One of Italy’s leading ice cream and gateaux manufacturers, who is active in over 120 countries, was looking for a safer container handling system. The company is renowned for its innovative strength for new products, and for training ice cream masters at its own international school of ice cream. Alongside innovation, the company focus lies on top quality products and ethics with respect to employees and the preservation of resources. For this reason, the company has chosen the URESH double pigging system.
Initial situation: Filling with a container
Previously, the products were transported from the mixer to the filling system by means of container systems. The containers are manually connected with valves, screw fittings and hoses. After emptying, it is necessary to sterilise all components a time-consuming process. If a cleaned container is not used again immediately, the washing process must be repeated to prevent any contamination. For this reason, container handling systems are not safe!
Requirements: Automation of the filling process
The catalogue of requirements was generated together with TeknaParma srl:
• Minimal cleaning work and maximum plant availability/utilisation
• Optimum use of resources and avoidance of production wastes
• Highest hygiene and GMP requirements with corresponding documentation
• Maximum production reliability through a closed and automated system
Solution: Closed double pigging system
The new hygienic pigging system from URESH is fully-automated and vastly improves the filling and
cleaning process. The product is located inside a closed system and is not contaminated. Driven by
water, the URESH pigs run through the pipes, which are DN 65 thick and up to 60 metres long, and in
doing so expel all ice cream present inside the pipes. 2 parallel filling systems are connected. The ice cream contained in the pipes can be 100% processed, thanks to the pig.
Result: Hygiene and efficiency
Thanks to the fully-automated system from URESH, the company can reconfigure its systems for different products within a very short time. The arduous cleaning process, which required a number of hours, is superfluous; likewise the periodic replacement or maintenance of the valves and hoses. The closed double pigging system increases the system availability and flexibility. Thanks to the URESH double pigging system, the company has increased the number of batches it produces from 4 to 12 per day. Consequently, it is also possible to produce multiple smaller batches in succession. The highest hygiene requirements, such as CE 1935/2004 and GMP, are satisfied, documented and improve the process reliability.
Uresh pigging system: The result of many years of research
The patented and EHEDG-certified pigging system from URESH AG has been developed over many years of research and refinement processes. The secret of the enterprise and success of URESH lies in the blue pigs. “Every groove has a purpose”, explains Urs Hofer, the “father” of the product. His pigs contain magnets, which serve to control and position the pigs. They are cast at the company headquarters in Switzerland, from where they are dispatched for use around the world.
Contact
Urs Hofer,
URESH AG Gewerbestrasse 2
CH-4105 Biel-Benken
Tel +41 61 721 65 45
urs.hofer@uresh.ch
www.uresh.ch