Danish dairy Vellev, part of the Arla Group, has improved its working environment and efficiency by installing Invensys APV's Ws+ self priming pump at its dairy plant in Jutland.
Set in the heart of Jutland, Arla's Vellev Dairy specialises in the production of yellow luxury cheese concentrating on two special cheeses: the Cave Cheese and the Sea Cheese.
Arla Foods has been focusing on improving the working environment at this plant, and when Dagny Lange, operating manager of the Vellev Dairy, started to consider renewing the plant's pumps, she decided that APV's offering provided the solution to a specific environmental issue: noise pollution.
A unique advantage of APV's Ws+ self priming pump is its low noise level. This is due to the open impeller design, which compares favourably with traditional self priming pumps that are based on closed impeller principle.
With the installation of APV's Ws+ self priming pump the noise level dropped from 85 dB(A), to 82 dB(A) which corresponds to a 50 per cent reduction. (In both cases, the background noise level was approximately 80 dB(A).)
Previously, operators working close to pumps had been disturbed by the distinctive high frequency noise they emitted. This noise was eliminated when the Ws+ pump was introduced for emptying water and whey from cheese vats.
Due to the higher capacity of the Ws+ pump, it is only necessary to operate four minutes twice hourly compared to the previous running time of up to 10 minutes twice hourly.
According to Lange: "The most important benefit is not the measured reduction of the noise level, but the fact that the overall working environment has significantly improved in the cheese production unit."
Lange has now ordered her second Ws+ and has recommended the WS+ pump to other Arla dairies.
Invensys is a global leader in production technology and energy management. The group helps customers improve their performance and profitability using services and technologies and a deep understanding of their industries and applications.
Invensys Production Management works closely with customers in order to drive up performance of their production assets, maximise their return on investments in production technologies and remove cost and cash from their whole supply chain. The division includes APV, Avantis, Baan, Eurotherm, Foxboro, SIMSCI/Esscor, Triconex and Wonderware. These businesses address process and batch industries - including the oil, gas and chemicals, food, beverage and personal health care - and the discrete and hybrid manufacturing sectors.