In today’s liquid product manufacturing landscape, the ability to produce multiple products on a single production line is no longer a luxury but a necessity. However, this flexibility comes with its own set of challenges, particularly when it comes to changeovers.
Manufacturers constantly seek new ways to streamline these processes, minimize waste, and maintain product quality.
Liquid product recovery, often referred to as pigging systems, offer a practical solution to many of the hurdles that manufacturers from a wide range of industries experience during product transitions.
Understanding Changeover Complexities
Product changeovers in liquid manufacturing can be resource intensive and time-consuming. The primary concerns include:
- Cross-contamination risks between different products.
- Significant product loss during line cleaning.
- Extended downtime for cleaning.
- High water and cleaning agent consumption.
These issues not only impact productivity but also affect product quality and operational costs. For many manufacturers, finding an efficient way to manage these changeovers is crucial for maintaining competitiveness in a market that demands both variety and efficiency.
How Pigging Systems Streamline Changeovers
HPS Advanced Liquid Product Recovery (Pigging) Technology offers a sophisticated yet straightforward approach to addressing these challenges. At its core, pigging involves sending a specialist projectile, known as a “pig”, through the pipelines to recover residual product.
This method of product recovery offers several key benefits:
- Maximized Product Recovery: HPS pigging systems recover up to 99.5% of residual product from pipelines, significantly reducing waste.
- Reduced Cross-Contamination Risks: By thoroughly clearing lines between batches, the risk of product mixing is greatly reduced.
- Faster Turnaround Times: Changeover duration can be cut by hours, increasing overall production capacity.
- Lower Resource Usage: The need for cleaning water and chemicals is substantially reduced, leading to cost savings and improved sustainability.
- Enhanced Flexibility: Quicker changeovers allow for more agile production scheduling, enabling manufacturers to respond more effectively to market demand.
- Eliminates the Need for Multiple Dedicated Lines: Pigging enables fast, efficient changeovers with significant waste reduction, meaning most lines can be used for different products.
Optimizing Pigging for Different Product Types
While pigging systems offer significant advantages, their effectiveness can be further enhanced by tailoring the approach to specific product characteristics and production requirements.
HPS offers custom-designed pigging systems that meet each client’s unique requirements and aims, as well as different types of pigging systems that are suitable for use in specific applications.
The HPS pig is also designed to optimize pigging processes, featuring full-body contact, flexibility, and a magnetized yet flexible silicone core.
The full-body contact and flexibility of the HPS pig enable product recovery rates of up to 99.5% from full pipelines, even around 1.5D bends. The lack of fins, wipers, or blades and the simple profile of the pig reduce the risk of product contamination and improve the effectiveness of clean-in-place (CIP) procedures.
The magnetized silicone core improves the reliability and safety of pigging operations. Detectable with the HPS AccuTect pig detector, there are no solid magnets inside the pig that are capable of shattering, contaminating product and damaging lines.
The Impact on Multi-Product Manufacturing
Implementing HPS Advanced Liquid Product Recovery (Pigging) Technology transforms changeover processes for multi-product manufacturers. The ability to swiftly and efficiently transition between products allows for greater production flexibility, reduced operational costs, and improved sustainability practices.
Moreover, the significant reduction in product loss and contamination risk translates to higher quality output and better resource utilisation. This not only improves the bottom line but also aligns with growing consumer and regulatory demands for more sustainable manufacturing practices.
As the manufacturing industry continues to evolve towards greater product diversity and operational efficiency, pigging systems offer a practical and effective solution to the challenges of product changeovers. By adopting this technology and optimizing it for specific production needs, manufacturers can stay competitive in an increasingly complex market landscape, meeting consumer demands for variety without compromising on efficiency or quality.
Find Out More
HPS Product Recovery Solutions is the world’s leading provider of Advanced Liquid Product Recovery (Pigging) Technology for manufacturers of liquid and wet products. Pigging technology aids companies in recovering up to 99.5% of residual product from pipelines, increasing yields and improving operations.
You can discover more about pigging and improved changeovers by reading these articles:
- How Do Pigging Systems Reduce Changeover Times in Liquid Processing
- How to Increase Production Capacity in Liquid Processing
To find out more about pigging, contact our experts today!