MechChem Africa

MechChem Africa

•

January 2017

IP system requirements vary based on the

sizeof theplant and the investment amount.

Inabasicsystem,aflowswitch,temperature

sensor and conductivity sensor supply the

information necessary to execute the cleaning pro-

cess. This is independent of the number of tanks used

and ensures the desired temperature, flow rate and

concentration are delivered throughout the system.

Limit switches in tanks or in front of theCIP supply

pump ensure that the system is always filled. A simple

recorder combines the reporting of quality relevant

data with visualisation. The flowphant works based

on the thermal principle and shows there is flow in

the system. The TMR135 temperature sensors – one

after the heat exchanger and one in the backflowpipe

– feed the system with media of a certain tempera-

ture and ensure that this temperature is maintained

throughout the system.

Clean-in-place (CIP) is a core process that keeps food and beverage plants

working efficiently within the standards of quality and food safety.This article

introduces three segmented approaches from Endress+Hauser to improve

the CIP process using suitable instrumentation.

Endress+Hauser and Rockwell Automation

open European test centre

Endress+Hauser’s newEuropeanCompetence centre for level and

pressure measurement and Inventory Management Solutions is

nowopen. Core elements of the test plant at Endress+Hauser’s site

inMaulburg, Germany are threemassive tanks, each containing be-

tween 2 000 and 26 000

ℓ

of oil. On the tanks, more

than 20 instruments from

Endress+Hauser with dif-

ferent measuring meth-

ods are installed, all of

them communicating with

Rockwell Automation’s

Plant PAx control system.

In this way, all personnel

at the test centre obtained

specific information and

diagnostics relating to the

tank contents at a glance.

With an investment

of several hundred thou-

sand Euros, the first joint

test centre for Europe in

Maulburg takes theoriginal

concept a few steps fur-

ther and establishes new

standards. Research and development take centre stage to align

new products to customer requirements at an early phase under

real application and environmental conditions. “All of our products

must pass testing at the validation centre and prove that they

create sustainable added

value for customers. They

are exposed to extreme

endurancetests,”saysGerd

Gritsch, division manag-

er quality management

with Endress+Hauser,

Maulburg.

Increasing customer

benefitwasthetriggerfora

strategic alliance between

Rockwell Automation and

Endress+Hauser more

than ten years ago. In

Maulburg this includes,

as well as research and

development, training em-

ployees and customers at

the validation centre and

offering hands-on learning

for students.

Frank Kulaszewicz, senior vice president of architecture and software at Rock-

well Automation, and Michael Ziesemer, vice president of Endress+Hauser’s

supervisory board, open the new test facility in Maulburg, Germany.

Three levels of CIP

for efficient cleaning

TheCLD18 conductivity sensor displays the phase

shift betweenmedia. The conductivity reading is used

to calculate the concentration of cleaning agents.

Liquipoint FTW23 capacitance limit switches help

avoid pump damage by preventing dry-running. One

switch in front of the supply pump, one in the caustic,

and one in the acid tank help to avoid systemdamage.

The RSG35 data recorder displays and records the

main information, temperatures, velocity and concen-

tration.With a relayoutput, it caneven stop the supply

pump, on receipt of a limit switch signal.

The starter package shown in Figure 1 allows the

CIPprocess to run automatically. Some sensorswill be

added into the tanks, while others will be added into

the pipe to speed up the entire process and improve

concentration and temperature levels. The tempera-

ture sensors remain the samebecause theyarealready

equippedwith ‘Sensor-on-Tip’ technology, considered

Figure 1