FOOD & BEVERAGE
high profile: the design and construction of the food processing equipment itself. Hygienic equipment design enhances
cleanability, decreasing the risk of biological, physical and chemical contamination. In addition, equipment that is designed and constructed to meet hygienic principles is easier to maintain and reduces the risk of physical hazards3. Hygienic design principles encompass a range of different factors, including material choice, surface finish, and construction methods, as well as the physical design of the product – for example avoiding lips, crevices and sharp angles where cleaning chemicals or products may build up or remain after cleaning. To facilitate cleaning underneath and around equipment, it should be elevated above the floor on legs or mounted in a frame (as is the case with HRS’s skid-mounted systems). When designing equipment, different standards
may be applied to food-contact and non-contact surfaces, and surfaces which come into contact with product must generally be smooth, non- toxic, non-absorbent and resistant to corrosion. For this reason, stainless steel is a popular choice and AISI 300-series stainless steel (as specified by 3A Sanitary Standards) is used as a key material by HRS Heat Exchangers. Welding and joints are also important; continuous butt welds should be used and ground to a smooth surface, while bolts and threads used within the food contact zone must be of a hygienic design. It is also important to maintain the movement
of fluids and materials within the equipment and connecting pipework. Maintaining flow and preventing fouling is also a key priority in heat exchanger design and is why HRS Heat Exchangers produce corrugated tube or scraped surface designs. It is also important to use closed coupled connections to equipment in order to prevent the creation of dead spots, and to ensure that where necessary, the equipment can be fully drained or emptied for cleaning or product changeover. Other considerations include avoiding the use of O-ring seals in grooves,
avoiding ledges around top rims, and ensuring that shafts are suitably sealed with double seals where necessary.
REDUCING WASTE WHILE MAINTAINING SAFETY HRS Heat Exchangers produces a wide range of equipment for use in the food and beverage sectors, from basic tubular heat exchangers to fully integrated pasteurisation/sterilisation and aseptic filler systems, as well as a number of specialist products such as evaporators, ice crushers and melters, direct steam injection systems, air removal systems and pumps. All of these are hygienically designed from the start to facilitate clean operation and prevent the types of product contamination discussed above. All HRS products designed for food use meet 3A Sanitary Standards. Furthermore, HRS equipment is particularly
designed to facilitate product removal and subsequent cleaning. It has always been a challenge for food and drink businesses to implement effective and rigorous CIP regimes which meet the necessary standards in a way that minimises the loss or degradation of saleable or useful products. One example is the HRS R Series of rotating scraped surface heat exchangers which can physically remove product without the need for traditional pigging or flushing systems. The R Series is suitable for a range of heat
transfer applications and its unique design enables high viscosity products to be pumped with reduced back pressure and lower energy use. The helical spiral is fitted with scrapers – which scrape the surface of the tubes to prevent fouling in normal use – can also be run in reverse; thereby enabling valuable products to be recovered prior to routine cleaning or product changeover. This design feature means that much of the product can be removed from the HRS R Series without the need for additional pumps or pressure systems, reducing both CAPEX and OPEX. HRS also produces a Product Recovery System, which combines continual monitoring of a set
parameter (for example Brix, pH or viscosity) with the three-way valve technology employed in every HRS pasteuriser or steriliser. Working together, these two systems ensure that all product that meets the set parameters is utilised and only that which falls outside (for example, that diluted prior to or during CIP) is discarded. Furthermore, such monitoring helps to validate the effectiveness of CIP and ensures that following a cleaning cycle, only products that meet specifications are allowed to proceed. The hygienic design and construction of food
processing equipment is an essential but often overlooked aspect of controlling the safety and quality of food and drink products, playing a crucial role in preventing contamination and allowing other food safety procedures to be carried out.
Matt Hale, International Sales & Marketing Manager
HRS Heat Exchangers
hrs-heatexchangers.com/
FACTORY&HANDLINGSOLUTIONS | APRIL 2022 9
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