Expert Advice on Temperature Management in the Food Industry
Rittal will be on hand to help at Drives & Controls 2020
Key points
By Karl Lycett, Rittal’s Product Manager for Climate Control
Food processing is a sector that demands very high standards of efficiency to meet daily production throughput targets.
Any unexpected breakdown of critical components which stops production lines can have a major impact, not just in terms of loss of output, but also unplanned maintenance. One way to avoid this is to employ adequate climate control to help ensure electrical enclosures and their critical components are kept within a suitable operating environment.
Below are some key aspects to consider when reviewing your climate control solutions. More details will be available to visitors attending this year’s Drives & Controls (NEC, Birmingham NEC, 21–23 April 2020).
Is your solution right for the environment?
The type of product being processed on-site and/or the location of the equipment within the facility are likely to heavily influence your climate control solution.
- if the ambient temperature of your facility remains lower, year-round, than the desired enclosure internal enclosure temperature then fan-and-filter units and air-to-air heat exchangers can be very effective. They use the ambient air to remove heat energy from the enclosure, releasing it back into the environment.
If the ambient temperature rises above the desired internal temperature, then units with active cooling circuits must be used. Wall/roof-mounted cooling units and air-to-water heat exchangers include a refrigerant to remove the excess heat from enclosures and maintain the desired conditions. - Dusty or acidic contamination (e.g. flour or yeast/vinegar extracts) can interfere with switchgear and cause short circuits or a reduction in service life.
Applying filter mats to fan and filter units will help, but if the environment is extremely contaminated you might be better off installing a cooling unit to ensure that the internal and external air-paths are exclusive thus ensuring contaminated air isn’t drawn into the enclosure.
Increasing Energy Efficiency = Reduced Costs
Many food production facilities work around the clock and with energy prices rising globally, it’s vital to get early warning of any potential issue which could impact on productivity or costs. Schedule a semi-regular performance assessment of your cooling equipment to check whether or not it’s overworked.
Unlike speed-controlled cooling devices, such as the new Rittal Blue e+ cooling units, conventional units start when the temperature inside the enclosure gets above set point (normally 35°C) and finish when the shutdown temperature of 30°C is achieved (at a typical hysteresis of 5K).
If the device does not reach the shutdown temperature it will continue to operate at full output, using large amounts of energy. Â This is one good indicator that the unit is inadequate for the job and that too little cooling air may be getting to electrical components.
Cleaning/Maintenance Regime
Establishing a regular inspection and cleaning of cooling equipment is very good practice. For example, vacuum cleaning units with filter mats to remove any dust and debris which might choke the fan. This will mean the unit works harder for longer and also reduces its cooling capacity.
Cooling units must also be kept clean to maintain the highest standards of hygiene. Some will be cleaned daily with pressure washers and jet steam cleaners in which case use units which meet the required ingress protection rating desired for your site and purchase additional cowls or covers as needed.
For more information, go to www.rittal.co.uk or email Karl at klycett@rittal.com.
Get ahead this summer and find out how you can protect and prolong the life of equipment with industry-leading cooling solutions, tailor-made for the food processing industry. Visit Rittal’s stand at Drives & Controls Show, Stand D610, (NEC, Birmingham NEC, 21–23 April 2020).
Rittal Ltd
- 01709 704000
- information@rittal.co.uk
- http://www.rittal.co.uk
- Braithwell Way, Hellaby Industrial Estate, Hellaby, Rotherham, South Yorkshire, S66 8QY GB
About us
Since its foundation in 1961, Rittal has continuously evolved into the world"s leading systems provider for enclosures, power distribution, climate control, IT infrastructure and software & services.
Today, "Rittal – The System." offers you a perfectly coordinated system platform. It unites innovative productions, pioneering engineering solutions and global service to accommodate the most diverse requirements. It caters to a whole host of industries, from machinery and plant engineering, to the automotive industry, through to information technology.All from a single source, all in top quality.
That is what "Rittal – The System. Faster – better – worldwide." is all about.
A workforce of 10,000 manufactures and develops "Rittal – The System." on your behalf. Ensuring you stay on track for success. Tap into synergy potential with our sister company Eplan, the leading manufacturer of software for cross-disciplinary engineering solutions.We never lose sight of our responsibility to the environment and society.
Where we supply to
Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, South America, North America
Industries we supply to
Automation, Chemicals, Consultants, Components Electronics, Energy and Power, Food and Beverage, Glass Ceramics Cement, Metals and Minerals, OEM, Paper and Pulp, Pharmaceutical Cosmetics Toiletries, Plastics and Rubber, Recycling, Textiles, Tobacco, Water and Wastewater
-
Make wire processing ten times faster with Rittal’s Wire Terminal WT C: The versatile solution for wire processing
Rittal’s Wire Terminal WT C5 and C10 machines offer fully automatic wiring processes that go one step further. The innovative...
-
Smart cooling unit solutions with sustainable DNA Rittal Blue e+ S Cooling Units
Rittal is expanding its smart cooling unit solutions by adding the new Blue e+ S range. Our latest generation of...
-
Temperature vs Equipment – Who will Win?
Every year, there is a battle of two forces. The immovable object comes upon the unstoppable force in a war...
-
Experience Rittal live!
There are only weeks to go until the 2022 Drives & Controls exhibition which is held at the NEC Birmingham from the 5th-7th...
-
Rittal celebrates the one-millionth VX25
2021 was a triple milestone for Rittal, the company celebrated the 60th anniversary of its founding, the 75th birthday of...
-
Designing a Switchboard for a Fishing Trawler
When NU-Design Limited, a marine electrical services business based in Peterhead, Aberdeenshire, Scotland needed help in the designing of a very...
-
Support arm system
-
Smart Solutions for a changing world - Challenging the Edge
-
MAN VS MACHINE
