Application case of high flow filter element in the food and beverage industry

1、 Enterprise background

A well-known dairy product enterprise is a large enterprise with a high market share in China, mainly producing various liquid milk, yogurt, milk powder and other products. The company has always been committed to providing high-quality dairy products and strictly controls every aspect of the production process to ensure product quality and safety.

2、 The problems faced

Large production volume

The production line of the enterprise has to process a large amount of raw milk and produce a large amount of finished dairy products every day. Traditional filtering equipment has limited processing capacity and is unable to meet such high production demands, which can easily lead to production bottlenecks.

High filtering requirements

Dairy products require extremely high hygiene standards, which require effective removal of impurities, bacteria, somatic cells, etc. from raw milk. At the same time, before filling the finished product, it is necessary to ensure that no small particles or foreign objects enter the product to ensure its taste and quality.

cost control

Enterprises need to minimize production costs while ensuring product quality. Frequent replacement of filter cartridges in filtration equipment will increase maintenance and labor costs, affecting the economic benefits of the enterprise.

3、 Solution

The enterprise has introduced a high flow filter element filtration system, which is applied to two key processes: raw milk processing and finished product filling.

In the raw milk processing stage, a high flow deep filtration filter element is used. This filter element can effectively intercept impurities, bacteria, and somatic cells in raw milk through a special filter material structure. A high flow design can meet the needs of large-scale raw milk processing for enterprises, ensuring that raw milk is fully purified before entering the subsequent processing stages.

In the finished product filling process, high-precision and high flow filter cartridges are used. This filter element can accurately filter out small particles and foreign objects that may exist, ensuring the purity of finished dairy products. At the same time, the characteristic of high flow rate can ensure that during the operation of high-speed filling production line, the production efficiency will not be affected due to the inability to keep up with the filtration speed.

4、 Implementation effect

1)Significantly improve production efficiency

The filtration speed of high flow filters is much faster than traditional filters, which significantly improves the speed of raw milk processing and finished product filling. The production line of the enterprise can operate more smoothly, effectively solving the pressure caused by large production volume and improving overall production efficiency.

For example, in the raw milk processing stage, previously only a certain amount of raw milk could be processed per day. With the use of high flow filters, the processing capacity has increased several times, greatly reducing the processing time of raw milk.

2)Ensure product quality

Through the efficient filtration of high flow filter cartridges, impurities, bacteria, and somatic cells in raw milk are effectively removed, and tiny particles and foreign objects in finished dairy products are also intercepted, ensuring the taste and quality of the product. The reputation of the company's dairy products in the market has been further enhanced, and consumers' trust in the products has also increased.

In terms of quality inspection, dairy products filtered by high flow filters meet national and industry standards in all indicators, and the product qualification rate has been significantly improved.

3)cost reduction

The long service life of high flow filter cartridges reduces the frequency of filter cartridge replacement. This not only reduces equipment maintenance costs, but also reduces production line downtime caused by filter replacement, improving equipment utilization. At the same time, due to the good filtering effect of the high flow filter element, it can reduce the dependence on other filtering equipment in subsequent processing steps, further 4)reducing costs.

According to calculations, after adopting high flow filter cartridges, the annual maintenance and replacement costs of filtration equipment have been reduced by about X%, bringing considerable economic benefits to the enterprise.

5、 Summary

This case fully demonstrates the important application value of high flow filters in the food and beverage industry. For dairy companies, high flow filter cartridges not only solve the problems of large production volume and high filtration requirements, but also achieve the goal of cost control. With the continuous development of the food and beverage industry and the increasing demand for product quality, high flow filter cartridges will be widely used in more enterprises, making greater contributions to the development of the industry.

The selection of high flow filter cartridges in the food and beverage industry requires consideration of multiple factors. The following are detailed selection steps and key considerations:

1、 Clearly define filtering requirements

1) Determine filtering accuracy

The food and beverage industry has high requirements for product purity and needs to determine the appropriate filtration accuracy based on different products and production processes. For example, for clarified fruit juice, it may be necessary to remove small particles and impurities, and the filtration accuracy can be chosen to be around 1 micron; For the filtration of beer, finer filtration may be required, with an accuracy of 0.5 microns or even lower.

Consider the quality standards and regulatory requirements of the product. Different food and beverage products may have specific quality standards, such as microbial content, particle size limitations, etc., which will guide the selection of filtration accuracy.

2) Traffic requirements

Estimate the maximum flow demand during the production process. Understand factors such as the production capacity of the production line, hourly output, and the number of equipment running simultaneously to determine the required flow rate of the filter element. For example, a production line that produces 10 tons of juice per hour may require the selection of high flow filters with a flow rate of 10 cubic meters per hour or more.

Consider future production expansion plans. If the enterprise has the expectation of expanding production scale, it should reserve a certain flow margin when selecting to avoid frequent replacement of filter elements or upgrading of filtration systems in the future.

3) Chemical compatibility

Understand the chemical composition of food and beverage products, as well as the chemical substances that may be encountered during the production process, such as acids, bases, organic solvents, etc. Choose filter materials that have good chemical compatibility with these substances to ensure that the filter does not undergo chemical reactions, degradation, or release harmful substances during use.

For beverages with strong acidity, such as lemon juice, filter materials with good acid resistance, such as polypropylene (PP) or polyethersulfone (PES), should be selected; For products containing organic solvents, such as certain seasonings, special solvent resistant materials may need to be selected.

2、 Select filter material

1) Food grade certification

Ensure that the selected filter element has food grade certification, such as FDA (Food and Drug Administration) certification in the United States, CE certification in the European Union, etc. These certifications indicate that the filter element meets the safety standards of the food industry and can be used with confidence in the production process of food and beverages.

Food grade certification usually includes requirements for the safety, non toxicity, and odor free properties of filter materials, as well as strict supervision of the production process.

2) Common material characteristics

Polypropylene (PP): It has good chemical stability, corrosion resistance, and high temperature resistance, and is relatively inexpensive. Suitable for filtering most food and beverages, especially neutral or weakly acidic products.

Polyether sulfone (PES): High filtration accuracy, good chemical resistance, and can withstand high temperature and high pressure. Suitable for products that require high filtration accuracy, such as high-end fruit juices, pharmaceuticals, etc.

Nylon: High strength, wear-resistant, and has good filtering performance. Commonly used for filtering food and beverages with high particle content, such as filtering malt extract during beer brewing.

3、 Consider the structure and size of the filter element

1) Filter structure

High flow filter cartridges usually have folding, melt blown, and other structures. Folding filter element has a large filtration area and high flow rate, suitable for high flow filtration needs; The melt blown filter element has uniform filtration accuracy and high strength, making it suitable for situations where stable filtration accuracy is required.

Select the appropriate filter structure based on the production process and equipment layout. For example, if the space of the filtering device is limited, a foldable filter element can be chosen to achieve a larger filtering area in a smaller volume.

2) Size specifications

Measure the installation space of the filtration equipment and determine the appropriate size of the filter element. High flow filter cartridges usually come in different lengths, diameters, and interface types. The size specifications that match the equipment should be selected to ensure easy installation and good sealing.

Consider the convenience of replacing and maintaining the filter element. Choosing a filter element of appropriate size can reduce the difficulty and time of replacing the filter element, and improve production efficiency.

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