While there is no definitive evidence that saving energy in sugar manufacturing will impact the overall taste – energy and cost savings are definitely a sweet thing to those companies that manufacture sugar, as well as other foods and beverages.
Syneffex™ thermal insulation coatings are used by many different types of food and beverage manufacturers from breweries to snack food manufacturers. Companies often have large equipment that can’t be insulated with older types of insulation because of potential contamination. The sugar manufacturing industry is one that Syneffex™ coatings continue to provide solutions for to help them make their sugar more energy efficiently and with an insulation they can trust not to cause any issues of contamination.
Food and beverage manufacturers have unique needs for insulation because they have to ensure their product isn’t contaminated. Older types of fibrous insulation such as fiberglass or mineral wool degrade quickly in any type of humid environment and can leave fibers which can inadvertently cause issues, so many times energy is wasted simply because equipment can’t be insulated.
With Syneffex™ Nansulate™ patented thermal insulation coatings, there is now a safe insulation solution. These coatings bond directly with the equipment surface and are low odor, water-based, there is a version (Nansulate™ Translucent PT, formerly known as GP) that is rated as safe for incidental food contact surfaces. In addition to providing insulation for energy savings, they also reduce surface temperature and prevention corrosion. The hydrophobic nature of the film is also resistant to the growth of mold or mildew, making them perfect not only for heat process equipment, but also for walls, ceilings, and duct work of processing buildings.
Insulating a Large Sugar Diffuser Easily
Illovo Sugar is the largest listed sugar and alcohol manufacturer in Africa. They were seeking a solution for insulating a rather large piece of equipment called a diffuser. The diffuser is used in the sugar manufacturing process for juice extraction of the sugar cane and the machines can be 110 ft (35 meters) to 170 ft (52 meters) long. Large equipment like this is nearly impossible to insulate effectively or economically with anything but a thermal insulation coating.
Nansulate™ Translucent PT was applied to the belly and side walls of Illovo’s diffuser at their Eston Sugar Mill in South Africa. The original operation temperature of the diffuser ranges from 90C-80C (194F-176 F). After the application of 9 coats of PT and a full curing time of 90 days the temperature on the outer skin was reduced down to between 55C-50C (131F-122 F).
Multiple Sustainable Benefits
– Surface temperature total reduction range of 30C-35C (54F-63F)
– Improved employee safety by lowering the exterior to a safe touch temperature
– Energy savings via increased efficiency of the diffuser
– Corrosion prevention and no CUI of the equipment
– Lower maintenance costs due to the longevity of the coating
– Increased equipment lifespan
Case Study Link: https://www.syneffex.com/portfolio-items/illovo-sugar-food-manufacturing/
Solutions for Sugar Mills
Beyond just the diffuser, there are many other areas in the sugar manufacturing process where thermal insulation coatings can be used to lower a company’s energy and maintenance costs. Anywhere heat processes occur, Nansulate™ thermal barrier and protective coatings can be easily spray applied to the equipment exterior while it is in operation quickly and effectively. Equipment such as steam pipes, boilers, evaporators, and processing tanks are other areas that can benefit from being insulated with the coatings.
How much “sweeter” will that energy savings be?
Industrial customers for over a decade consistently report energy savings of 10% to 25% or more with this technology, and report payback in the range of 6 – 18 months. For any manufacturer, those are numbers that definitely make Syneffex™ coatings an attractive product to use for insulation throughout their facility. Also, these coatings last from 5 to 10 years or more – greatly reducing replacement and maintenance costs.
These coatings are a “sweet” solution to help plant managers simply achieve their sustainable energy saving, safety, and carbon emission reduction goals. Many corporations are working to meet 2020 sustainability goals for improving overall factory energy efficiency, decreasing recordable incident rates (RIRs) and increasing overall employee safety, and lowering corporate carbon and greenhouse gas emissions. This technology can help achieve all those goals!
You can check out these innovative coatings at:
Nansulate™ EPX-H20: https://www.syneffex.com/product/heat-shield-epxh2o-thermal-insulation-protective-coating/
Nansulate™ Translucent PT: https://www.syneffex.com/product/translucent-pt/
