5 minute read
PROCESS FLOW
Flowtherm brings its process expertise to the Australian food and beverage market
Flowtherm promises to help customers increase efficiency through expert and in-depth consultations around process flows. Food & Beverage Industry News explains how.
Process flow specialist Flowtherm has been in the Australian food and beverage industry since 2001, mainly in the dairy sector, but the company recently started diversifying its offerings to the industry.
As well as having offices across three countries, Singapore, Australia, and New Zealand, Flowtherm scours the global food and beverage manufacturing market for product offerings that best meet its client’s needs.
The company is increasing its presence in most sectors but is also putting particular emphasis on beer, wine, and juice.
Flowtherm’s business model is broken down into three key areas – flow equipment, capital equipment and services.
Of the three key areas, capital equipment and services are relatively new additions to the company.
Flow equipment covers products such as pumps, valves, top units, tank equipment, plate heat exchangers, filters, tubes, and fittings.
Conversely, capital equipment covers products like high sheer mixers, powder handling, separators, homogenisers, pigging systems, dry hoppers and scraped surface heat exchangers.
Meanwhile, the services department covers spare parts, plate packs, gas leak testing, commissioning, servicing, and maintenance.
Flowtherm business development manager, Catalina Donato, said the company’s purpose was to provide customers with a choice of process equipment and services through its options and solution strategy.
“What that means is we are trying to convey customers with different options, brands and technology. We are 100 per cent customer focused and we don’t limit the options for our customers,” said Donato.
“We try to understand the needs and wants of the customer first and then we present them with different options for their choosing.”
It was only over the past year that Flowtherm started diversifying its food and beverage industry offerings.
The new service vision at Flowtherm came into place because of the updated capital equipment offerings, which included hiring service technicians to service the flow and capital equipment.
“In addition to supporting our customers with spare parts we can now offer minor and major services on all equipment including gas leak testing of heat exchangers,” said Donato.
“Not only can Flowtherm offer these services to its customers for the duration of the product’s lifespan; our flexibility allows us to support them with their current install base onsite.”
As part of our service, Flowtherm works with customers to help troubleshoot and establish exactly what is required in order to offer the right advise, parts and service.
From there, Flowtherm details the available options to the customer offering a variety of choices and a flexibility of outcome, which is a critical focus point for the company.
“On that side of our expertise, we also offer a closer relationship with our suppliers,” said Donato.
Arthur Knight, manager, digital strategies at Flowtherm, said the push into the wider industry was supported by years of knowledge and skills acquired from work in other industries and within the Australian dairy sector.
“There are two aspects to this push. The first is an expansion of what we do as a company,” said Knight.
“In one sense, we are expanding what we can offer in terms of functionality, but at the same time we are investing more in expanding into new industry sectors.
“We aren’t putting all our eggs into one basket. Instead, we are trying to put additional emphasis on the food and beverage industry.”
Flowtherm’s collaborations with its suppliers has also played a major role in the new push.
“We have added various products to our range that compliment the food and beverage package, and we are working on all fronts to give a better service. It’s about more than just using a specific supplier,” said Knight.
Knight said the knowledge and experience accrued within the company has put it in a great position to help any food and beverage manufacturer.
“It goes beyond just offering quotes but offering customers meaningful information and knowledge that will help them make informed decision,” said Knight.
“And I think that experience applies to new areas where we can come into
Flowtherm is putting extra emphasis on the beer, wine and juice sectors.
niche spaces, ones that might not have too much in terms of flow components but have a little. We can help improve and optimise that solution for them.
“Even in smaller areas where the entire process is applicable to us, we can still help.”
The Flowtherm team has also put extra emphasis on three industry sectors, beer, wine, and pulp processing, as part of the new push.
“We have all the knowledge and ability to take what has worked elsewhere and offer it to our customers,” said Knight.
Knight added that working with Flowtherm was also a great way for manufacturers to reduce carbon footprints and energy use.
Flowtherm added capital equipment and services to its key business areas.
“We have three definable areas where we can improve on a customer’s sustainability,” said Knight.
“Firstly, the units themselves and their energy consumption. We have been very specific about choosing brands and products that are energy efficient and we like to communicate that to customers.
“That’s especially true in pumping. You get vast differences in energy consumption between our brands and others, and this has knock on effects. It is not just about sustainability targets but there is also the money value.”
Knight said customers save thousands of dollars through energy efficiency, just by using the right products, which in turn pays off the investment.
The second area where Flowtherm can improve sustainability is in cleaning.
“When you have a flow process system you must clean it,” said Knight.
“Trying to optimise the amount of space and the actual flow mechanics of that space will mean you’ll be able to run a more efficient, and therefore less environmentally costly, cleaning in place process.”
The third area was the benefits of being a ‘one-stop-shop’.
“If you are working with us, we can help you out in a lot of different areas of your process,” said Knight.
“That means you’re going to incur less freight, which results in less transport costs and a reduction of emissions, which means the carbon emissions from the products you buy are lowered.”
Flowtherm will continue its push for greater exposure in the Australian food and beverage market. Knight said industry sustainability goals meant it was the right time to look at new ways to reduce energy consumption without losing out on production value. F
