling with it the attached pipes which apply an increasing upward force. This reduces the amount of weight registered by the load cells effectively reducing the sensitivity of the scale. Metrology can be seriously impacted if the scale is not designed and calibrated correctly.

Ideally, calibration is done by applying test weights which exercise the scale support-structure and piping, thus simulating normal scale operation exactly.

This exposes the piping effect on scale sensitivity allowing it to be accounted for in the calibration process, something that cannot be achieved with any form of electrical or theoretical calibration. However, test-weight calibration can be difficult and time-consuming. Additionally, test weights are expensive and may not be available, especially for higher-capacity scales.

One to four RapidCal modules can be used, depending on the scale arrangement. They attach between anchor points on the scale and on the foundation directly below, using special hardware and threaded rod to adjust length. A hand-operated pump causes the hydraulic cylinders to retract, thus applying the downward force to the tank via the reference load cells. These load cells are connected to a separate terminal which monitors the process and provides the total load applied for calibration and/or adjustment.

The RapidCal method uses tension hydraulic cylinders to create the downward force that is measured by reference load cells. The equipment is modular; one to four calibration modules can be used depending on tank design and capacity. 

There are three main steps during design and installation: 

1. Select the number and capacity of the RapidCal modules to be used. 

2. Select the type and placement of T-anchor points on the tank.  

3. Select the type and placement of B-anchor points on the floor/base.

General Considerations 

  • Forces on anchor points.
  • Lugs used also for lifting.
  • Do not interfere with the scale’s weigh modules.
  • Symmetrical placement of anchor points.
  • Vertical alignment of anchor points.
  • Calibration of tanks on a deflecting structure.

Why a Service Program Matters 

  • Reducing Downtime.
  • Regulating Maintenance Budgets. 
  • Extending the Lifetime of Your Weighing Equipment.

Is it Necessary to Partner with My Equipment Manufacturer? 

• Expert service engineers trained and equipped by the manufacturer.
• Factory-designed service procedures.
• Spare parts that meet manufacturer specifications and third-party approvals.
• Fast turnaround times due to easy access to parts and support.

How Do I Benefit from Setup and Configuration Services? 

• Setup of weighing parameters to meet process and compliance requirements.
• Interfacing to data acquisition and automation systems.
• Tailoring of workflows to maximize operator productivity.
• Configuring of input and output behavior.
• Documentation of installation activities and initial performance.

For more information, visit our website:  www.mgnewell.com and www.newellautomation.com.

Magnetic Flowmeters 101

Flowmeters 101 

Magnetic Flowmeters – How They Work 

Flowmeters play a vital role in sanitary processing.  They are used to measure incoming raw materials, incoming water supply, CIP solutions, ingredients in your formulation, final product production and even waste water leaving the plant.  Considering their use in critical applications, ensuring that you are using the right type of meter with the correct level of accuracy for your application can be the difference in the quality of your product and save you thousands of dollars in lost revenue or profit.

Magnetic Flowmeters

Magnetic flowmeters (or mag meters) use Faraday’s Law of Electromagnetic Induction to determine the flow of liquid through a pipe.  This type of flowmeter works by generating a magnetic field and channeling that through the liquid in the pipe.  Faraday’s Law states that flow of a conductive liquid through the magnetic field can cause a voltage signal that electrodes are sensing on the tube walls.   When the fluid is moving faster, more voltage is generating.  The voltage generated is proportional to the movement of the liquid.  Transmitters process the voltage signal to determine liquid flow.
The signals produced by the voltage are linear with the flow.  With this, the turndown ratio is very good without sacrificing accuracy.

Pros and Cons

Since these flowmeters measure conductivity, obviously the fluids measured need to be conductive – water, acids and bases.   Low conductive liquids, such as deionized water or gases, can cause the flowmeter to turn off and/or measure zero flow.  There is no obstruction in the path of the liquid, therefore no induced pressure drop across the meter.  One other benefit of mag meters is that they are able to use gravity-fed liquids.  With gravity-fed liquids, the flowmeter orientation is vertical so that the flowmeter is completely filled with liquid.  These flow meters are sensitive to air bubbles because the meter cannot distinguish entrapped air from the liquid.  Air bubbles will cause the meter to read high.

