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DAIRY INDUSTRY SELF CLEANING FILTERS
Our Spiroclean Filters are designed specifically for use in dairy applications, as they are built to sanitary design standards.
Hygienic
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Spiroclean filters are designed in accordance with EHEDG (European Hygienic Engineering Design Group) hygienic design standards
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All internal and external elements in contact with fluid are MOCA certified (European Regulation 1935/2004 for materials intended to come into contact with food)
Self Cleaning
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The self cleaning feature means that plant operators do not need to carry out manual cleaning or change filter bags
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There is no production downtime, production continues during the filter cleaning step
Modular
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A range of flow capacities to suit any process.
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Our self cleaning filters are often used to replace existing bag filters or screen filters, to reduce the need to periodically open and clean these existing filters.
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Easily integrated into existing or new plant, with a small footprint.
Applications
Removal of particulate matter from liquid processing flows
This filter removes suspended solids from a liquid flow that are greater than the filtration grade/size. The resultant product has suspended solids removed, with a discharge of the solids portion to waste. This is a useful process to protect downstream equipment.
Whey Separation
Removal of coarse solids before whey cream separation, avoiding increased sludge and unbalancing in the separator.
Pre-filtration before whey ultrafiltration
Removing larger particles before whey ultrafiltration results in greater flux rates and longer run times. Using a self cleaning filter means that this pre-filtration step can be carried out in line, and without imposing any stoppages on the feed flow for filter cleaning.
CIP solution re-use
CIP solution can pick up significant levels of TSS during a cleaning cycle. These can be removed by a self cleaning filter, allowing for subsequent re-use of the caustic solution. There is significant savings achieved through CIP re-use (chemicals, heat, CIP disposal costs, etc.).
Cheese Brine Filtration
Removal of the contaminants that build up in cheese brine will extend the useful life of the brine. Our self cleaning filters are often used in a 'kidney system' arrangement , filtering a portion of the brine. The microbial load will be reduced, and the consistency of the brine improved. A self cleaning filter followed by ultrafiltration is an even more complete treatment.
Upgrade of existing bag or cartridge filters
Where existing filters are in place, upgrading to a self cleaning filter has the advantage of not needing plant operators to change filter bags or cartridges. There is a safety aspect in some cases, self cleaning filters eliminating the risk when the product is hot or a chemical. Self cleaning filters require no process downtime for filter changes.
Technical Details
Mode of operation:
The Elfi Spiroclean self cleaning filter operates as follows. The feed flow enters a cylindrical filtration chamber, where particulate matter is deposited on the surface of the filter media. When fouling causes the pressure drop across the filter surface to reach a pre-defined set point, rotating scrapers are automatically started. These rotating scrapers remove the particulates, transferring them to a discharge chamber at the base of the filter housing. The solids are then discharged to drain. A key benefit of this type of filter is that there is no interruption to forward flow during the discharge step. Additionally, as the self cleaning and discharge mechanism is fully automated, there is no additional workload or involvement from plant operators.
The Spiroclean filter is a compact unit, and is an easy addition in line to existing plant.
Flowrates
Up to 100 m3/hr with a single filter. Higher flowrates use multiple filters in parallel.
Degree of filtration
From 50 microns up to 2000 microns
Filter media
AISI316 stainless steel
Smaller apertures are laser micro-perforated
Filtration area
Spiroclean 20: 2000 cm2
Spiroclean 30: 3000 cm2
Spiroclean 45: 4500 cm2
Spiroclean 60: 6000 cm2
Standards
The product complies with Regulation (EC) 1935/2004 on materials and articles intended to come into contact with food (MOCA). This recognition confirms the product’s compliance with European food safety regulations.
Spiroclean filters are designed in accordance with EHEDG (European Hygienic Engineering Design Group) hygienic design standards.
Case Studies
Caustic Recovery
One recent installation at a large New Zealand dairy factory was for removing impurities from a used caustic solution, before recovery and re-use of the caustic. The used caustic can pick up a relatively high level of total suspended solids during the cleaning operations.
Reductions of 80 - 90% of the TSS have been observed.
Having a self cleaning filter also means that plant operators do not need to open and clean a static filter, which is hazardous due to dealing with the chemicals held up in the housing.
The investment payback from caustic recovery systems is short, given the savings in chemical use, reduction in wastewater costs, and retained heat energy.
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Whey Processing
Dairy factories find great benefit in using Elfi Spiroclean filters for pre-filtration during whey processing, upstream of whey ultrafiltration plants. Removal of larger particles before the whey reaches the UF means that the membrane filter is operating in the way it is intended – protein separation. Without effective pre-filtration the UF is in many cases also removing the debris, which reduces the effectiveness of its core protein separation function. Removing the larger particles upstream of the UF results in less fouling of the ultrafiltration membrane, and subsequently longer production runs with better flux stability.
Not needing to open the filter housing for cleaning also means that there is no microbial risk from having an exposed point in the production process.
Cheese Brine
The 50 micron self cleaning filter can either be used as several ways with cheese brine.
As a single step process, the filtration is done as a ‘kidney system’, drawing off a portion of the brine and returning it to the brine bath once filtered. There is a reduction of particulate matter such as cheese fines and protein aggregates from the brine. This results in cleaner brine, which indirectly lowers the overall bacteria load, and allows for a longer brine life.
Alternatively the 50 micron filtration step can be used upstream of a finer filtration process such as microfiltration. In this case the self cleaning filter will reduce the solids load of the brine, allowing the microfiltration step to operate more effectively in directly removing microorganisms.