The client is a manufacturer of installations for microbrewery systems intended for restaurants and catering establishments. The company operates as an OEM supplier and delivers process solutions for the brewing industry.
CLIENT’S PROBLEM AND CHALLENGES
The main challenge in this application was the need to handle a sensitive food product under variable process conditions and stringent hygienic and product-quality standards.
The required solution had to be mobile and used across multiple stages of the beer production process, including gentle transfer of the finished product.
A further key challenge was ensuring reliable mechanical seal operation when processing sugar-containing media, which may crystallize and increase the risk of seal damage or failure.
The main specifications included:
low-pulsation flow characteristics
compliance with FDA and EC 1935/2004 food contact regulations
suitability for CIP cleaning processes
accurate flow adjustment depending on the current production stage
TAPFLO ACTIVITIES
Tapflo Solutions department, specializing in designing custom solutions tailored to unique customer needs, provided technical consultation and proposed a CTH pump mounted on a trolley with a built-in frequency converter. This setup allowed for precise flow control depending on the stage of the production process.
Centrifugal pump was selected due to its ability to deliver low-pulsation flow, which is beneficial for handling sensitive products such as beer. The hygienic design supports CIP cleaning and compliance with food industry requirements like FDA and EC1935/2004.
Our team also suggested equipping the mechanical seal with two supply systems:
Seal flushing – to prevent solids from accumulating in the seal area and to continuously flush them away, thus reducing wear and preventing damage of the seal faces.
Barrier liquid system – to create a barrier between the process fluid and the atmosphere, preventing wort from entering the seal area, where sugars could crystallize (especially at elevated temperatures) and lead to seal failure.
RESULT
The customer decided to order a solution based on the design proposed by Tapflo engineers. The implemented system with a centrifugal hygienic pump provided controlled transfer of delicate brewing fluids while maintaining product quality.
The application of a single unit across multiple stages of the process reduced equipment redundancy and supported more efficient operation. The mobile configuration proved particularly suitable for space-limited microbrewery environments facilitating flexible use within the installation.
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