We choose mag meters because they have no obstructions, are cost-effective and provide highly accurate volumetric flow.  Additionally, they can handle flow in either direction and are effective at low and high volume rates.

For more information, visit our website:  www.mgnewell.com and www.newellautomation.com.

Graco EODD Pump

A Massive Leap Forward in EODD Pump Technology

GRACO EODD PUMP
  • Quieter operation and smaller footprint enable easier installation and service—the design can pay for itself in energy savings in under a year
  • Efficient, affordable drop-in replacement to reduce energy costs up to 80% being competitively priced vs. AODD pump technologies
  • Only electric diaphragm pump that stalls under pressure, eliminating the need for pressure sensors and additional controls to prevent pump failures and reduce downtime
  • Integrated I/O allows for remote operation and speed control to minimize operator oversight
  • Smart control technology adjusts pump speed to aid in priming or prevent dry running cavitation that damages pumps
  • Plug-and-play installation for fast, easy and affordable transfer operations upgrades
  • Delivers clear advantages over other pumps, including centrifugal, lobe, gear, progressive, peristaltic and piston/ plunger technologies
Other Electric Pumps

• Are expensive
• Require a VFD
• Have flow and pressure limitations
• Are not as efficient as QUANTM
• Have a large footprint

QUANTM – Graco EODD Pumps 

Use up to 8X less energy than AODD 

The Economic Case for Energy Savings & Sustainability

• Consumers are purchasing from suppliers that show a real commitment to sustainability.
• Investors are more selective than ever about what brands they support, often based on factors like their sustainability and corporate social responsibility initiatives.
• Regulators provide a bevy of incentives like tax credits to manufacturers in exchange for sustainability bona fides, like reduced energy consumption and carbon emissions.
• Governments are investing significantly in solutions that help them meet global sustainability benchmarks

  • Talk to your energy provider.
  • Determine how much compressed air is costing you.
  • Find out what incentives you qualify for.
  • Decreased energy use.
  • Less use of compressed air.
  • Quick installation for less downtime.
  • Less specialized training & manpower required.
  • Up to 80% less energy use than AODD.
  • Plug-and-play into any 110V-240V outlet.
  • Initial Cost Comparable with AODD.
  • ROI: 1 year.
  • Establish baselines. Know how much energy you use today,
    even if it’s just a ballpark.
  • Invest in efficient equipment and practices. From pumps to
    lighting, the electric technologies outlined in this e-book are
    great places to start outfitting your facility for the sustainability focused future.
  • Collect and interpret data. If you’re replacing equipment, know how much energy and money it’s saving you. It’ll show you where your investments are having the most impact and identify more areas of opportunity.
  • Set specific goals. Once you start saving, don’t rest on your laurels. Using the information you collect, set milestones for your company to hit next, like kWh caps and recycling volume.

The recent development of our electric-operated double diaphragm (EODD) pump allows us to bring cost-saving ideas to manufacturers of all sizes.

For more information, visit our website:  www.mgnewell.com and www.newellautomation.com.

Electropolishing vs. Passivation

Electropolishing vs. Passivation

Addressing Common Misconceptions 

One of the most frequently asked questions online, “Which is better, passivation or electropolishing?” is driven by a misunderstanding of the two processes and the different roles they play. In fact, the two processes are frequently complementary and doing one without the other can result in an unreliable system requiring constant maintenance.

For some applications, treating stainless steel with both electropolishing and passivation may be necessary to maximize the metal’s resistance to corrosion and meet specific standards. Two major industry standards with stringent surface chemistry requirements that may necessitate both treatments are: SEMI (Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International) standard, which is widely used in the semiconductor and electronics manufacturing industries.

What is Electropolishing? Superior Finish and Performance

What is Passivation? Enhancing Corrosion Resistance

Identifying and Addressing Contamination or Corrosion

Electropolishing utilizes a combination of electricity and chemistry to smooth the metal’s surface by removing the metal from the peaks of any raised surfaces on a microscopic level.

The metal removal rate is controlled by the electrical settings of the electropolishing equipment, the process is repeatable for a given alloy, electrolyte concentration and conductivity, and current density combination.

