Dean Foods
"Flo-Thru" Unit Solves Problems at Nondairy Creamer Manufacturer
Dean Foods processes nondairy creamer for customers worldwide at its plant in Pecatonica, Illinois. a community located northwest of Chicago in the heart of dairy country. In its effort to maintain the highest possible levels of cleanliness. company managers train all employees to look for trouble spots.
Plant Engineer Dan Johnson noticed that some fat in their spray dried product was accumulating on the pan section of the existing circular screen separator used to screen lumps from product at discharge of the drier. This pan section is a unit component of all conventional circular screen separator, catching the thrus and fines and using a sloping bottom surface over which material can slide to the discharge spout.
After review of the problem with the local Kason representative, a change was recommended to replace the existing screener with the recently introduced Kason 'Flo-Thru' Scalping Screener. Conventional circular vibrating screeners use a vibratory gyrator mounted in a base section directly underneath this lower pan. In the 'Flo-Thru' design, Kason mounts two gyrator drives 180 degree apart on the side of the lower screen frame section to impart the controlled vibratory action to the unit.
The 'Flo-Thru' design eliminates the conventional bottom pan section, replacing this with a frame having a discharge outlet directly on the centerline. With side mounted gyrators eliminating the conventional motor base, a very low headroom unit allows for fitting into tight vertical spaces and provides for flow straight through on the centerline of the unit.
To confirm the recommendation, Kason conducted tests at its laboratory. The comprehensive testing showed that the 'Flo-Thru' screener would scalp the lumps well and that a 40 in. (1020 mm) design would easily is provide for increased screening rates of this product.
A unit was purchased and installed in late 1994. Constructed of 304 stainless steel and of sanitary design for the industry, the unit operates continuously for 24 hours a day with a minimum of cleaning and maintenance required. The product now flows directly through the screen and into the bulk packaging system below, meeting increased capacity demands and eliminating the house-keeping problem with the previous design.
Screen Tips - Volume 11, Number 2 Summer 1996
Plant Engineer Dan Johnson noticed that some fat in their spray dried product was accumulating on the pan section of the existing circular screen separator used to screen lumps from product at discharge of the drier. This pan section is a unit component of all conventional circular screen separator, catching the thrus and fines and using a sloping bottom surface over which material can slide to the discharge spout.
After review of the problem with the local Kason representative, a change was recommended to replace the existing screener with the recently introduced Kason 'Flo-Thru' Scalping Screener. Conventional circular vibrating screeners use a vibratory gyrator mounted in a base section directly underneath this lower pan. In the 'Flo-Thru' design, Kason mounts two gyrator drives 180 degree apart on the side of the lower screen frame section to impart the controlled vibratory action to the unit.
The 'Flo-Thru' design eliminates the conventional bottom pan section, replacing this with a frame having a discharge outlet directly on the centerline. With side mounted gyrators eliminating the conventional motor base, a very low headroom unit allows for fitting into tight vertical spaces and provides for flow straight through on the centerline of the unit.
To confirm the recommendation, Kason conducted tests at its laboratory. The comprehensive testing showed that the 'Flo-Thru' screener would scalp the lumps well and that a 40 in. (1020 mm) design would easily is provide for increased screening rates of this product.
A unit was purchased and installed in late 1994. Constructed of 304 stainless steel and of sanitary design for the industry, the unit operates continuously for 24 hours a day with a minimum of cleaning and maintenance required. The product now flows directly through the screen and into the bulk packaging system below, meeting increased capacity demands and eliminating the house-keeping problem with the previous design.
Screen Tips - Volume 11, Number 2 Summer 1996