new sanitary vacuum system, SIHIsanivac, is specifically designed for the beverage industry. It reduces water consumption and saves energy in the bottle-filling process.
Vacuum pumps are used to evacuate containers to reduce the oxygen content in beverages, thus extending their shelf life.
For more than 80 years, Sterling SIHI liquid ring vacuum pumps, liquid ring compressors and dry running vacuum pumps have been used for a wide range of processing and related operations.
Today, its liquid ring vacuum pumps' robust and maintenance-free operation makes them preferred components in bottle-filling systems.
A combination of close client contact (to ensure product developments are geared to marketplace needs) and continuing investment in state-of-the-art manufacturing has enabled SIHI to continue to manufacture consistently high-performance products.
The SIHIsanivac system, while offering a biologically safe and economically efficient filling process, makes it possible to save more than 99% of conventional water use.
Conventional vacuum systems do not thoroughly provide a safety mechanism against contamination, even when cleaned regularly, according to SIHI Pumps. The drawn liquid, for example beer, is concentrated in the service fluid, providing an optimal culture medium for bacteria when the temperature is in the range of 18-28°C. Infection of the process can occur even after a short operating period due to existing microbes and contaminated service fluid.
The design of SIHIsanivac provides a safety mechanism against contamination. All component parts are stainless steel, the heat exchanger meets industry hygiene design standards and the vacuum system can be cleaned in place (CIP). These factors ensure maximum protection against contamination.
Also, it is possible to drain the complete system and integrate it into an existing CIP system and into the process control systems of the filling plant.
The required suction capacity of the filling machines is directly proportional to the electrical energy expended by this sanivac system, where the ‘suction pressure’ is the process determinant in maintaining acceptable oxygen levels in the customers finished product (beer).
By employing pressure control via frequency converters controlling pump speed, it is possible to significantly decrease electricity use. A desirable side-effect is reduced refrigeration at the heat exchanger, allowing about 50% to 60% energy to be saved.
At the heart of the sanivac is SIHI's established and respected compact liquid ring vacuum pump. To separate liquids and foam from the drawn gas on the suction side, a level indicated separator is used.
Benefits of the SIHIsanivac include:
* No water consumption in the filling process as a result of the hygienic and CIP design
* Cost savings that shorten the return-on-investment period
* High biological safety through ease of cleaning
* Capable of integration into existing CIP systems
* Robust and reliable vacuum generation
* Environmentally friendly (SIHI's sanitary vacuum systems for evacuating containers offer potential water and effluent savings of up to 99%)
* Frequency converters on vacuum pumps offer reductions in electricity consumption that may also improve microbiological safety, thus further reducing the return-on-investment period.
Taking into account rising water costs and intensifying need for environmentally friendly technologies and cleaning processes, SIHIsanivac, with its high savings potential and biological safety, is an attractive system for modern beverage packaging plants.