In the competitive world of personal care product manufacturing, efficiency, waste reduction, and production uptime are critical for success.
The DCS Group, a leading manufacturer known for their innovative personal care products for top brands and their own Enliven range, faced significant challenges that were effectively addressed by implementing HPS pigging systems.
Here’s how Advanced Liquid Product Recovery (Pigging) Technology helped transform their operations.
What is Pigging?
Before we go into the details, let’s briefly explain pigging technology. Pigging refers to the process of using a specialist projectile, (the “pig”), to clear residual liquid from pipes, ensuring minimal product waste and maximising efficiency during production.
As well as the pig, other key components of pigging systems include pig detectors, pigging control systems and software, receive and launch station, pig housing, various valves, supports, fittings, pipework and more.
These systems are particularly beneficial in industries dealing with liquids and wet products, where efficient product recovery is crucial for minimising waste and enhancing productivity.
The Challenge: Moving to a New Facility
The DCS Group relocated to a new state-of-the-art facility in Redditch, UK, due to increased demand and the need for more space. The new facility offered an opportunity to overhaul their production processes, but it also came with its own set of challenges:
Long Cleaning Times: Manual cleaning between batch changes took 3-4 hours and required significant labour.
High Waste Levels: Previous methods resulted in substantial product waste and high volumes of effluent.
Operational Downtime: Extended cleaning times led to decreased production efficiency.
Effluent Disposal Limits: The new facility had strict effluent disposal limits, necessitating a more efficient waste management solution.
The Solution: Implementing HPS Pigging Systems
To address these challenges, DCS partnered with HPS Product Recovery Solutions. HPS designed, supplied, and commissioned eight automated pigging systems tailored to the exact needs and requirements of DCS.
These systems were implemented across key production lines, facilitating efficient product transfer from holding tanks to fillers and minimising waste and downtime.
Key Benefits of HPS Pigging Systems
The introduction of HPS pigging technology with automatic pigging control brought several transformative benefits to DCS:
Dramatic Reduction in Cleaning Times
Before: Manual cleaning took 3-4 hours.
After: Automated pigging reduced cleaning times to approximately 15 minutes, significantly freeing up production time and reducing labour costs.
Substantial Waste Reduction
Before: High levels of waste were generated during cleaning.
After: Waste was reduced by 93%, thanks to the effective recovery of residual product from the process pipelines.
Increased Efficiency and Reduced Downtime
Before: Frequent cleaning led to significant production downtime.
After: Faster changeovers and reduced cleaning times resulted in enhanced overall production efficiency.
Enhanced Environmental Sustainability
Before: High volumes of effluent were challenging to manage.
After: The amount of effluent was minimised, helping DCS stay within disposal limits and improve their environmental footprint.
Ease of Use and Maintenance
The HPS systems are user-friendly, require minimal maintenance, and are designed to be almost self-sufficient, allowing DCS staff to focus on other critical tasks.
REAL-WORLD IMPACT
The implementation of HPS pigging systems has had a profound impact on the liquid processing operations at DCS:
Faster Sanitisation: Cleaning now takes around 15 minutes, a significant reduction from the previous 2-3 hours.
Reduced Washout Times: Washout times have decreased by an estimated 83%.
Minimized Waste: Waste has been reduced by 93%, providing both environmental and financial benefits.
Nick Alcock, Engineering Manager at DCS, praised the system, stating, “It’s a real win for us, everything just works!”
The new facility now offers improved production efficiency, lower waste, and greater capacity for future expansion.
Future-Proofing Production Facilities
Implementing HPS pigging systems is not just a solution for immediate challenges; it’s an investment in the future.
For DCS, the new facility equipped with HPS technology is now well-positioned to handle increased demand and future growth.
The advanced liquid product recovery technology allows for scalability, ensuring that as production volumes increase, the systems can be adjusted and expanded accordingly.
This future-proofing capability is essential for maintaining competitiveness and staying ahead in the fast-paced personal care product market.
Industry-Leading Support and Training
HPS is renowned not only for its advanced technology but also for its exceptional customer support and aftercare.
When DCS implemented their pigging systems, HPS provided comprehensive training to ensure that the staff could operate the systems efficiently and safely.
Ongoing support and maintenance services ensure that the systems continue to perform optimally, addressing any issues promptly and minimising downtime. This level of support is crucial for maintaining long-term operational success and maximizing the benefits of the pigging systems.
Read the full case study – Product Recovery (Pigging) Case Study on the DCS Group.
Find Out More
The DCS Group’s success story illustrates the powerful impact of HPS pigging systems on manufacturing efficiency and waste reduction.
By implementing advanced liquid product recovery technology, companies like DCS can achieve significant operational improvements and environmental benefits. Additionally, the pigging system payback and ROI is extremely quick, making it a smart choice for businesses seeking to optimise their processes.
Interested in learning more about the benefits of pigging for your organisation? Contact us to find out how we can enhance your production processes and boost your efficiency.