itwpackagingsolutions posted on February 23, 2011 10:55
According to the study “Trends and Advances in Food Packaging 2010” published by PMMI, three of the key criteria on the wish list of food manufacturers for 2011 include ease of use, energy efficiency and adaptability. When it comes to blow-off and drying applications, centrifugal blowers make all these wishes come true.
Ease of Use
According to participants in the study, packaging equipment must be user-friendly to operate, uncomplicated to maintain, and fast and easy to clean.
Blowers often replace compressed air systems which were adapted for drying applications using a complex system of filters, regulators and valves. These components can introduce inefficiencies and require frequent maintenance, resulting in production downtime. Blower-based systems are custom-engineered to each application which increases their reliability and minimizes downtime and maintenance issues due to the reduced stress on the equipment. Most blower systems are fitted with inlet filters to ensure high air qualities while others are also fitted with outlet HEPA filters that generate air at up to 99.97% purity. Blower enclosures can also be placed in washdown locations for easy cleaning.
Energy Efficiency
According to participants in the study, packaging machinery must be more energy efficient to comply with food packagers’ evolving sustainability initiatives by reducing their carbon footprint.
A blower-based system consumes a fraction of the energy of compressors, returning on average 80% savings in energy usage. Since compressed air is generated at pressures of 100 psi and greater while most blow-off and drying applications require air pressures at only 1-3 psi, up to 97% of the energy used to generate the compressed air for these applications can be wasted.
See the comparison of the operating costs of running a production line for 5000 hours at the energy costs of $0.13 kWh:
30 psi compressed air six-comb fan nozzle: US $5700
3 hp blower system with a single manifold with six inline nozzles: US $730
The energy efficiency of the blower system in this situation saved the company approximately $5000 during the first year that it was integrated into the line. The return on their investment was realized in less than one year.
Adaptability
According to participants in the study, many food packagers are trying to stretch their operating budgets with solutions to extend the life of existing equipment or refurbish older equipment currently not in use. However, with new equipment, they are not willing to sacrifice throughput for the sake of flexibility.
While able to deliver 360° debris or moisture removal, a blower-based system can also increase the speed on conveyor lines up to 50% while reducing product loss rates. These systems can be adapted to any conveyor line with speeds of up to 1600 feet per minute. The manifolds and air knives used for the air delivery to the products can be easily mounted to any configuration necessary and have been engineered to deliver continuous and uninterrupted high velocity air across the project area. Because blowers do not rely on existing plant infrastructure and have a compact footprint, they can be installed at any blow-off or drying station.
Paxton Products offers a full line of centrifugal blowers with a broad range of horsepower (3hp – 20hp) combinations and higher air volumes (150cfm – 1200cfm) and velocities (2700fpm) than any other system in the industry. Widely known as the expert in air flow solutions and as the pioneer of air knife technology, Paxton Products can answer your questions about how to integrate a blower-based system into your production lines so you can begin realizing the many benefits of these systems.
Paxton Products, ITW Air Management
10125 Carver Road
Cincinnati, OH 45242
800.441.7475 (US & Canada)
513.891.7474 (Worldwide)
Email: sales@paxtonproducts.com
www.paxtonproducts.com