When things get hot

COSUCRA's processes start on land and end in the clean room. Whether it's raw materials contaminated with sand or products following the hygiene guidelines of EC Regulation 1935/2004, the VEGAPULS C 21 finds it all just fine. This radar sensor from VEGA adapts to the most diverse conditions and delivers reliable measurement results without any interference.

COSUCRA originated in Warcoing in 1852 as a sugar producer. Over the past 20 years, the company transformed into a specialist in the production of vegetable ingredients of natural origin. The process starts in the field with the cultivation of chicory and peas. When further processing these sandy raw materials, the company observes the strictest hygiene regulations. Thus, the COSUCRA process for the production of inulin, the fiber of the chicory root meets the requirements of EC 1935/2004 and EHEDG. Wild chicory occurs in two varieties, as chicory and as root chicory. The latter contains about 16% of inulin, a natural dietary fiber used to improve texture and flavor but which also provides many nutritional-physiological benefits. For example, inulin is used as a starch substitute in the treatment of diabetes. It is obtained by a hot water process. A liquid solution reduced to concentrate from the chicory root that is then further processed into dietary fiber in powder or liquid form.

Difficult conditions call for reliable measurement

"At our site, you can actually find any problematic conditions you can imagine. The processes are dusty, aggressive, take place outside or just in the clean room, at overpressure or underpressure. And sometimes we have to deal with strong vibrations or find ourselves in ATEX environments," describes Vincent Vercamst, head of maintenance for the electricity and instrumentation department at COSUCRA, the main challenges. "Therefore, all measuring instruments must comply with the ATEX directive, but also with specifications in accordance with EG1935/2004 or EHEDG." For more than 25 years, VEGA has contributed to safe production with its measuring instruments with the VEGASON, VEGACAP, VEGADIF, VEGABAR and VEGATOR. "An unbeatable price-performance ratio, low maintenance, high long-term reliability and incredibly robust products," Vercamst summarizes the reasons that were the deciding factor.

Very precise control of filtration process

New is the compact radar level sensor VEGAPULS C 21. This non-contact radar level sensor is suitable for simple applications that nevertheless require high accuracy and protection. The filtration process is such a typical application. Here, a rotary filter rotates in a vessel filled with water and sand. The sand is sucked away at the edge of the filter with the help of a vacuum pump. "This way, the impurities in our products are filtered out by the sand," explains Vercamst. In doing so, the VEGA sensor first measures the distance between the sensor and the empty filter. That's pretty much the zero point. "We then analyze the distance between the sensor and the rotation filter. With this, we continuously check the thickness of the sand layer in the critical area. After all, the thickness affects the filtration quality of the product," Verdamst adds. "In the past, we always had problems with the stability of the sand, which resulted in high costs. Thanks to the VEGA sensor, the filtration process can now be controlled very precisely," Vercamst summarizes.

To replace visual inspection

What is so advantageous about the VEGAPULS C 21 is that the sensor provides precise measurement results independent of the medium or the process and environmental conditions. Thanks to the strong focusing of the 80GHz technology, the radar signal can be focused almost to the mm on the medium to be measured. Interference, for example due to fouling on the antenna system, is easily suppressed. At the same time, the sensor is so small that it can be installed anywhere. This is an advantage that plays particularly in existing locations where everything has already found its place. Until now, the filtration process in the chicory plant was usually monitored visually by the operators. "We tried it with laser or ultrasonic technology, but with these the reliability left much to be desired. Equipment from other manufacturers was also not up to the demands of the process," recalls Vercamst. Only with the compact VEGAPULS C 21 did the process settle down in terms of measuring accuracy, reliability and repeatability. Vercamst's team was also impressed by the sensor's resistance to steam and splash water. Thanks to Bluetooth and the intuitive operating structure, the new sensor was installed in no time. A concept that has convinced Vercamst for other measuring points as well: "We are now gradually replacing unreliable sensors with VEGA instruments whenever possible."