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Easy-maintenance steam traps cut downtime

A Spirax Sarco product story
Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team Jan 9, 2006

Spirax Sarco Quickfit steam trap stations have helped reduce the impact from trap failure and maintenance costs for Acetate Products' first set of new production lines.

Spirax Sarco Quickfit steam trap stations have helped reduce the impact from trap failure and maintenance costs for Acetate Products' first set of new production lines, encouraging the company to standardise on them for the latest new Filter Tow production lines at its Derby Site.

Each new line includes five Spirax Sarco STS-17 trap stations, making 20 in total.

The company's Derby plant operates around the clock and uses steam on its spinning machines to condition cellulose acetate fibres by stripping out acetone solvent.

The resulting textile is used in cigarette filters.

According to Acetate Products, it takes about one hour to change a conventional steam trap for maintenance, requiring the spinning machine settings to be altered and production to be lost.

"The cost of lost opportunities is around GBP 300 per hour per machine", says an Acetate Products spokesman.

"On top of this is the cost of the repair, the inconvenience of altering the machine set up and so on".

With the Spirax Sarco STS-17, a steam trap can be changed so quickly that normal production is not affected.

The Spirax Sarco STS-17 offers a compact solution complete with all necessary valves and ancillary equipment.

This integrated approach simplifies the design and ordering process because the ancillaries would otherwise have to be specified separately.

Commissioning is also quick and easy and all STS-17 assemblies are factory-tested by Spirax Sarco before delivery.

The STS-17 stations supplied to Acetate Products are manufactured in stainless steel for durability and have an appearance matching the high-tech look of the production lines.

Find out more about this article. Request a brochure, download technical specifications and request samples here.

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