Nutrexpa achieves maximum production efficiency within their 24 hour production line

Phil Black - PII Editor 21/02/2011

105 3 minutes read

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With the installation of Russell Compact Sieves, Russell Finex help Nutrexpa improve the quality of one of their most prominent brands, Cola Cao

Since the 1940s, Spanish food manufacturer Nutrexpa has been dedicated to producing high quality goods with the aim of creating appetizing and nutritious food products.

Headquartered in Barcelona, Nutrexpa is one of the leading groups in the Spanish food industry, with a wide product range that is manufactured and distributed worldwide, with subsidiary companies in South America, Asia and Europe.

Cola Cao is one of Nutrexpa’s prominent products, and has recently undergone a brand re-launch, with many different varieties available. It is a high energy chocolate powder drink providing natural vitamins and minerals with a unique flavour and aroma.

It is manufactured at the plant in Barcelona, which is the centre of production of soluble cocoa products. As with all processing plants, before the product is packaged, it passes through a final screening process to ensure any oversized contaminants are removed.

The company was initially using six rotary centrifugal sieves to screen the powder. However, due to the mechanical action used, they experienced frequent mesh breakage, allowing oversized contamination to pass through to the packaging lines. In addition, due to the sieves being enclosed, it was not possible to visually inspect the mesh without stopping production. Therefore when a mesh failure occurred, large batches needed to be re-screened, resulting in a substantial amount of time and cost being added to the production process.

In a 24/7 production environment, Nutrexpa sought to optimize its processes and remove the inefficiencies by seeking new sieving equipment. In addition to achieving productivity gains, the new sieves needed to meet strict hygiene and safety guidelines, including HACCP. Having already worked with Russell Finex to install the Russell Compact Sieve® in other areas of the plant, Nutrexpa recognized the benefits this unit has provided them in other screening processes. Therefore, after consulting with an experienced sales engineer, the six rotary sieves were replaced with two 1200mm diameter Compact Sieves.

Situated prior to the packaging line, the Compact 1200’s are used to safety screen the powder. The powder enters the sieve through a feed inlet and is screened through the machine in a straight line, ensuring no hold-ups or dead points. Any oversized material quickly travels across the screen mesh and is ejected continuously to give maximum separation.

The acquisition of the Russell Compact Sieves eliminated Nutrexpa’s sieving problems. Constructed in the highest quality stainless steel, the Compact 1200s are easy to clean between batches, and the simple design allows operators to strip down and clean the machines without any tools. With enclosed screening for total containment, dust and fumes are also eliminated and therefore improve operators’ health and safety. In addition, due to its compact design, it is able to fit into small spaces while being able to maintain significantly higher flow rates than other designs of similar sized units.

Another key feature of the installation was the Russell Vibrasonic Spiroscreen™. This innovative ultrasonic deblinding system eliminates blinding and blockage of mesh. An ultrasonic frequency is applied to the sieve mesh using an acoustically developed transducer. The frequency of the vibration breaks down the surface tension, effectively making the stainless steel wires frictionfree and preventing particles that are slightly greater or smaller than the apertures from blinding or blocking the screen mesh.

With the mesh staying clear, Nutrexpa observed a significant reduction in downtime with screening capacities improved. The Spiroscreen™ system also enabled Nutrexpa to screen their product more accurately and reduce re-screening of good product, therefore improving the bottom line.

For over 75 years Russell Finex have manufactured and supplied filters, sieves and separators to improve product quality, enhance productivity, safeguard worker health, and ensure liquids and powders are contamination free. Throughout the world, Russell Finex serve a variety of industries with applications including food, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, adhesives, plastisols, paint, coatings, metal powders and ceramics.
Regards,

Russell Finex Ltd
Worldwide Leaders in Fine Mesh Separation
Tel: +44 (0)20-8818-2029
Fax: +44 (0)20-8818-2060

For more information visit:
www.russellfinex.com