LFP - Large-Format-Printing
Half a million Euro savings by VecoFlux sugar screens
Wednesday 10. June 2009 - Many sugar factories are improving their efficiency by using special screens from Stork Veco in their continuous centrifuges. Tiense Sugar Refinary in Belgium explains how Stork VecoFlux screens are boosting their business as well as decreasing costs.
No less than 11,000 tons of sugar beet are processed every day at Tiense Suikerraffinaderij NV in the heart of Belgium. Stork Veco, part of Stork Prints, supports the refinery in achieving maximum efficiency using high-grade screen segments.
Tiense Suikerraffinaderij is part of the Südzucker AG group, the world´s largest producer of sugar. The refinery produces sugar from sugar beet. An important part of the production process is separating the sugar crystals from the syrup, which forms a single mass after the boiling process. The mixture contains approximately 55% sugar crystals and 45% syrup, which are separated in a centrifuge. Screen segments in the centrifuge ensure that gothe sugar crystals remain at the inside of the screen, while the syrup is removed through the holes in the screen segments.
Good balance
“For us it is of great economic importance that as little sugar as possible is lost,” explains Ir. Dirk Ruytings, Head of Crystallisation of Tiense Suikerraffinaderij. “We aim to make sure that as few sugar crystals as possible pass through the screen with the syrup. This means that the holes in the screen need to be small enough to keep back as many sugar crystals as possible. But at the same time a screen must have a sufficiently large open area so that the syrup can pass through easily and quickly. At the beginning of the 1980s, after investigating the market, we came to the conclusion that Stork Veco offered the best balance between these requirements.
Innovation
The very long-term relationship with Stork Veco is not only attributable to the quality of the screen segments. “The service is also excellent”, according to Marcel Cabergs, who is responsible for maintenance at the refinery in Tienen. “If there are any problems, Stork Veco always does its very best to solve them as quickly as possible. Another important factor is the very short delivery times. If a screen stops working unexpectedly for any reason, it is almost always possible to supply a new one from stock. In addition Stork Veco is also prepared, and able, to produce special screen segments and a made-to-measure basis for our specific requirements.” The fact that Stork Veco devotes a lot of effort to innovation is also appreciated. Ruytings: “Working together with us, Stork Veco is constantly looking for further improvements. Each year without fail we get a new prototype to test. We are glad to co-operate, because every improvement is welcome. Even if major improvements are probably unlikely, because these are already the best screen segments that are available.”
Efficiency improvement
Constant research into product and process improvement led in 1984 to the development of the VecoFlux screen segments. A unique electroforming process allows the holes in the screen segments to be made so small that they keep back even the smallest sugar crystals, while at the same time achieving a ´very large open area. Through these factors, as well as the conical shape of the holes and the smooth surface of the screen, the syrup is removed quickly and blockages are avoided. Tiense Suikerraffinaderij is one of the first users. Ruytings: ´The VecoFlux segments have given us a significant improvement in efficiency. No other supplier can provide us with screens of this quality. Depending on the production period and the quality of the raw materials, it means yearly savings of around half a million Euro for our refinery.”