A well-electropolished surface significantly reduces locations where contamination can become caught on the surface and become a point where corrosion will flourish.

Passivation, on the other hand, is a chemical treatment to enhance stainless steel’s natural passive layer which protects the underlying metal from corrosion.

The passivation chemistry removes free iron or other metallic impurities on the surface which would become a source of corrosion.

The result is a contaminant-free, chromium-rich oxide layer that is chemically inactive, or “passive.”

Early warning signs of contamination or corrosion are typically found during the regular quality control sampling and inspection of a system and, depending on the situation, can be addressed by remediation, cleaning and a passivation treatment.

However, in situations where the symptoms are missed, or not addressed, both metallic and biologic surface contamination can result in accelerated corrosion through the underlying metal. In the most serious cases, the part fails and will have to be replaced. It goes without saying that any product that has passed through this system risks being seriously compromised.

Even if the situation is caught before failure, the pitting that occurs due to corrosion will need to be repaired. This will involve mechanical polishing, followed by electropolishing and then passivation of the affected area to bring it up to the same level of protection and cleanliness as the rest of the system.

Routine Maintenance and Preventative Measures

In most cases, electropolishing will need to be performed only once and then passivated as part of commissioning a system. The result is a smooth surface, meeting the surface roughness requirement of the system, presenting fewer opportunities for internal corrosion or contamination to spread through the system to other locations, or into the product itself.

By including passivation as part of a maintenance plan, plant owners can be proactive in preventing corrosion or other contamination buildup. This decreases the likelihood of
unscheduled remediation services and aids in the longevity of the system itself.

For more information, visit our website:  www.mgnewell.com and www.newellautomation.com.

Cabinet Washers

Reliable, Consistent Cleaning for your COP parts

Food and beverage manufacturers have a significant number of parts that need to be cleaned daily; each with specific needs due to varying soil levels, manufacturing processes and soil properties. And, of course, everything needs to be cleaned quickly to keep production moving. That is where cabinet washers come into play.

Sani-Matic Cabinet-Washers

The automated Sani-Matic cabinet washers design and manufacture purpose is to address these challenges efficiently and effectively, while lowering long-term operating expenses.

Therefore each cabinet washer comes with an exclusively-designed sanitary spray assemblies that distribute cleaning solution evenly throughout the washer.

The cabinet washer’s spray arms and oscillating high-impact manifolds effectively remove difficult residues from interior and exterior product contact surfaces, while the PLC controls the cleaning cycle to ensure a repeatable and documentable process.

A complete clean, every time! That’s Cleaning Confidence!

Easy-to-Specify

The SaniCab P Series Configured Design Offering is model key driven and accompanied by a detailed Technical Datasheet for easy specification. Also if your process requires a system outside of the pre-engineering offering, Alternative Design Requests are met with a custom-engineered solution.

Sanitary Racks Designed and Optimized for Your Process

Each food and beverage manufacturer has different process soils to remove and parts to clean.

Sani-Matic’s engineers have designed Standard Racks for common clean-out-of-place process parts such as scale buckets or weigh hoppers, 3- and 5-gallon buckets, pallets, totes, trays, and buggies.

However, they also design Custom Racks following three design tiers: Customization – Standard Rack, Custom Rack, and Custom Active Rack.

The details for the General, Standard, and Custom Racks will be in the SaniCab P Series Technical Datasheet.

Why Sani-Matic Racks and Transfer Carts?

  • More Clean with One Machine. With multiple racks, operators can clean diverse process parts with one capital equipment investment.
  • Efficient. Racks design is for optimized load capacity and intuitive part placement.
  • Safe Transport. Transfer carts assist operators with easy and safe process part handling.
  • Sanitary Design. The transfer cart has an open channel design to prevent harboring bacteria. It remains outside of the washer to prevent the floor’s bacteria from entering the washer.

The Scale Bucket-Piston Filler-Tray-Pallet-Bucket-Barrel-Hose-and More Washer

The Sani-Matic SaniCab P Series is an automated, versatile cabinet washer designed to improve food and beverage processors’ productivity and cleaning results for a wide variety of product contact items. These items include scale buckets or weigh hoppers, totes, barrels, piston fillers, trays, buckets, hoses, buggies, and more.

