1A Goodsons Mews, Wellington Street, Thame, OX9 3BX
1A Goodsons Mews, Wellington Street, Thame, OX9 3BX
Personal Care
An international biotechnology company was interested in increasing their overall production without adding tanks, and at the same time reducing the number of tanks they utilise in their existing batch process. They turned to Alfa Laval for a potential solution.
Previously, the company utilized an arsenal of mixing tanks, ranging from 50 to 600 litres, for their biologically based end product, which requires continuous mixing as product gently flows to the final filling stage. Typically, one tank size was used for each unique batch, yet after discussions with Alfa Laval as well as their own independent testing, the customer quickly realized that they could increase their overall plant production and optimize their existing batch production by upgrading their mixing capabilities with Alfa Laval.
Upon thorough analysis of the customer’s process, it was found that 20% of their valuable end product was needlessly wasted. This waste stemmed directly from the use of bottom-mounted magnetic mixers, which necessitated halting operations while 15-20% of product remained in the tank bottom. Attempts to continuously mix and drain led to the creation of a disruptive vortex, damaging mixer bearings and causing immediate friction. Additionally, the existing mixer lacked flexibility in speed control, being constrained to a minimum of 100 RPM to prevent bearing damage.
Continuous &
Gentle Mixing
Reduce
Waste
Increased
Flexibility
Following the evaluation, the recommendation was made to utilise a six-inch magnetic levitated mixer from Alfa Laval, which was subsequently tested in one of the customer’s 100-liter tanks. Upon installation, the benefits of the levitated mixer became evident.
Running at speeds below 100 RPM eliminated bearing contact and allowed the tank to continuously mix while draining. Most significantly, the 100-litre tank achieved nearly 100% yield, effectively recovering almost all previously wasted product volume. This ability to recover 100% yield enabled the customer to use a single tank for each unique batch, irrespective of tank volume, thus reducing the number of tanks required for the batch process.
Moreover, the Alfa Laval Magnetic Mixer boasts a uniquely angled and optimised impeller design, delivering gentle, low-shear agitation to preserve the integrity of even the most delicate products – a crucial factor for the customer’s sensitive products.
The Alfa Laval LeviMag® is an aseptic magnetic mixer that uses a patented levitating impeller and advanced design to mix down to the last drop and maximize product yield. Compact, energy-efficient, and easy to maintain, the magnetic mixer is perfect for dairy, food, beverage and other applications with demanding requirements for hygienic production.
Relying solely on the 100% yield mixing outcomes, the customer promptly acquired two mixers for their 100-liter tanks. With subsequent batches affirming consistent results, they proceeded to purchase three more mixers.
The return on investment for the new mixers was nearly instantaneous, taking less than a week. The customer estimated a 20% increase in product recovery for a 100-liter tank, equating to an additional 20,000 ml of mixed product. This translated to savings ranging from $0.05 to $1 per ml of product (depending on the specific product), totaling up to $20,000 per batch, per day. As the mixers were also deployed in larger tanks ranging from 500 to 600 liters, the recovery and subsequent return were even more substantial.
With operational and product savings amounting to thousands of dollars daily, the customer’s satisfaction was such that they decided to enhance two of their U.S. facilities by installing 19 additional mixers.