Carbon polymer technology stops sweets solidifying

Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team Nov 3, 2006

A novel heating system developed by Inditherm has provided significant hygiene, H and S and energy saving benefits to a large UK confectionary manufacturer.

A novel heating system developed by Inditherm has provided significant hygiene, H and S and energy saving benefits to a large UK confectionary manufacturer.

The customer, a well-known confectionary manufacturer in the UK, had chosen Inditherm in preference to its traditional electrical trace heating, because of the significant benefits provided by their conductive polymer technology.

These include energy efficiency, uniform heating, improved temperature control and significantly lower energy consumption.

The brief to Inditherm was to provide heating and insulation to 300m of pipe to maintain liquid Maltitol (a liquid sweetener that is an essential ingredient in many sugar-free confectionary products) at the right temperature, while it is pumped through the production process.

At 55C Maltitol is easy to pump, reducing energy consumption and the work load on pumps and ancillary equipment.

The specification also stated that should unforeseen circumstances result in the product temperature falling below 50C, the Inditherm heating system must be capable of raising the temperature to 70C to prevent it from crystallising.

The system chosen to achieve these and other objectives is the Inditherm carbon polymer technology (CPT).

The system utilises Inditherm's patented, low voltage, energy efficient heating pads which provides uniform heat, improved temperature control and significantly lower energy consumption than alternative forms of process heating.

Another innovative feature of the installation is the "plug and play" pipe system.

The concept of plug and play enables sections of pipe to be installed much more rapidly than existing practices, whilst providing an extremely hygienic solution, so vital in many production processes.

This innovation involves the off-site manufacture of the pipework, addition of the 24V Inditherm heating pads, then the insulation and stainless steel cladding.

The whole assembly is then shipped to site and secured onto pre-installed brackets, wired in and commissioned.

The stainless steel cladding has a number of innovations designed to eliminate the ingress of potential contaminants, these include specially profiled end caps with a hygienic quality sealant applied to all joints.

In addition to the plug and play pipework system, Inditherm heated pads and cladding was applied to two external tanks, each containing 30,000 litres of the Maltitol.

The Inditherm system was installed instead of unreliable electrical trace heating, which was time-consuming to maintain and prone to producing hotspots, resulting in burning of the product causing waste and interruptions to production.

System control was also a key factor in the decision to use this unique technology.

As the CPT system has no thermal mass of its own it automatically assumes the temperature of its surroundings.

This has the effect of making the system highly efficient in its use of high cost energy as the system only switches on when the temperature of the fluid drops below its pre-determined level.

The control systems can be as complex or simple as required to match the clients needs and to work in conjunction with the clients existing processes.

From the fitting of kilowatt-hour meters to closely monitor energy usage right through to remote, computer controlled monitoring systems that can not only record the complete process but can also be programmed to flag up potential system errors.

Additional benefits that accrue from the use of this system include improved Health and Safety issues.

The low, 24V system employed in this installation is intrinsically safer than alternative electric heating systems which normally run at voltages ranging from 110 to 415V.

Reduced energy consumption also means significant reductions in the carbon emissions footprint, an increasingly important factor for companies aware of their environmental responsibilities.

The customer is so pleased with the installation that a sister plant in central Europe has also placed an order with Inditherm for a similar installation, worth GBP 94,000.