Eliminate Manual Handling , Reduce Risk and Improve Safety with a North Ridge Mobile Pump Kit
Manual handling is one of the most common methods utilised for the transferring of ingredients and waste within wholesale food manufacture . With over 30 % of injuries reported to HSE being a direct result of manual handling - when the budget is simply not available to have a fully automated food production system ; handling different products in a safe sanitary manner can often prove quite difficult .
Ensuring a production process meets all the current hygienic and food safety regulations is one of the main challenges facing any wholesale food business however one of the most often missed opportunities are investments into automating part of production to improve safety , reduce risk and wastage , increase accuracy or eliminate manual handling . The North Ridge bespoke food grade pump kits are often a solution to this .
CUSTOMER ’ S REQUIREMENT
When a traditional family run bakery established for over 50 years required a fully hygienic , easy to clean method to transfer Fruit Jams , Toffee Sauce , Fruit curds and Whipped cream they approached us to see if we could help . The variety of products posed a real challenge to ensure components did not wear prematurely , that damage could not be easily performed to the pump and that the customer had a low maintenance solution .
Some of the products were manually dispensed from cooking kettles at high temperatures into their current process at an average temperature of 100 - 110 ° C , whilst other fluids which were incredibly viscous , were stored within refrigerators prior to use and needed pumping from cold to maintain hygiene .
72 FDPP - www . fdpp . co . uk
The customer wanted a bespoke multipurpose solution for their processes , which was sanitary grade , easy to clean , capable of handling all the products in question without manual handling , and suitable for high viscosities and temperatures up to 120 ° C .
The unit also had to have a gentle pumping action due to the shear sensitivity of the whipped cream . High
temperature liquids can have a negative impact on seals shortening their lifespan , cause issues at pump suction ports and reduce overall pump lifespan if careful consideration is not taken during pump selection .
Their current procedure involved manually transferring sauces via totes and buckets , however the customer wanted to improve their process to automate food transfer , reduce the likelihood of burns or accidents , and eliminate manual lifting and tipping of containers . They needed a custom costeffective unit that operates similar to a semi-automatic liquid filling machine .
OUR MOBILE AUTOMATED PUMP SOLUTION We supplied a completely bespoke mobile pump system with an integrated control panel . The pump is 3A sanitary certified , suitable for CIP ( cleaningin-place ) and SIP ( sterilization-inplace ) and designed without dead zones where product can build up preventing bacterial growth and cross contamination when handling different liquids . We also ensured the exterior of the unit was easy to clean during spray down by fitting a stainless-steel shroud covering both motor and gearbox .
Besides having an integrated inverter for varying flow , the control panel has several other safety and operation features , to enable Start / Stop , reversing of the unit , alarm for motor overload and temperature control sensor to prevent damage from dry running .
The inverter can also be controlled via an App where operators can also view the status of the pump , reduce speed which is essential with some fluids such as Whipped Cream and further avoids the repeated contact of controls by multiple personnel .
PROJECT OUTCOME
Thank to our pump kit the customer improved their production efficiency dramatically , which in the food industry translates as an increase in profitability . The layout enabled users to operate the unit with very little training due to the simplicity of design but also built-in protection ensures the unit cannot be damaged through misuse . Social distancing has been easy to maintain through the use of remote controls , and as processes are automated less personnel are present within confined areas .
If you would like to talk to someone about automating a food transfer application contact us on 01773 302 660 , or visit our website at www . northridgepumps . com to see our previous case studies .