Product category:
Chemical analysis equipment
News Release from: Endress + Hauser
Edited by the Laboratorytalk Editorial
Team on 19 November 2002
Take a closer look at snack food
Today's extruded snack processor must balance market flexibility with plant optimisation, safety and profitability, and needs appropriate instrumentation to do so
Salt and vinegar on Monday, cheese puffs on Wednesday, and tortillas on Saturday Today's extruded snack processor must balance market flexibility with plant optimisation, safety and profitability
This article was originally published on Laboratorytalk on 5 Jun 2007 at 8.00am (UK)
Related stories
pH measurement made reliably watertight
Memosens sensors can be pre-calibrated under optimum conditions in the laboratory and then replaced in the measuring point - eliminating problems associated with difficult-to-access measuring points
Automatic pH measurement ready for heavy duty
The new generation of Endress+Hauser's Topcal S measuring, cleaning and calibration system makes fully automatic, economical pH and ORP measurement possible even in aggressive process environments
Endress+Hauser instruments will push the plant performance levels to the optimum and help meet the stringent demands of any HACCP system.
Raw materials arrive at the plant in bulk and bagged format and from them the individual mixes of maize grits, potato or semolina are made.
Any silos filled pneumatically with floury dusty products are in danger of over pressurisation and possible risk of splitting.
Further reading
Pure and simple, accurate conductivity measurement
The new Indumax H CLS54 sensor and Smartec S CLD134 transmitter conform to EHEDG requirements, and so attain the highest levels of sanitary safety
Liquiline M: simplicity comes as standard
Life is complicated enough without technology adding to the day-to-day complexity: Endress+Hauser's Liquiline M pH/conductivity transmitter has a guiding philosophy to make life simpler
Dissolved oxygen, resolved
Optical dissolved oxygen sensor provides accurate and reliable dissolved oxygen (DO) measurement across a host of water applications
The new Endress + Hauser LevelFlex FMP 40 guided radar used in conjunction with a Cerabar M PMP 40 food grade pressure sensor will monitor bin levels to 35 meters and pressures to 40bar and close down filling systems and shut valves if dangerous levels are achieved, even during filling.
The flow of compressed air used to pneumatically convey the products can be measured and controlled using a T-mass thermal flow meter or filters monitored and leaks detected using a value for money Endress + Hauser gas flow T-Switch.
Once the snack leaves the washers, peelers and extruders it is blown along flexible pipes in to storage hoppers for each line and from there fed in to the drying ovens.
Accurate temperature zone control in the driers is achieved using a series of Omnigrad M TR 44 sensors outputted to a data secure Memo-Graph S recorder (FDA 21 CFR 11 compliant).
The temperature and feed rate data can be used to give the best drying times for each product type and prevent over cooking.
From the triple deck ovens, the snacks go in to the flavour dosing system which for many crisps, scratchings or corn puffs is a vegetable oil slurry.
The powder flavours are either pre weighed or continuously weighed and mixed with a fixed volume of oil and pumped under pressure to the flavour drums.
Endress + Hauser stainless Promass 80 mass flow coriolis meters will ratio the raw oil and dose the slurries in the product tumblers accurately from 1kg/hr to 350 tonnes per hour at flow rates up to 10 meters per second at high temperatures of up to 200C.
The correct flavour mix ensures the right snack taste at this point and the Promass flow meter will not just provide Mass and volume dose control but density and temperature functions at this crucial point in the process.
The excess hot slurry flows out of the tumblers in to reservoirs and waste tanks for removal and recycling.
Endress Liquiphant M FTL 50 vibrating fork level switches are immune to oily product build up and can prevent any messy and costly overfills and spills.
From the flavour drums, product goes straight up a bucket elevator and on to the distribution system to feed the multihead weighers and packers and on to the supermarkets.
Endress+Hauser has the widest range of level, pressure, flow and analytical instrumentation for the food industry, all designed to meet FDA, EHEDG and 3A standards.
Our food industry sensors and transmitters are manufactured in stainless steel and are available with sanitary and Triclamp process connections. Request free introductory details about products from Endress + Hauser ...
• Endress + Hauser: contact details and other news
• Email this article to a colleague
• Register for the free Laboratorytalk email newsletter
• Laboratorytalk Home Page
Search the Pro-Talk network of sites
