Product category:
Testing, analysing and monitoring equipment
News Release from: Easytesters | Subject: Hexteq
Edited by the Engineeringtalk Editorial
Team on 18 February 2008
Monitor maintains heat-exchanger
efficiency
Monitoring system can detect miniscule cracks and pinhole leakages within heat exchangers allowing processors to cut down on potential contamination risks.
A recent development in heat exchanger testing can offer brewers, soft drink makers and dairy manufacturers a practical and sensitive alternative to existing technologies with heightened sensitivity UK-based manufacturer Easytesters reckons its Hexteq monitoring system can detect miniscule cracks and pinhole leakages within heat exchangers allowing processors to cut down on potential contamination risks
This article was originally published on Engineeringtalk on 14 Feb 2002 at 8.00am (UK)
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Heat exchangers are vitally important within beverage manufacture as a means of transferring heat from one product to another, in order to better control the production process.
Preventing both bacterial and chemical contamination in these units is increasingly vital for manufacturers of all sises in protecting their brand's reputation.
However, in company tests on hundreds of heat exchangers at breweries, dairies and soft drink plants across Western and Central Europe and Asia, over a quarter of surveyed enterprises were found in danger of cross contamination.
These manufacturers were then encouraged by the company to replace panels on the heat exchanger and then retest.
The Hexteq system can detect defects down to a 1um in size - unprecedented accuracy for measuring leakages.
Rather than simply determining therefore whether a heat exchanger is operating hygienically or needs replacing, the system can be used to identify a defect before it becomes problematic to production.
In the case of a leakage under 20um, the defect may not necessarily grow any wider and with continued monitoring can continue to operate to healthy standards.
This allows a manufacturer to reduce the amount of tie required for processing.
In addition, the company claims that the Hexteq also automatically gives a tamper proof record of the time, date and location of each test performed, ensuring traceability requirements are also being met.
The Hexteq system is approved by Coca Cola USA, Inbev the world's biggest brewer, and other blue chip companies, as this is the only test that can be transported around the world in a briefcase and has the highest sensitivity to detect leaks in heat exchangers that may contain food products.
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