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Engineering & Schematics

Under Pressure: Why Pressure Vessel Design and Analysis is Critical to Food & Beverage Facilities

In the process of designing a food & beverage facility for safety with sanitation and efficiency in mind, many tools will be needed for success across the different disciplines and phases of design. While CAD and some analysis solutions are important to meet requirements, it can be argued that pressure vessel design and analysis solutions are the most critical, due to extensive industry requirements and asset volatility. 

A solution for pressure vessel design and analysis is essential for numerous processes and assets within a food & beverage facility. 

In a food & beverage facility, pressure vessel design and analysis are needed for: 

  • High-pressure processing and pasteurization

  • Heat exchanger analysis & heat recirculation

  • Creating systems compatible with clean steam generators

  • Designing standardized nozzles, clamps and supports

A pressure vessel design and analysis solution like PV Elite® is critical to successfully and accurately designing any and all of the items above. Creating these systems using manual methods such as messy spreadsheets can be a tiring and time-consuming process, while also leading to errors, which in turn increases the risk of catastrophic events. It is imperative that this is avoided at all costs, not only to reduce the risk of injury and fatality, but also to protect the reputation of organizations and to fuel the growth of the business. 

 

Cooking up Better Design

High-pressure processing (or cooking) and pasteurization require assets to be designed with consistency and safety in mind. Processing products with high pressure requires assets to maintain consistent or controlled temperatures throughout the lifecycle of the product being cooked, to eliminate the possibility of contaminants or spoilage. Products such as milk, yogurt, seafood, meats and even dips require consistent heat via a temperature-controlled tank. PV Elite is critical for designing and analyzing these tanks with the latest codes, ensuring the design is safe, operating accordingly and will stand the test of time. 

 

Keeping it Clean

Assets critical to food & beverage operations can also be designed and analyzed using specialized materials, ensuring the asset is in operation for years to come. This is crucial in the case of processing products that may be acidic, such as orange juice, tomato sauces or items with vinegar, as these compounds can break down assets over time if not created with food-grade steel.  

Employing streamlined solutions to handle the design and analysis of food-grade steel equipment is also beneficial to commercial kitchens, as designs for sanitary clamps, tap pumps and other fittings can maintain consistency across facilities. With PV Elite, engineers can streamline designs across kitchens or other facilities, all while ensuring they are food-safe and following the latest industry standards and regulations.

Want to see how Hexagon’s Engineering Analysis solutions work together to create the ultimate safe and compliant food & beverage facility?  

Check out our Food & Beverage Analysis Brochure  

 

Turn up the Heat and See Savings

Heat exchanger design is critical to both ensuring equipment is operating correctly and saving organizations money through recirculation. In the food and beverage industry, heat exchangers can be used to re-purpose heat (or cold) from assets throughout your facility to other assets and processes. For example, one product may require heat to be taken away for it to maintain a specific temperature, but another food requiring heat for its own processing may benefit from recycling. 

Heat recycling is an easy way to create cost reduction while increasing the productivity and efficiency of assets. This roundabout treatment of heat (or cold) results in a self-sustaining lifecycle for your food and& beverage facility, while saving money and reducing environmental impact.  

Using PV Elite ensures that heat exchanger designs are safe and compliant, making it easier to integrate them seamlessly into the overall design of your food & beverage facility. 

Want to learn more about how PV Elite can help you see big savings in your food & beverage, power, utilities, nuclear or even renewables operation?  

Get in touch!

About the Author

Possessing a diverse background spanning journalism, radio and non-profit sectors, Shawn Goff brings a rich array of experiences to Hexagon. He holds a bachelor's degree in Journalism and Marketing and Communication studies. In his present capacity as the Global Marketing Program Manager for Hexagon's Engineering Analysis solutions, Shawn collaborates with product owners, developers, designers and sales teams to keep customers informed about the latest advancements in Hexagon's tools.

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