Inline Blending Systems Curated for Precise and Repeatable Blended End Products
Placer Process has years of experienced created specialized custom process systems for various food and beverage industries including dairy, winery, brewery, cannabis, and alternative foods application. In these industries, the product consistency and accuracy are often crucial to the process operation because they have specific nutrition label that they would have to comply with. In addition, some of the minor ingredients are of high value that it should be monitored and blended accurately.
Batch Versus Inline Blending System
There are a few options for blending systems whether it is a batch or inline blending system. Placer Process has designed and built either blending system options depending on the application, accuracy, and throughput requirements. In a 24/7 process manufacturing facility, our customers prefer the choice of inline blending system because of the automation of each ingredient injection, accuracy, minimal operator interruption, and continuous process that allows the downstream holding tanks and fillers to process the product at their optimum capacity.
What is Placer Process Inline Blending System?
Placer Process blending system is a flow based multi-stream inline blending system designed based on the design parameters for precision and repeatable blended products. We offer systems with high accuracy mass flow meters for high accuracy and repeatable blending needs or a combination of flow meter technology for a more cost-efficient blending system with a more relaxed tolerance.
Placer Process inline blending system is incorporating the major ingredient and micro ingredients. Our system is integrated with control system and automation specialized for each process. The various parameters offered from each ingredient stream such as flow, density, and/or temperature are important measurements which correlates to automatically calculating the blending ratio of the water, alcohol, sweetener, flavors, essences, syrup, CO2, and other parameters that are important to the blending process. It allows the product to be made on the go for a more continuous process.
Other options to consider for improved accuracy of the process is the technology of the pumps and control valves to be used on each ingredient stream. Placer Process team carefully designed these systems and balance the need for accuracy, cost, and flexibility. We acknowledge our customers’ need may change from time to time and the recipes can often have varying amount of ingredients needed to be injected. Our team take into considerations of specifications received from the customers’ quality control (QC), product development, and manufacturing team. We thoughtfully recognize the accuracy, rangeability, and expandability of the system for your current and future process demand.
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Contact us to arrange a call or meeting to discuss your sanitary process needs and find out how our solutions can improve quality and safety, while reducing production downtime.
The Features of Placer Process Inline Blending System
Placer Process inline blending system is designed with the customers in mind and customized for each application. We also incorporated the latest and excellent features beneficial to meet your blending project goals, such as:
- Standardization with sanitary components to allow cleanable process via CIP and mitigate risk of harborage point
- Stainless steel is the standard sanitary product contact surface. Alternative materials are available upon request
- Automatic injection of multi-stream ingredients can be supplied with mass flow meters (for more accurate option) or other flow meter technology (for more cost-efficient option)
- Each ingredient stream is monitored continuously
- Ingredients, sweetener, and flavors may come from customers’ existing bulk ingredient tank or a smaller day tank. These can be built into the blending system as needed
- Reducing the need of manually operated blender and hence reduced operating cost
- A more consistent, accurate, and repeatable end product as each ingredient stream is monitored with flow meter and controlled with automated injection valve.
- Allowing handling of the volatile ingredients local to the blending system which produce a less volatile blended product. This improves operating speed and maximize the filler productivity
- Optional carbon dioxide and nitrogen injection for carbonated drink application
- Optional steam injection for SIP, other heating, or additional sanitation functionality
- Water dearation option for reduced oxygen and nitrogen level in the blended product
- Product chilling option for cold-fill product or temperature sensitive product
- Improved sanitary design with CIP-able components and a connection point ready for tie-in to the customer’s clean-in-place system
- The system is equipped with control panel and can have a separate touch screen or integrated with your existing touch screen for operator access
- Mobile design of the system can be considered depending on the size of the system
- Alarms, stand-by, and shut-down option for out of spec of process issue upstream or downstream
- Optional datalogging functionality, such as for mass flow meter, totalizer, temperature, flow rate, Brix, and other available sensor data information within the system
- Automated changeover and rinses can be added for multiproduct and multi filler applications
- The totalizer function allows automated cut-off based on total volume or mass
- Placer Process blending system can be upgraded post initial installation as the production need or variety or recipe changes
The Advantages of Placer Process Inline Blending System
Highlight of benefits of incorporating inline blending system is as follows:
- Simplify the processing operation which results in cost and time savings with a more automated inline injection, product push, intermediate rinses, and cleaning (CIP) of each ingredient stream either separately or consecutively
- Increased accuracy and repeatability as the multi-stream inline blender allows accurate inline injection of multiple streams of ingredients, sweetener, and flavors
- Minimize waste as the inline blending only supply the amount of syrup, water, flavors, essences, gasses, and other ingredients needed
- Reduce the need of reprocessing due to off-spec product
- Increase production time due to quicker flavor change process, and
- Optimize the use of the flavors, essences, gasses, or other high-cost ingredients. The controls, process components, and instrumentations allows flexible adjustment of the ingredient ratio, mass, or volume required that the system can quickly react to the changes or updates of specifications from the quality control and product development team
- Placer Process team can offer recommendation of changes to achieve optimum processing results in the manufacturing settings. Your team will be benefitted from our experience-based insights and practical design and installation of process systems in the manufacturing environment
Placer Process experienced team can help you for specific process needs, such as the design and fabrication of inline blending system. Alternatively, our team can be your one-stop-shop for your process and utility system design, system fabrication, equipment and piping installation, and start-up support for upstream and downstream processing. We have designed processes from receiving, bulk ingredient storage, batching tanks, ingredient handling, fermentation, separation technology, centrifugation, filtration, high shear mixing, pasteurization, HTST, aseptic processing, blending system, CIP system, holding tank, and filler installation. We can also help you with the utility such as process water, steam, condensate, hot water, cold water, hot and cold glycol, compressed air, and nitrogen system.
Why Work with Placer Process on Your Alternative Specialty Food and Beverage Project?
Due to our years of experience, Placer Process can be your go-to partner for all of your specialty alternative food and beverage plant’s mechanical, process and utility system needs. We work with food and beverage operations to modernize, retrofit, upgrade, and expand existing plant systems, ensuring minimal disruption and downtime, while always completing our project On Time, On Budget, and On Task.
Our focus on People, Products, and the Planet ensure that all our work is in alignment with your expectations for a strategic partner, your project needs, and your core values.
When you work with Placer Process you can expect:
- Our well-seasoned project managers are involved from design to installation to any follow-up and support needs.
- Our strength in Engineering and Design as the foundation of our projects
- Tremendous breadth of experience and capability, based our combined years of work in in the specialty alternative food and beverage industry
- Dedicated field labor skills to get your project vision accomplished
- Our commitment to innovation and best practices to be embedded in every project
- Our projects are client focused and bottom line oriented