Category: Processing & Flow Control

Cleanliness with Value Added Water Savings

Posted by Kyle Willfahrt  – Processing & Flow Control
September 24, 2019

Tank cleaning technology has advanced as improvements to hygienic standards have changed. As that change has taken place, priority has been placed on cleanliness of equipment and storage tanks, which helps to ensure quality in food products.

Many organizations such as 3-A have developed standards across the food industry specific to cleaning of a tank. Coupled with hygiene is the added task of reducing chemical and water usage. A common acronym that is used with tank cleaning methodologies is TACT which stands for Time, Action, Chemistry and Temperature (see figure 1.) New technology harnesses the time and action portions of the acronym and are displayed in the chart commonly referred to as the sinner circle.

Some of the new technologies include:

Static Spray Balls – Gently sprays cleaning fluid onto the tank walls, enabling the fluid to fall freely down the tank wall and provide uneven cleaning coverage.

Rotary Spray Heads – Has a higher impact force and higher wall shear stress compared to the static spray ball. This reduces cleaning time.

Rotary Jet Heads – By far the most effective tank cleaning technology available today.

Rotary Spray and Jet Heads can provide all the benefits of a static spray ball, but they can also help decrease water usage (see figure 2 and 3.)

For your reference, we have several videos on our YouTube channel that can explain this technology further.

Source: Alfa Laval

 

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Turbidity Monitoring: Recover More Product & Save Money

Posted by Kyle Willfahrt  – Processing & Flow Control
April 16, 2018

With constant eyes on profit margins, processors strive to make every dollar count on the processing line. Are you trying to figure out your next continuous improvement project aimed at maximizing profits for your operations? Turbidity monitoring from Anderson-Negele can help to maximize profits while saving money on wasted product going down the drain during cleaning cycles.

How it works:

Turbidity is defined as, “the phenomenon where by a specific portion of a light beam passing through a specific liquid medium is reflected by undissolved particles.” Basically, the sensor acts like a flashlight into the light stream and senses the light that comes back due to being reflected by undissolved particles. For example, purified water would have a very low value of turbidity due to most impurities being removed. However, an ice cream mix would have a high turbidity value because it is largely made up of undissolved particles.

Common applications where constant turbidity monitoring can greatly assist operations include:

Some of these processes can be regulated by a timer or sight from the wash streams that usually go down the drain and produce more wastewater, which also raises costs to the processor. Anderson-Negele offers a line of turbidity sensors to improve product yield and reduce waste. By setting a threshold on a turbidity monitor and relaying it back to a PLC you can put more control on a process and regulate product going down the drain.

Take a look at Nelson-Jameson’s offering of turbidity monitors, or call our Instrumentation Specialists for more information.

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Differentiating Filters and Strainers

Posted by J.R. Banks  – Education, General, Processing & Flow Control
September 28, 2017

Have you ever asked yourself, what is the difference between a filter and a strainer? Here we will take a look at each item individually and show how they stack up against one another.

First, let’s define each:
• A strainer removes large particle from liquid in the line to protect downstream processing equipment such as homogenizers, valves, pumps, etc.

• A filter separates solids from liquids in the line by passing the fluid through a media filter, which removes all particulates above a predetermined sizes, and allows the fluid and anything smaller to pass through.

Based on these aforementioned descriptions, it may seem that a filter and a strainer perform the same duty; both separate particles from fluids.

However, there is a key difference that distinctly sets apart these two products:
• Strainers are used to protect downstream equipment. They remove larger foreign objects from the line before they get to the expensive equipment.

• Filters are applied in order to separate particles from the fluid. The media filter grabs smaller unwanted particles to be removed and allows remaining fluid to carry onto the next step in the process.

Another minor difference can be related to resistance. Strainers normally present low resistance to flow. The pressure drop across most strainers is relatively small compared with the pressure drop across media filters.

