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Food & Beverage
Heat exchanger solutions for challenging foodstuffs
Thermal treatments , such as pasteurisation , heating and cooling , feature in the manufacture of multiple food and drink products . Many of these treatments use heat exchangers , but manufacturers must take into consideration various factors when choosing the right heat exchanger for their process , not least the physical properties of the product itself . In this article we look at five of the most challenging foodstuffs in terms of thermal processing , and the heat exchanger solutions to help manufacturers handle them correctly .
By Matt Hale , Global Key Account Director , HRS Heat Exchangers
Highly viscous materials Highly viscous foods , including nut butters and other fat-based products , can be almost solid at low temperatures . This creates a number of challenges , one of which is physically moving the material through the heat exchanger . Other considerations include preventing the product from fouling the surface of the heat exchanger ( which reduces thermal efficiency ) and ensuring an even temperature throughout . Nut butter can be one of the most difficult products to heat , cool or pump , and so a heavy duty rotating scraped surface heat exchanger ( SSHE ) is required . The HRS
RHD Series was specifically designed for such tough material . Combining the proven rotary scraper rod action of our standard R Series heat exchanger with a larger motor and bigger scraping rods , together with extra mounting supports , the RHD Series is equipped to handle even the toughest foodstuffs .
Products containing pieces The challenge when dealing with pieces of product is ensuring the mixture moves through the process at a constant speed ( to ensure the correct temperatures are maintained for the required time ) without damaging the physical integrity of the product . This type of product can contain anything from small , diced vegetables to large fruit pieces . Many manufacturers also process a range of products using the same equipment , meaning that processing lines need to be flexible – capable of working with both hard and soft products ( such as root vegetables and berries ) across a range of sizes . For this type of product , the Unicus Series of reciprocal SSHE is perfect . The separately controlled hydraulic scrapers are available in a range of designs and are fully controllable so a variety of products can be moved gently but effectively through the heat exchanger , providing timely and efficiency heat transfer without damaging product integrity .
The HRS Unicus Series uses a reciprocating action to provide gentle handling while ensuring thorough heat transfer in products such as diced vegetables and sauces .
With their rotating action , the HRS R and RHD Series provide thorough mixing of highly viscous materials such as nut butters and mechanically deboned meat .
32 Heat Exchanger World February 2025 www . heat-exchanger-world . com