Meeting the need for extremely dry compressed air

088 AGRICULTURE, FOOD & BEVERAGES

Food & beverages: Meeting the need for extremely dry compressed air

Reliable, efficient compressed air treatment is essential in meeting the stringent air quality standards required in the manufacture of food & beverages. Kaeser Compressors’ latest dry-running rotary screw compressors, featuring the patented i.HOC rotating dryer, not only provide a dependable source of quality compressed air with pressure dew points as low as -30 deg C, but does so energy-efficiently within a space-saving design.

There are some demanding applications in the food & beverage industry that require extremely dry compressed air. Generally speaking, the drier the air needs to be, the lower the pressure dew point required, and the lower the pressure dew point, the higher the level of complexity, space requirement and cost involved. However, for those applications needing to attain extremely dry compressed air to a negative pressure dewpoint of around -30 deg C, Kaeser Compressors presents an integrated and intelligent solution that is energy-efficient and space-saving. Where extremely dry and clean compressed air is required, Kaeser’s dry-running rotary screw compressors, featuring an i.HOC (integrated Heat Of Compression) dryer, may be just the solution. Here, the dryer is integrated within the dry-running compressor. In this dryer design the desiccant is contained in a drum, through which the compressed air flows in an axial direction. Desiccant regeneration and compressed air drying take place continuously, within a single pressure receiver. However, the drying and regeneration sectors are separated, both structurally and in terms of process. Slight pressurisation of the drying sector ensures that once dried, the compressed air does not reabsorb moisture from the regeneration air flowing by in the adjacent sector. In i.HOC dryers, desiccant regeneration takes place continuously, using the heat that already exists in the hot compressed air. Following the final air compression stage in the compressor, the hot compressed air is not sent to the compressor’s second-stage coolers and lost, but it is diverted directly to the drying sector of the integrated rotating dryer before it exits the compressor. The heat arising as a result of compression of the air is therefore also used for desiccant regeneration. This heat is freely available without cost, as no additional energy is required for the drying process. This translates into maximum efficiency and outstanding drying reliability. The perfect interplay between the compressor and dryer also avoids additional energy costs, which are unavoidably incurred in the case of conventional desiccant dryers, which use additional, external energy for desiccant regeneration. Modern i.HOC units also guarantee reliable and stable maintenance of low pressure dew points to -20 deg C, and under special conditions even to -40 degrees Celsius. In integrated rotation dryers, the attainable pressure dew point is determined by the compressed air inlet temperature in the drying sector and the available regeneration potential, which depends on the mass flow of regeneration air and its temperature. The i.HOC dryer therefore uses the entire mass flow of hot compressed air available at the end of the second compression stage for regeneration purposes. This is why it is referred to as a “full stream” rotation dryer. The higher regeneration potential of full-stream rotation dryers is especially advantageous when it comes to high cooling medium temperatures at the regeneration air cooler, low compression ratios in the compressor and – in partial-load operation – more consistent and significantly lower pressure dew points. The attainable pressure dew point will fluctuate with the temperature of the ambient air (insofar as it acts as a cooling medium) – and this effect is especially pronounced in air-cooled compressors with

A Kaeser dry-running rotary screw compressor featuring the patented i.HOC rotating dryer.

The i.HOC dryer is integrated into Kaeser’s dryrunning rotary screw compressor.

integrated rotation dryers. For instance, if temperatures temporarily peak around 40 deg C in the inlet area during summer months, it may be necessary to enhance the rotation dryer’s regeneration potential during this time, to avoid exceeding a required pressure dew point of -20 deg C. Here the discharge temperature of the i.HOC full-stream rotation dryer following the second stage (i.e. the regeneration air temperature) can be increased by a controlled bypass around the first compression stage cooler. The regeneration air temperature (and consequently, the regeneration potential) increases to ensure maintenance of the target pressure dew point. Using the bypass to increase the regeneration air temperature to meet process requirements makes sense – especially as the conventional technology available on the market for electrically heating the regeneration air consumes significantly more energy. When it comes to meeting stringent air quality standards reliably and energy-efficiently, a dry-running compressor with an integrated rotation dryer is an excellent choice for users with a certain usage profile: demanding requirements in terms of compressed air quality and pressure dew point consistency, relatively little installation space and challenging environmental conditions.

au.kaeser.com

Enmin: A key ingredient in Fine Food’s continued growth

For more than 40 years, Victorian-based Enmin has been building custom vibratory and material handling solutions for a myriad of applications and environments. The company’s knowledge and expertise in this area has seen their list of customers grow to include most of Australia’s leading food industry manufacturers.

One of Enmin’s long-term customers is leading snack manufacturer Fine Food Holding (FFH) based in Keysborough, Victoria. The company was established around seven years ago by FMCG (fastmoving consumer goods) specialist Jim Leckey and his partners. Together they shared a clear vision of developing and producing a range of innovative, high quality, specialty snacking products. To say the company has been successful is something of an understatement. From starting with just six employees, FFH now has around 250 staff with the company supplying both domestic and export markets including the US and Europe. FFH offers an extensive range of premium snacking crackers that include wafer crackers, seeded crisps and seeded flatbreads. Combining grains, fruit, nuts and herbs, the biscuits are an ideal partner for cheese and other toppings. In keeping with current customer trends, a gluten free range is also available. The company supplies its products to a broad range of outlets including major supermarket chains and specialty deli shops across Australia. The export market accounts for around 20% of total revenue and is likely to increase in the future. The company’s phenomenal growth is directly related to its significant investments in R&D. ‘Rapid innovation’ is essential in this market to develop new products that cater to an increasingly sophisticated palette of health-focused products that the market demands. A mechanical engineer by trade, complemented by a number of business qualifications, Leckey has been intimately involved with the FMCG category all his working life. He has worked across a diverse range of food categories that includes soft drinks, dairy, sauces and baking products. “I’ve had a long association with Enmin spanning 15 years and in particular with General Manager Anthony Gallaher,” he says. “When we started FFH we needed a range of vibratory equipment and other material handling solutions and time was of the essence. My previous dealings with Enmin provided me with the confidence that they could meet our equipment requirements and crucially our time frames. We were not let down.” Over the last few years Enmin has supplied FFH with an extensive and diverse range of food-handling equipment including biscuithandling systems, vibratory feeders, cheese-depositing systems, biscuit-breaking equipment, conveyors and operator work platforms. “As our business has expanded, Enmin has evolved with us and they’ve proven to be a great business partner,” Leckey adds. “One of Enmin’s key strengths is their ability to design and fabricate a customised product that suits our specific production needs. When we’ve needed a piece of equipment to solve a particular issue they’ve always taken on the challenge and ultimately provided us with a high-quality bespoke unit. “We choose Enmin products due to their superior design, high quality and proven reliability, backed up with excellent customer service. The quality of the finished product is always outstanding and meets all our hygiene standards. Our equipment runs 24 hours, six days a week – we can’t afford anything but the best and Enmin equipment meets that requirement and provides exceptional up-time.” Increased demand for Enmin’s products and services has necessitated a move recently to a larger factory in Braeside, Victoria. These new premises are three times the size, allowing Enmin to increase production capacity, bring more of the manufacturing process in-house and offer a broader range of support services.

www.enmin.com.au www.finefoodholdings.com.au

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