Lastly, strainers are typically comprised of 316L stainless steel tubes, and are perforated. Filters also incorporate the tube, but require a media filter to be placed over the tube for removing the finer particles. Media filters are made of multiple materials and include polyester, cotton cheesecloth, and nylon, to name a few.

At Nelson-Jameson, we offer a wide variety of media filters, our Flow Stream Filter Tubes, as well as Retaining Rings to keep the media in place over the tube. If you would like to see our full line of sanitary filter media, click here to view our flyer.

Arch Deluxe: Nelson-Jameson at IAFP

Posted by Nelson-Jameson, Inc.
July 5, 2016
IAFP 2016 , image courtesy of foodprotection.org

IAFP 2016 , image courtesy of foodprotection.org

In the shadow of the towering Gateway Arch in St. Louis, Missouri, Nelson-Jameson will be displaying a host of products and services at the International Association for Food Protection Annual Meeting (IAFP)! From July 31st-August 2nd, swing by the Exhibit Hall at the America’s Center Convention Complex to see all we have to offer!   Dayton, Fritz, Amanda, Barb, and Mat will be in attendance to help you check out several of our offerings, and to assist in figuring out how Nelson-Jameson can be of service in supplying your Lab, MRO, Processing, Ingredient, Packaging, and Cleaning Chemical needs!  This year, we’ll be featuring a wide selection of Whirl-Pak bags, 3M Food Safety supplies & instruments, 3M Safety products, Metal Detectable & Color-Coded products, and a host of other quality items.

Each year we look forward to IAFP, as it gives us a chance to connect with customers on the front lines in the fight for food safety. The Exhibit Hall, as well as a remarkable program of presentations, workshops, and meetings bring together an array of resources that continue to propel the industry forward in our new regulatory era. To check out more about IAFP, click here. Be sure to stop by our booth (#619) to find out more about how Nelson-Jameson take care of all of your food safety supply needs and beyond!

In addition, this year we will be featuring an INCREDIBLE drawing for 3M ATP Clean-Trace Luminometer! The 3M Clean-Trace ATP Luminometer is portable, compact, and simple to use for easy testing. The Luminometer is supplied with data trending software that allows plants to filter, sort, and chart your results for easier analysis, making you feel more secure about the decisions that are being made for your plant.

All you have to do to win this beauty is to simply come visit us at Booth #619, and drop off your business card. One winner will be drawn at random, and booth attendance at the time of the drawing is not required. The prize is currently valued at over $3,000, and is not eligible for exchange, return, or credit to Nelson-Jameson or 3M.

See you under the Arch!

Nelson-Jameson Inc., Kaestner LLC, and Valcour Process Technologies enter partnership to bring expanded offerings to the U.S. Cheese and Dairy Production Markets

Posted by Marketing Dept.  – Cheese & Dairy Products, Packaging & Ingredients, Press Room, Processing & Flow Control
October 14, 2015

MARSHFIELD, WIS., October 8, 2015 – Nelson-Jameson — one of the largest distributors to the US cheese production market — and its sister company Kaestner LLC — a field service, PM programs, and project solutions provider — are entering a strategic partnership with Valcour Process Technologies. Valcour specializes in offering process technologies, equipment, systems, lines, and project solutions for the cheese, yogurt, and dairy production markets.

Valcour will be working directly with the sales teams at Nelson-Jameson and Kaestner to expand their market reach and breadth of offering to customers. Kaestner will also offer services, spare parts, and preventative maintenance programs to Valcour to better serve their customers.

All three companies will work together to provide better solutions to cheese manufacturers.

Nelson-Jameson, Inc. has been an integrated supplier for the food industry since 1947. Product lines include safety & personnel, production & material handling, sanitation & janitorial, processing & flow control, laboratory & QA/QC, and bulk packaging & ingredients. The company is headquartered in Marshfield, Wisconsin, with other locations in Turlock, California; Twin Falls, Idaho; York, Pennsylvania; Dumas, Texas; and Chicago, Illinois. For more information visit, www.nelsonjameson.com.