wheyco takes important step toward condition-based maintenance

In the food industry, productivity, reliability and availability are always high on the agenda. This also applies to wheyco, which processes whey into protein and permeate powder. The numerous motors for pumps, fans and agitators, among others, are equipped with softstarters to minimize mechanical stress on equipment. A new generation of softstarters was recently introduced with ABB's PSTX and PSE series. itsme formed the vital link between ABB and wheyco.

Near Hoogeveen, in beautiful Drenthe, lies the Zuivelpark. Here wheyco and DOC Kaas, two parts of the DMK Group representing several links in the cheese chain, are located. The whey released in cheese production by DOC Kaas goes through a pipeline system to wheyco's whey factory, where it is made into protein and permeate powder; important ingredients for sports, dietary and senior nutrition, for example, but also for bakery products, chocolate and animal feed. Because the two production sites are "neighbors," no freight transportation is needed to transport the whey. This contributes to a sustainable production process.

Complex process

Whey processing is a complex process consisting of several stages. After pasteurization, the whey is split with ultrafiltration. In this process, the protein molecules (whey protein concentrate) are separated from smaller molecules, such as lactose and minerals (whey permeate concentrate). Then the whey pectate is further thickened by evaporation and finally dried to powder by the spray dryer. The whey protein concentrate is immediately dried on the spray dryer. In the whole process of pasteurization, filtering, drying and cooling, pumps, fans and agitators are indispensable "ingredients.

"Outages cost us a lot of money. Because whey has to be processed almost immediately, breakdowns not only result in lost production but also have to be processed elsewhere."

Productivity, reliability and availability of equipment play a vital role in the process. As E&I engineer and installation manager within wheyco, Jeroen Meijer is closely involved in all electrical engineering issues. "When whey is released from DOC Kaas' production process, we have a purchase obligation. You quickly talk about large quantities of whey coming in. That means our equipment and production capacity have to be available at all times. Downtime costs us a lot of money. Because whey has to be processed almost immediately, breakdowns not only result in loss of production but also have to be processed elsewhere. Such headaches you want to avoid at all costs."

Sustainable and reliable manufacturing

About the rotating equipment within wheyco, Meijer continues, "The motors used for the pumps, fans and agitators are not only energetic 'big consumers' but are actually the beating heart of production. In order to reduce the mechanical load on the motors, we fitted the motors with softstarters between 2002 and 2003. Less mechanical load also means less wear, less maintenance and less cost." Thus the knife cuts four ways.

After twenty years, however, it was high time for renewal. wheyco wanted to use that renewal not only to reduce the mechanical load on equipment, but also to keep the quality of voltage and current as good as possible. "If you do that well, you save energy," says Jeroen Meijer. In consultation with ABB and itsme, ABB's PSTX and PSE series were chosen.

"We are deploying more and more data for condition-based maintenance. That way, we want to reduce the chance of downtime even further."

When selecting the softstarters, the version with bus communication was deliberately chosen. "That way we can use the data from softstarters easier and better. We are increasingly using that data for condition-based maintenance. That way we want to reduce the chance of failure even further." Asked whether the purchase has actually led to the desired result, Meijer replied, "There is indeed less failure. We still have to be patient for the effects on condition-based maintenance. These will only become visible after a somewhat longer period of time. The smooth transition to the new generation is remarkable, though." The softstarters are set up in a conditioned central switch room. "Beforehand, we inventoried all the motors. itsme then delivered the ABB softstarters with the correct settings. As a result, the integration went smoothly. I've sometimes compared it to a pit stop: old softstarter out, new one in and run it."

Beautiful collaboration

The wheyco project is a fine example of successful cooperation between wheyco, itsme and ABB. "By tackling the project in this way, we were able to switch very quickly," says Arthur Cooke, senior account manager at itsme. Jeroen Meijer adds: "The transition to a new generation of softstarters requires the necessary preparations. It is good to be able to fall back on an expert partner like itsme for this. In the relationship between wheyco and itsme, our permanent contact person in the itsme office is very important. He thinks along and reminds us what extras are needed when ordering a product."

Want to know more about preventing production loss? Feel free to contact itsme Industrial Automation.