Process Liquids? Here’s a Technology that Can Help You Improve Efficiency

In many sectors, raw material prices are rising. Energy costs are reaching record highs. Competition is increasing. Margins are getting tighter. Labour shortages are also challenging manufacturers.  

To meet those challenges and improve the bottom line, many manufacturers are continually looking for ways to reduce their costs and optimise their production processes.

For companies that transfer liquids during production, one of the easiest and most effective methods of improving operational efficiency is to use liquid product recovery (“pigging”) technology.

Recovering Valuable Product from Pipelines

Pigging systems recover residual product from pipelines during product or batch changeovers or breaks in production. This product, without pigging technology installed, would usually be flushed to waste.

But by using pigging, residual product is saved instead of wasted. The recovered product is sent to the filler, tank, or packaging or it could be sent to continue processing.

A wide range of applications use pigging. These range from food, beverages, confectionery, and pet food to personal care, cosmetics, household liquids, paints, coatings, lubricants and many more.

So, how does pigging technology improve efficiency in liquid processing?

Pigging Systems Cut Waste

Waste is a major source of inefficiency. Because HPS pigging technology reclaims the product from the pipe, there’s less product to send to waste.

What’s more, after pigging there’s only tiny amounts of product left in the line, so the cleaning and changeover processes use less cleaning chemicals, resources, and time.

So, pigging directly decreases cleaning as well as waste processing costs.

Pigging Systems Improve Water Efficiency

Often the first part of a clean-in-place (CIP) cycle is to flush out the product residue from the process lines for a period of time before proceeding with the cleaning process.

However, HPS pigging systems remove so much product from the pipe, there’s no requirement for continuous and lengthy flush outs. In this way, pigging helps companies operate more efficiently and optimise their water usage.

Reducing Downtime and Changeovers

Changeovers can amount to a significant source of inefficiency, downtime, and loss of manufacturing capacity. It can also account for considerable product loss, and high wastage costs.

Pigging speeds up product changeovers and reduces downtime by decreasing the length of the wash. In some circumstances, if there’s only a slight change in colour or flavour, it’s often possible to follow on immediately with the next product after the pigging process. This eliminates the need for flushing completely.

Increasing Plant Capacity

Companies that process liquids must contend with different formulations and configurations of product. However, having a dedicated line or lines for each product is inefficient, takes up space and is not always practical.

Because HPS product recovery solutions reclaim up to 99.5% of residual liquid from process pipes, they enable the same lines to be used for different products. Not only does this keep the number of dedicated lines to a minimum but increases the capacity and flexibility of operations.

Because pigging enables efficient use of shared lines, it helps manufacturers meet the demand for greater product variety.

Improving Traceability

No company wants to have to recall products.

But if recalls do occur, having traceability throughout the supply chain makes them quicker, more efficient, and less costly.

Pigging systems help manufacturers by creating precise, reliable liquid, wet product, or ingredient separation. This greatly improves traceability and boosts efficiency. What’s more, the technology can also create the same separation between batches, which ensures traceability throughout the manufacturing production process.

Improve Efficiency Today!

Pigging and product recovery technology is simple, cost effective and efficient.

If you are interested in improving efficiency, productivity, sustainability, and profitability through pigging and liquid product recovery solutions, contact HPS.

E: info@hps-pigging.com

T: +44 (0) 115 925 4700
W: www.HPS-Pigging.com