Monitoring & metering
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RELISHING RELIABLE MEASUREMENTS
major pickle, pepper, and relish processing plant in Imlay City, Michigan, is responsible for packaging, processing, and storing the aforementioned foods for human consumption.
This is no small feat – the plant is large, with 500 outdoor storage vessels, six different packaging line, outdoor loading and sorting systems, brining tanks, and mixing vessels – that all amount to around 700 different measurement applications. With hungry customers “relishing” their products, having reliable and accurate measurements for their water feed line with a salt mixture solution as part of the brining process is essential for quality standards to be met. With faulty sensors causing delays, this plant was unable to consistently get accurate pressure measurements in their water feed lines, and started the process of evaluating new options.
SALT AND VINEGAR – TASTY, YET ABRASIVE
Their existing solution provided pressure measurements on their water feed lines with a salt mixture solution, but it had one design flaw. The older pressure instruments’ oil and metal based diaphragm cells could not withstand the
aggressive nature of the salt and vinegar based solutions in the process. In the short span of a year or two, those cells would be destroyed, and while the sensors were relatively cheap to purchase, they needed to be constantly replaced. As a result, plant operators had to go through maintenance shutdowns whenever a sensor went bad, costing the plant time, money, and headaches. It prevented the team from getting accurate water feed line pressure information that was critical for ensuring their products had the right flavor and consistency.
A SAVORY SOLUTION FOR ALL Fortunately, the plant recognized the flaws with their pressure measurement instruments and, based on previous successes with VEGA’s radar product line, they were willing to do a trial with our pressure sensors. These products featured ceramic measuring cells instead of oil and metal- based diaphragms. The ceramic measuring cell is not affected by the corrosive properties of the sale mixture solution, and the sensor is easy to commission and troubleshoot. Two VEGABAR 28 sensors were installed onto a water feed lines, and plant operators have reported them to be working perfectly ever since.
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Plant personnel were so impressed with the trial that they installed more VEGABAR 28 sensors along the line and have yet to replace them. VEGA representatives and plant operators continued their discussions on maximizing the use of sensors with ceramic measuring cells, leading to the successful installation of VEGABAR 82 sensors on an outdoor 10-silo vinegar holding tank farm, where they reported excellent results. The team was impressed with the durability of the VEGABAR 28 sensor, as well as the 24/7 customer support availability from the VEGA field service team. Additionally, they found that the 360-degree light ring on the VEGABAR 28 provided visibility from any angle in the facility and eliminated the need to get close to the device to check pressure readings.
THE VEGA DIFFERENCE FOR WATER FEED LINE PRESSURE MEASURMENT The VEGABAR 28 gave the processing plant major increases in efficiency. The precise and reliable measurements of the pressure transmitters translated to reduced maintenance costs and time savings. Plant operators can now monitor and manage multiple processes at the same time remotely via Bluetooth connectivity and the VEGA Tools app, increasing overall efficiency and throughput. All customer support headaches have been eliminated, with VEGA’s support team providing responses and solutions promptly. Operations can now be run continuously without stopping for broken sensors every year or every other year. Food processing plants require process automation to direct their attention to more important matters. That is why industry professionals seek out instrumentation they can depend on. That is why this plant chose the VEGABAR 28 and other VEGA measurement solutions.
VEGA Controls
www.vega.com
August 2025 Instrumentation Monthly
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