Production yield is extremely important in all manufacturing plants. However, it is even more critical for contract manufacturers, such as US-based Steuben Foods, which assembled a loss improvement team to determine where product losses occur within its production facility. In order to achieve this, reliable data was required, and through a process of elimination, an Endress+Hauser Promass 83 F Coriolis flowmeter was employed.
Steuben Foods is a contract manufacturer of antiseptic products. Its range of products includes: organic milk, soymilk, soup broth, coffee concentrates and nutriceuticals. The facility has about 20 storage silos for a total inventory of 18 kilotonnes of product. With 15 production lines, product is constantly being moved in and out of silos. In addition, the problem is compounded by the fact that the specific gravity of each and every product differs.
The possibility of using a PLC to calculate the weight based on an estimated specific gravity was considered. However, this process was ruled out as it would have introduced more error. A modification to each silo by installing multiple sensors was also considered. However, the loss improvement team opted for a completely new approach.
By mounting an Endress+Hauser Promass 83 F Coriolis mass flowmeter on a wheeled cart, the content of each tank could be measured very accurately as the tanks were filled and later emptied. The solution was simple and cost-effective. An inventory schedule was established and the Promass was connected to a chart recorder to monitor flow rates and movement.
The first immediate result was the discovery that the truck scales used for incoming supply were inaccurate. The Promass meter was able to provide more consistent and repeatable measurement. The improvement team estimated the return on investment for the Promass flowmeter and the cart to be approximately one month.
Today, the cart is still in use and in addition to accurately measuring the transfer of product from storage to process, it also measures the transfer of product from process to filling and is used as a reference in calibration. Vortex meters are (for example) used to record and control CIP flow and these are calibrated on a regular schedule, using the Promass meter. Turbine water meters and sucrose meters are also checked using a similar method.
Hydrostatic level transmitters are also used on the milk silos, but their purpose is monitoring. As soon as media is transferred in or out, the Promass cart is used. In fact, to ensure accurate reporting of incoming products, Steuben Foods installed a second permanent Promass on the receiving line to verify the truck scales. As a simple and cost-effective solution, the Promass 83 F Coriolis mass flowmeter accurately measures the content of each tank on filling and emptying.
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