Increased Productivity and Repeatable Cleaning Results

Food and beverage manufacturers face ongoing pressure to increase productivity while also meeting the sanitation preventive controls demands of FSMA and HACCP. With SaniCabs cabinet washer’s cleaning cycles as short as 10 minutes, and therefore racks designed to optimize productivity, a sanitary design, and documentation capabilities, manufacturers can achieve both.

For more information, visit our website:  www.mgnewell.com and www.newellautomation.com.

VFD Terminology

A VFD is a device that controls the speed of an electrical motor by varying the frequency and voltage of its power supply. The VFD also has ramp-up and ramp-down capabilities to start and stop the electrical motor smoothly.

Here some reasons why we need to control the speed of an electrical motor.

  • Save energy and improve system efficiency.
  • Reach the desired torque or power for the process requirements.
  • Lower the noise levels of pumps, blowers, fans, compressors, etc.
  • Reduce mechanical stress on the machines and improve their life cycle.
  • Improve the working environment.

3 Primary Sections

A VFD consists of 3 primary sections:  the rectifier/converter, the DC Bus, and the inverter.

The rectifier/converter is the first of the three sections of a VFD’s main power circuit. First in terms of power flow. Incoming AC line voltage is rectified or converted to DC voltage in the converter section. Which consists of diodes, silicon-controlled rectifiers (SCRs), or insulated gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs) connected in a full-wave bridge configuration.  One rectifier will allow power to pass through only when the voltage is positive. And then a second rectifier will allow power to pass through only when the voltage is negative. You will use two rectifiers for each phase of power.

The DC Bus is the 2nd section of a VFDs main power circuit.  The main function of this link is to store, smooth and deliver the DC voltage.  The incoming power from the rectifier contains voltage ripples which smooths out using capacitors.

The 3rd section of a VFD power circuit is the Inverter.  The inverter section of a VFD is the primary difference between an AC drive and a DC driver.  This section is comprised of Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistors (IGBTs). Which convert the DC voltage back into AC voltage to feed the motor.  IGBTs are very fast and very small semiconductor switches that are actuated electronically, so that creates a sinusoidal output current.

A microprocessor unit controls all three of them. It performs numerous functions such as controlling the speed, monitoring the alarms and faults and interfacing the AC drive with different devices using a communication protocol.  This means that the user can now control the start/stop function, motor speed control and receive feedback about current speed and other motor or device variables.

For more information, visit our website:  www.mgnewell.com and www.newellautomation.com.

System Cleaners

Open Plant Cleaning Solutions for the Food and Beverage Industry. Enabling you to trust what you drink and eat.

UV TREATMENT FOR FOOD AND BEVERAGE

Inside the World of Systems Cleaners

When it comes to hygiene and food safety, nothing will beat a skilled partner. We know the ins and outs of all segments in the food and beverage industry and can guide you every step of the way in your choice of open plant cleaning solution. Sometimes a standard solution will do the job and sometimes it takes a customized one. What matters is that the solution perfectly matches your specific requirements and challenges. No more and no less.

A System Cleaners solution is designed to deliver and to last. And that’s a promise. Our products are built on three decades of dedicated experience from the food and beverage industry, and their performance is solid as a rock. Say goodbye to irregularities and sleepless nights caused by poor hygiene and hello to confidence and added brand value. We never compromise on quality – and we don’t think you should either.

Automatic Cleaning Solutions

Integrating an automatic solution on your processing equipment means that every single surface, as well as the peripheral areas and ‘dark spots’, is cleaned during each cleaning cycle. Nozzle bars placed in strategic places and customized to match the equipment will ensure a consistent cleaning result every time.

Increase production time by reduction of cleaning time up to 56%.

Reduce cost by reduction of cleaning staff up to 50%.

Cleaning With Boosted Water

A cleaning system is a long-term investment. Choose a system that will function reliably for years to come and save you from extra costs and untimely problems. Low-pressure cleaning with boosted water is the most efficient of cleaning difficult surfaces. The impact of the low-pressure water jet is greater than with high-pressure.

For more information, visit our website:  www.mgnewell.com and www.newellautomation.com.