Electricity and Control April 2022

COVER ARTICLE

When the heat gets hot in the process

T he production processes at the Belgian company Cosucra are diverse, beginning in the field and ending in the clean room. Which means the company has to deal with everything from sand-contaminated raw materials to the strict hygiene guidelines of EC 1935/2004. VEGAPULS C 21 keeps its cool to ensure reliable operation in the rotating filter. Cosucra was founded in 1852 in Warcoing, in the Walloon region of Picardy, and was originally involved in sugar production. Over the past twenty years, the group has become a leader in the production of plant-based natural ingredients. Derived from chicory and peas, its products are supplied to food and nutritional health markets worldwide. The production process starts in the fields where the chicory and peas grow. The raw materials, to which initially a lot of sand and dirt adhere, are processed in total compliance with hygiene regulations. “Our production site has every kind of challenging environment. The processes are either outdoors or in the clean room, dusty or aggressive; processes that operate under positive pressure or negative pressure; and in some processes we have to deal with strong vibration or an ATEX environment,” says Vincent Vercamst, Maintenance Manager in the electrical and instrumentation department at Cosucra. Under these conditions, VEGAPULS C 21 ensures the proper functioning of a key element in the process, the rotating filter. Hot processes require robust sensors With measuring instruments like VEGASON, VEGACAP, VEGADIF, VEGABAR or VEGATOR, VEGA has been helping to ensure reliable production at the Warcoing plant for over 25 years. “An unbeatable price/performance ratio, low maintenance, high long-term reliability and incredible robustness,” says Vercamst, summarising the reasons that tipped the scales in favour of the ‘sensors from Schiltach’. New – from the beginning of 2021 – is the compact radar level transmitter VEGAPULS C 21. It is used in the process producing inulin. This process is divided into the following steps: washing – grinding – filtering – evaporation – bagging and storage. Process temperatures of up to 90°C are completely normal.

Deployment in the rotary filter A rotary filter rotates in a trough filled with water and sand, which is sucked up at the circumference of the filter with the help of a vacuum pump. The vacuum pump runs during the entire sand collection process. The trough is emptied and then filled again with product ready to be filtered. The VEGA sensor first measures

the distance between the sensor and the empty filter – this is basically the zero point. During the filtration process, VEGAPULS C 21 continuously measures the thickness of the sand layer on the outer side of the rotating filter. With this data the sand thickness in the critical area will be constantly checked. In the past, there were recurring problems with sand stability, which resulted in high costs. Now, with the VEGA sensor, the filtration process can be controlled very precisely. Radar replaces visual monitoring The big advantage of VEGAPULS C 21 is that it delivers exact measuring results without effect from the medium or the process and ambient conditions. Besides the 80-GHz radar technology, it is mainly the optimised signal processing that enables the sensor

to deliver reliable measured values virtually around the clock. The sensor is also so small that it can be installed almost anywhere. And Coscura was able to install the new sensor quickly thanks to Bluetooth and the intuitive adjustment structure. Bluetooth makes everything much easier – set up, display of readings and diagnostics – especially when the sensor is installed in a harsh environment, in an Ex area or at a measuring site that is difficult to access. □

Above: Mechanical protections in place on the rotary filter.

Left: The sand-coated rotary filter in operation.

For more information contact VEGA. Tel: +27 (0)11 795 3249 Email: info.za@vega.com Visit: www.vega.com/en-za

Preparation of the sand layer on the rotary filter.

APRIL 2022 Electricity + Control

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