Though relatively small in stature, pumps and valves have a significant impact on efficient dairy processing. Incorporating the optimal pumps and valves is essential if processors are to minimize operating expenses while maintaining product quality.
“Designing a dairy processing system with the correct pumps and valves will save a lot of money over time due to higher efficiency and lower maintenance costs,” says David Kellin, applications engineer with Middleton, Wis.-based Fristam Pumps USA.
Selecting pumps that are the proper size for each application, for instance, helps processors avoid the use of larger-than-necessary motors, which will reduce power consumption and wear and tear while increasing component longevity, he states. The correct valves also will lower operating costs by minimizing unnecessary friction losses, Kellin adds.
Leveraging the appropriate pumps and valves also will minimize downtime, and the right valves “and well-thought-out logic” will allow the suitable amount of flow without wasted pressure loss, says Bob Garner, engineering manager for Glendale, Wis.-based Ampco Pumps Co.
The best pump and valve selections will vary in accordance with the dairy product’s characteristics and the placement of the equipment on processing lines, says Kevin Trauth, vice president of engineering for Rodem Inc., a Cincinnati-based pump and valve manufacturer.
Indeed, pumps may vary in size, type, and configuration in accordance with flow rates, pressure, viscosities, temperatures, and other variables, Kellin states.
“While a standard centrifugal pump may be perfect for pumping water-like fluids such as milk or for clean-in-place processes, processors may need a positive displacement pump to efficiently pump viscous products such as cheese curds, yogurt, or cottage cheese,” he says.
