Eyes on the future? A New Innovation leads the way on increased Capacity and Yield.

Eyes on the future?

A New Innovation leads the way on increased Capacity and Yield.

Global demand for the outputs of Animal By-Product Processing/Rendering is on an upward scale, so Rendering Plant stakeholders need to look at the most efficient way to meet this increased demand with the latest state-of-the-art technologies available to maximise their own possibilities and markets.  Factors such as a global focus on sustainability requiring an increase in requirements for Tallow as a feedstock for Renewable Diesel, and a worldwide increase in pet ownership brought on by lockdowns/isolation around the world enabling higher production requirements of Processed Animal Protein (PAP) and Meat and Bone Meal (MBM) for pet food.  As a result, many Renderers have unprecedented demand to fill and across the industry, innovative solutions need to be found.

To implement any expansion/new development currently, with the aim to ensure the greatest Return on Investment (ROI) can be realised, the starting point should be the main equipment within the Animal By-Product Rendering Process and ensuring that the optimum duty and Key Performance Indictors (KPI’s) are suitable for the business plan.  Given that the purpose of the Rendering process is the separation of tallow/fats from the solids, the Rendering Press would be a key element for any existing or potential Rendering Plant decision maker.

All Screw Presses are designed to mechanically separate solids and liquids.  In a Rendering Application this applies to separating the tallows/fats/lipids (Liquids) from the Meat and Bone Meal/Animal Protein Meal (Solids).  As the material is fed into the Press and moves along the machine, there is a reduction in volume between the screw shaft/flights and a strainer cage which causes an increase in pressure on the solids.  This forces the liquids through the gaps in the strainer cage before being collected in the base of the Screw Press and transported via a collecting screw.  The remaining solids are then discharged out of the end of the Press Cage.

If a Screw Press is not configured correctly, most specifically the Screw Outfit and the Cage Lining, then there is a high likelihood of tallow/fat losses within the Processed Animal Protein (PAP)/Meat and Bone Meal (MBM) since the residual tallow/fat will remain in the meal and not be recovered.  Various factors around the feedstocks can affect the efficiency of the tallow/fat extraction (moisture, temperature, solids content etc.), however in general anything above 12% would be considered high within the industry.

New Direction for Increased Demand

Up until recent times, the only solution to increasing the throughput on a plant being to add extra Screw Presses – the models that have been around for the past 30-40 years were all rated at around 8-10 Metric Tonnes (17,637 to 22,046 Lbs) per Hour.  However, by utilising more than 150 years of experience in mechanical engineering and screw pressing applications, and calling on the know-how from supplying over 1000 Presses across all applications, HF Press+LipidTech have developed the new SP280R Screw Press which offers the opportunity for Renderers to process up to 50% higher throughput on a single machine – creating an optimised solution from both a Capital and Operating Cost analysis, with the added benefit of a lower overall footprint.

TBN Zweckverband Tierkörperbeseitigung Nordbayern in Walsdorf, Germany recently installed a SP280R Screw Press to replace a machine they had operated since 1988 as part of an expansion and optimisation project.  This machine had been a major bottleneck for their aims however with the same feedstock(s) as they have always processed, they managed to achieve the following results:

An increase in throughput of 50% of Semi-Dried Product from the Dryer

• A reduction in residual fat/tallow in the Meat and Bone Meal of over 2%
• With the increase in throughput and the reduction in residual tallow, their overall tallow yield has increased by over 60%
• A project payback that can be measured in months rather than years
• Their annual maintenance costs have decreased by 30% on average, combined with a reduced load on their maintenance team

Benefitting from the same robust design principles as the previous model, the SP280R Rendering Press is capable of pressing up to 17 Metric Tonnes (37,480 Lbs) per Hour of raw material or slaughterhouse waste, which can equate to 6.5 Metric Tonnes (14,330 Lbs) of dried semi-finished product.  This is all achieved with a footprint only 50% higher than the traditional models, with the operating cost significantly lower per tonne.

In addition, to achieving the main goals of ambitious Renderers, the SP280R also offers the following features/benefits which are key to HF Press+LipidTech technical solution to Screw Presses:

 Proven Screw Pressing Technology from the SP Series for processing dried semi-finished product – Feedstocks into Rendering Plants can be very variable with differing compositions of moisture, solids, bone mix and fibre, however with over 1000 Screw Presses in operation across numerous processes across the multitude of SP Screw Press Models available across different industries, as part of the same family the SP280R will benefit from this vast experience of feedstocks no matter what the composition. With numerous different screw configurations available, a Renderers Tallow/Fat yield can be maximised with any Animal By-Product mix.

• Simple design for easy operation – With plant operability at the forefront of the thinking, all the Pressing Components are fixed around a single, rotating shaft reducing the risk of failures and breakages.
• Special self-centring, free floating shaft – Uniquely designed to cope with the demands of variable feedstocks, the SP280R benefits from the flexibility to centre itself during operation.
• Optimum access for Maintenance/Inspection – Knowing the intricacies of what is happening within their operation is the goal for any ambitious Renderer. With 360° Access Points for Inspection and Maintenance both in operation and shut-down, the SP280R allows Maintenance Schedules to be adhered to and planned correctly.
• Advanced hard facing technology – Every hour and day that a Screw Press is in operation is contributing to a Renderers profitability and reputation, so as with all SP Series Presses the SP280R comes fitted with wear parts that are up to 100% hard faced extending the production time available between planned maintenance to industry leading levels.
• Unique mechanical design to connect to the drive system – The SP280R comes equipped with a special shear pin and safety coupling arrangement to protect the integrity of both the shaft and drive.
• Latest developments in High-Efficiency Drives – With Electrical costs globally continually fluctuating, Renderers would benefit from the power efficiency offered by the proven belt-driven, frequency inverter compatible drive system provided with the SP280R resulting in lower operating costs per tonne of production.
• Inline Monitoring of the Screw Press – Automation is proving ever beneficial to plant operators and allows efficient data collection and trends to be analysed, all of which can assist with preventative maintenance planning and process optimisation. The SP280R allows for a series of parameters and measurements to be taken while the Press is operation, in addition to several safety points to prevent harm to personnel.
• Hydraulic Foots Shearing Device – With the aim of protecting the downstream equipment, the SP280R can also be supplied with a Hydraulicly operated Foots Shearing Device to break away any large fragments of Greaves/Cake before they pass over to the Fat Filtrators.

Be Proactive, Be Preventative

The old saying ‘If you don’t schedule your maintenance, it will schedule it for you’ doesn’t ring truer than in many more industries that the Rendering Industry.  With the high solid content in most feedstocks, what starts as a small amount of wear can soon escalate into an inefficient, or even worse, unusable Screw Press.  Therefore, it is important to have a robust, regular inspection schedule backed up by a reliable supply chain to keep a Renderers production ability up with their demand.

Conclusion

Given the rise in demand is forecast to increase year on year for the foreseeable future, forward thinking Renderers need to be considering all options about how they are going to stay at the forefront of their customers minds.  Those who have the flexibility to take on extra collections or deliveries, while still maintaining or exceeding their market standards, will only have an ever-growing reputation.

Robert Schuster, Operations and Technical Manager of TBN Zweckverband Tierkörperbesichtung Nordbayern states:- ‘The SP280R has helped us increase our yield and profitability, alongside the durability that we require from our machines to keep up with our demand.  It has been instrumental in helping us stay one step ahead of the competition.

By combining the forward thinking, development mindset that is part of HF Press+LipidTech’s fabric with the best-in-class engineering know-how, the SP280R Screw Press continues to be a valued and key component for ambitious Renderers.