IDM | Site report nents. Depending on the specific end products of the respective food processing company, hundreds of stainless steel pumps of various types, sizes and designs are being used across the entire production chain. Dr. Peter Fichtl, Managing Director at Uelzena eG, states: “We have developed over 60 years of comprehensive expertise in processing and manufacturing complex milk and food products and are always committed to bring innovative products to the market. For our modern production plants for dried products and milk fats, we need reliable and robust centrifugal and positive displacement pumps. This is where Fristam comes into the game.” In the early years of the collaboration, the Hamburg-based pump manufacturer supplied centrifugal pumps in several large packages for milk collection stations to install behind the air separators, for filling and emptying raw milk prestorage tanks as well as collecting milk, storing cream and the first evaporator. These are mostly FP 722 and FP 742 centrifugal pumps. Over the same period the customer also ordered the first FP 732 for the butter melting plant. In the early 1980s, Uelzena expanded its capacities. Fristam supplied a large package of FP 34 and 35 centrifugal pumps for the new evaporation plant. In the 1990s and 2000s, more centrifugal and later positive displacement pumps were added for milk collection, milk cellars, the butter melting facility and butter fat machines. Today, a total of over 200 Fristam pumps are successfully operating at Uelzena. Modern evaporators Milk, whey, or other liquids are concentrated and dried for the production of powder. A variety of techniques are available for each processing step. Falling film evaporators are used for concentration. Depending on the respective design and size of the evaporators, a large number of centrifugal pumps are needed, for 30 · 10 2016 | international-dairy.com example as feed pumps in the evaporator, circulation pumps within the system and to pump the concentrate from the evaporator to the next processing level. For this purpose, Uelzena uses FP 722, 742, 3522 and 3432 centrifugal pumps which have proven themselves in many evaporation plants for several years. The FP centrifugal pumps distinguish themselves with their open impeller with narrow gaps between the impeller and the cover. Combined with the flow-optimized pumping channel, these ensure minimal secondary flow and very gentle product handling even at high volumetric flows. The pumps can be used universally, they work efficiently and offer exceptional performance. The performance range of the 14 sizes extends to 550 m3/h and a viscosity up to 800 mPas. System pressures up to 25 bar and discharge pressures up to 15 bar pose no problem. Sizes 722, 742, 3522 and 3432 are especially well suited for evaporator plants due to their performance parameters. Of course, the pumps can be cleaned-in-place and sterilized and they correspond to the criteria for hygienic design. Flexible spray technology The supply of high quality powder for the industrial production of food products is among the core competencies of Uelzena. The drying of milk and the production of dried milk-free products is carried out in nine spray drying towers with various capacities and with different nozzle types and spraying discs. This flexibility allows for the production of customer and application-tailored powder. The technology applied is especially suitable for the processing of sensible substances, such as protein hydrolysates, vitamins, or even hygroscopic, very salty or odorous substances. “The characteristics of today’s food ingredients or milk powder must be defined as precisely as possible, must be able to be processed well and yet be as natural as possible,” explains Dr. Peter Fichtl. Consequently, in 2013, the Uelzener company opted for the FL3 rotary lobe pumps to transport the concentrate to the spray towers. The FL3 pumps can be controlled to operate precisely and accurately as their displacement volume can be accurately metered directly by regulating the pumps motor speed. This is a deciding factor to ensure a consistently good powder quality and the proper operation of the drying plant. In order to ensure a consistently high powder quality, it is imperative to deliver precisely the required quantity of concentrate to the tower. Only then the temperature of the system can be maintained. Due to the special tri-wing helical rotor design the pump works self-priming and thus allows for a problem-free transition from the so called water run to the production of concentrate even at high speeds. Another feature that appealed to the customer is the low wear properties of the FL3 series. Thomas Kasprik, sales engineer at Fristam explains: “Together with Uelzena, we have put the pump through the acid test. Even after over two years it shows no signs of wear and works perfectly well. Based on the positive experiences with our FL3 75 L, four more of these pump models are in use today as concentrate pumps. They transport between 800 and 5000 l/h and handle viscosities of 100 to 250 mPas.” Last but not least, the FL3 rotary lobe pumps offer very good cleanability. Due to the simple geometry of the cover and the cavity-free design in accordance with the criteria for hygienic design, the pumps become clean very quickly during CIP. An additional FL pump, an FL3 55 L is currently installed. Successful collaboration Uelzena and Fristam have been successfully working together for decades based on quality, trust, reliability and common values rooted in the Hanseatic business tradition. The origins of Fristam over one hundred years ago lie in the production of machines for the dairy industry. Since then, the processing of milk has been a core business activity for the company. Its understanding of complex processes in food production, acquired over decades, and its experience in handling high-quality stainless steel and elastomers puts Fristam in the position to offer pumps which are necessary for the optimal hygiene and safety in the production of foodstuffs. “Important things to consider when selecting a machine supplier include the price-performance ratio of the products, and certainly a high service level and expertise in consulting,” says Dr. Peter Fichtl addressing the many years of collaboration with Fristam. Figure 3: FL3 rotary lobe pumps are used at Uelzena for pumping concentrate to the spray tower Figure 4: The tri-wing helical FL3 rotor
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