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Product recovery system helps Cussons clean up

A Castell Safety International product story
Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team Dec 11, 2002

The installation of a product recovery and waste minimisation system at its Nottingham site has delivered significant time and cost savings to toiletries manufacturer PZ Cussons.

The installation of a product recovery and waste minimisation system at its Nottingham site has delivered significant time and cost savings to toiletries manufacturer PZ Cussons.

Since being fitted, the system has halved waste disposal costs, afforded the company an extra 20min production time on every batch produced and, on an average batch, recovered 3% of product.

PZ Cussons has also recouped its outlay on the system twice as quickly as it had anticipated.

Designed by Chesterfield-based Martec, the Product Recovery System is situated in a feed line from the blending room to the filling line.

To ensure that its benefits are available safely, the system incorporates a mechanical Plugloc device that relies on K bolt interlocks from Castell.

At the start of each batch, the first of two plugs held in the launching trap at the process pump end of the line is forced down the pipe by the product, de-aerating the line as it proceeds.

On completion of a batch, the second plug is propelled by compressed air along the line to push any remaining product into a break tank.

Once the line has been cleared, both plugs are returned under pressure to the launch end in readiness for the next batch.

Should a plug need to be removed for servicing, or become jammed in the pipe during its return to the launch trap, the Plugloc system ensures that the line behind the plug is depressurised before access is granted.

Opening a vent at the filling end of the feed line releases a Castell key which is then transferred to the pump end.

A safety-latching device fitted with a K lock which prevents access to the pump-end pipework is unlocked by the transferred key.

Pipe ends can then be accessed safely without the danger of a pressurised plug in the system.

The Plugloc safety system is supplied as standard on Martec's product recovery system but can be retrofitted to existing systems to protect operators and comply with current health and safety legislation.

Before installing the product recovery system, PZ Cussons used water to clean out the pipework and remove excess product, leading to considerable waste and mess.

The amount of water now required for each clean out is 25% less than under the previous method.

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