Design of washing plant for larger food processing line
One of FRECON’s experienced design engineers was given the task of ensuring progress, functionality and compliance with food production requirements during the design phase of DANA-Technology’s new washing plant.
A larger, but compressed machine for handling both strawberries and potatoes was on the wish list of DANA-Technology that develops equipment for processing food and pet food.
DANA-Technology develops machinery and equipment for production lines within the food and pet food industry. The foundation of the company is the development of equipment based on innovative technology, which ensures high reliability, efficiency and long-lasting solutions.
The task: A compact and multifunctional washing system
DANA-Technology contacted FRECON with the further development of an existing machine in mind. The task was to assist in designing a larger washing plant for strawberries with its own steam-heated pump vessel with two mechanical satellite filters.
The two washing plants, which are to be part of a larger food processing line, consist of flow vessels that mechanically clean strawberries, followed by various nozzle pipes. The strawberries are then lifted via a conveyor belt through a tunnel to remove surface water using so-called air knives before they are delivered for freezing. All belt constructions are prepared for disassembly for easy and quick cleaning.
The plant can wash and prepare 10 tons of strawberries per hour, which together with the existing equipment at the factory brings the capacity up to 20 tons per hour. Additionally, the processing line can handle a large amount of potatoes.
FRECON as a sparring partner in mechanical design
FRECON’s task was to contribute as an experienced mechanical design sparring partner with experience from the food industry. Senior Design Engineer, Sonny Dam, was responsible for generating ideas and solving the challenges that might arise during the design phase:
“DANA-Technology came up with an incredibly interesting task, which was very much about ensuring a smooth design phase. The challenge was that the machine was compact from the beginning, which means that the many and new functions must play together in a relatively little amount of space. At the same time, we had to ensure that the plant continued to comply with various requirements for food production. Not least, it was about delivering a product that is easy to understand and use at the company that is ultimately responsible for the physical manufacture of the plant.”
DANA-Technology is partnering with Dansk Stålmontage, which is the manufacturing company of the washing plant. At DANA-Technology, they were satisfied with the collaboration with one of FRECON’s most experienced design engineers:
“As a project manager in other contexts, I have previously worked with Sonny, and was in no doubt that he was the right man for the job. As always, he fully met my expectations of solid design work and sparring when needed,” says Lars Skovbjerg Knudsen, Senior Project Manager at DANA-Technology.
