Streamlining Dairy: The FLOWave Advantage
Producing high-quality dairy products requires precision and efficiency. See how one leading dairy company overcame flow measurement challenges with Burkert's FLOWave technology, ensuring consistent quality and streamlined processes.
Molkerei Hainichen-Freiberg, a dairy company based in Germany and part of the Ehrmann and Käserei Champignon group, places a strong emphasis on product quality while adhering to stringent hygiene standards. Processing around 150 million kg of raw milk annually, the facility produces large quantities of yoghurt, cheese, and milk powder for baby food. A crucial aspect of their production involves utilising ultrapure water, particularly in the milk powder drying lines, where they faced challenges with conventional magnetic-inductive flowmeters due to the low conductivity of the water.
To address these challenges, Molkerei Hainichen-Freiberg utilized Burkert's FLOWave flowmeter, which operates on the innovative Surface Acoustic Waves (SAW) technology. This flowmeter meets rigorous hygiene requirements and is designed to work with a variety of media, including ultrapure water, whey, and milk. Danilo Beer, Team Leader and Deputy Production Manager (Drying), noted, "The demineralised water's low conductivity posed challenges for our previous meters. Bürkert's technology provided an effective solution."
The FLOWave flowmeter features a design free from constrictions and dead spaces, minimising contamination risks and facilitating easier cleaning processes. Its lightweight and energy-efficient design allows for straightforward installation and operation, requiring minimal manpower and maintenance. Beer remarked on the swift implementation of necessary software adjustments by Burkert's fluidics experts during commissioning.
This technology's versatility extends beyond the dairy sector, supporting both Clean-In-Place (CIP) and Steam-In-Place (SIP) cleaning processes with high accuracy in flow measurement. With available configurations catering to various nominal diameters and environments, including explosive areas, the FLOWave flowmeter is a reliable and adaptable solution. As Beer concluded, “Despite inherent measurement challenges, we found a suitable solution that helps us maintain our commitment to quality and efficiency in production."
FLOWave SAW flowmeter
- No obstacles inside the measuring tube, compact, lightweight and low energy consumption
- Conforms to hygienic requirements, CIP/SIP compatible
- Ideal for liquids with low or no conductivity
- Digital communication (Bürkert system bus (büS)/CANopen or IO-Link), parameterisation via Communicator, display
- Optional: ATEX/IECEx certification, II 3G/D