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Benefits of a centralised vacuum supply

08 March 2021

Uli Merkle highlights the benefits of moving to a centralised vacuum solution 

Vacuum or protective gases are currently the most commonly used solution for hygienically packaging food and keeping it fresh for as long as possible. By removing as much oxygen as feasible, the vacuum reduces micro-organism activity in and on the food so that it lasts longer, even without preservatives. 

Selecting the right vacuum pump has an influence on packaging results, operational safety, and the efficiency of the packaging process. If a plant uses multiple packaging machines that require vacuum to package foodstuffs, it might be worth considering centralising the vacuum supply. A summary of the benefits of a centralised vacuum system follows: 

Energy savings: Central vacuum systems are generally designed to need fewer vacuum pumps than a decentralised vacuum supply, with individual pumps connected directly to each packaging machine. This is because the system is designed to match the overall vacuum demand and results in a corresponding reduction in energy consumption.

High uptime: Central vacuum systems often feature additional capacity or a stand-by vacuum module, which starts up automatically if one of the vacuum pumps fails or needs to come offline for service meaning continual vacuum supply to the production machines.

Demand-driven operation: Not all packaging machines will require the maximum vacuum performance at the same time. Packaging machines with their own vacuum pump typically operate at full power, which is why they consume a lot of energy. Central vacuum systems are controlled on a process demand-driven basis. Switching individual vacuum pumps on and off enables system performance to be adapted to meet overall demand. The use of variable speed drives allows even more finely tuned performance adjustment. 

Easy maintenance: Any maintenance work on pump in a central vacuum supply can be performed while the system is running and maintenance staff do not need to enter the production or packaging areas because systems are installed remotely.

No noise emissions: Central vacuum systems are normally set up in a special equipment room so operators on the factory floor will not be subjected to noise emissions from a vacuum pump.

Cleaner working environment: Because maintenance work on the vacuum pumps is performed outside the production and packaging areas, they pose no contamination worries for hygienically sensitive zones. 

Low room temperature: When installed in production or packaging areas, a vacuum pump will emit this heat into the surrounding air. Because production and packaging normally take place in cooled areas, the air conditioning in these rooms will need to be increased. Centralising the vacuum supply in a separate plant room eliminates this problem.

Long lifetime: While a vacuum pump in a decentralised setup nearly always runs at full power when the packaging machine is switched on, the operating hours for the same vacuum pump in a demand-driven central vacuum system are lower, increasing its lifetime as a result. Running vacuum pumps at a constant pressure also puts less strain on them, helping to extend maintenance intervals.

Heat recovery: Using an oil-water heat exchanger enables up to 70% of a motor's energy consumption to be recovered and used.

Efficient distribution of the working load: The philosophy of a well-designed central vacuum system should ensure that only as many vacuum pumps as needed to cover the current demand are running. It should also ensure that the individual pumps are managed to ensure that they all have the same number of operating hours and that the working load is evenly distributed. 

Simple expansion: The modular design of a vacuum system will allow additional pumps to be easily added if packaging capacity needs to be extended.

Lower operating costs: Reducing the number of vacuum pumps, using demand-driven control and reducing the air conditioning, will enable a significant amount of energy costs to be saved. Further energy-saving potential results from easier and, as a result, faster maintenance work. This can be carried out during normal working time, eliminating additional costs for weekend work. 

Uli Merkle is global marketing manager at Busch Vacuum Solutions.


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