A Typical Rollstock Vacuum Configuration
Most food applications today follow the status quo when it comes to vacuum. The oil-sealed Rotary Vane Pump that is connected to the Thermoforming machine is housed in a separate room (usually behind a wall or on a mezzanine). Due to the smell, oil mist, noise, and possible contamination, these pumps must be well outside the production area. Moving the vacuum pumps outside of the production area can add an average of 50-100 ft of additional piping needed to reach the packaging machine. This adds another element of complication and reduced output. With this current set up, food packagers are typically seeing the following results:
- 10 packages per minute
- Sealing pressure 1.5 torr
- Energy consumed per cycle 0.0205 kwh
- Yearly COO (cost of operation) for vacuum pumps only, $28,906
Leybold's Dryscrew Vacuum Technology
Dry Vacuum Technology is a relatively new approach to achieving high degrees of vacuum efficiency without some of the drawbacks of the legacy liquid pump technology. At the most basic level, dry vacuum technology is a non-contact, non-wear design that doesn’t rely on sealing fluids or lubricants to create and maintain desired vacuum levels. Therefore, eliminating or reducing the elements required to keep 50 year old technology operating. With a switch to newer technology you can gain the following benefits:
- See an increase in packages per minute (11 vs 10 in the standard example above)
- Sealing pressure 1.5 torr
- Single pump design by eliminating booster pump
- See a reduction in consumed power. Energy consumed per cycle 0.019 kwh
- Yearly COO (cost of operation) $10,561
- Reduce maintenance cost
- Eliminate oil cost and disposal
- Provide a safer, cleaner, quieter work environment for employees
- Be a better steward of the local community and environment
- Reduce potential food contamination by oil
With just 1 extra cycle per minute, per 8 hour shift, equates to an extra 175,000 packages a year from a single production line...That kind of production pays for a vacuum upgrade and provides a return on investment within the 1st year.
Read more: We worked with one of the top 10 meat and poultry producers in the world moving from oil-sealed vacuum pumps to dry vacuum technology. See what kind of results they got from making the switch. Why dry pump technology in the food industry?
