Food & Drink Process & Packaging Issue 21 2018 | Page 25

Launch of High-Power Microwave Systems Built In Britain Leading the way in new developments yoghurt, quark, wood, and synthetic productivity has increased by 10% and of the use of microwave power is British materials, the list is endless. Typically, production operating times extended by engineering company DanTech UK Ltd Dantech can power up to 75 kW from a days between the CIP cleaning process located in Lancashire. single microwave power supply, although because the product only is heated they installed systems up to 900 kW. within PTFE tubes that are microwave Microwave energy can be used for many transparent and thus microwaves pass applications because it is clean, efficient DanTech has collaborated with European right through PTFE to heat the product and fast. For many industries, microwave institutes such as The Fraunhofer instead of metal heat exchangers first. energy is the ideal substitute for oil or gas Institute of Stuttgart and universities in fired process heating systems as there is Netherlands, Italy, Spain supported by EU Now available for test work is a stainless- practically no pre-heating time required, funding. steel modular tunnel variant which is just like a domestic microwave found fully attenuated for operator safety. This in the kitchen, only one hundred times This work was focussed particularly on unit has a 1.8m resonance chamber and more powerful. Key factors in choosing “Microwave volumetric liquid heating” transport conveyor belt but can also be microwave power include “Just in Time for pre-heating yoghurt prior to pumping used as a batch process. Production”, clean processing, less risk to a spray tower for making skimmed of bacterial growth, small footprint, ease milk powder. Trialling is now about to For further details or discussion about of operation to name just a few of the commence on heating any liquid up to the benefits of microwave power please advantages. 130 O Celsius for pasteurisation. contact. Dantech has built systems for various The work has been carried out with applications such as uptempering frozen microwave and food scientists and at blocks of meat or fish, cooking bacon, one particular processing plant based heating of various materials including in Germany it has been found that Colin Turner Managing Director Tel: +44 (0) 1704 894785 W: [email protected] FDPP - www.fdpp.co.uk 25