Sanitary Process Expertise adds value to UV Disinfection Equipment

(Author and credit going to Ms. LeighAnn Diener with Rodem)

In this day and age you can get the answer to nearly any question, almost immediately online. Ask Siri, Google, Bing… whatever works for you. In a world of instant gratification and endless online options, it is easy to skip the sales pitch and head to the internet to do your research for upcoming equipment purchases. When you finish your online research, remember to consult an industry expert who is well versed in process design as well as the equipment before committing to and working with a certain manufacturer.

Only One Piece of the Puzzle
While it is tempting to work directly with an equipment supplier to save on the initial equipment investment it may not be the best decision or lowest total cost for your overall process. Manufacturers know their equipment inside and out, but they may not know the details of your process or the other equipment that is part of the design. Professional integration companies are trained and required to know about the equipment they represent and your processes in its entirety. In addition to the extensive knowledge held by integrators, they also have solid relationships with their manufacturing partners which provide access to in depth knowledge on their specific product.

At Rodem, we recently experienced this exact issue when working with a customer who was trying to optimize their tank cleaning process. They had received a quotation from a tank cleaning device manufacturer directly. Our relationship with the manufacturer required them to work through Rodem, so we became aware of the situation and discovered a major component missing from the tank cleaning device manufacturer’s proposal. Although they had provided the processor with accurate pricing and product information and an adequate solution, they did not know that the pump that would be supplying these cleaning devices was not capable of providing the required pressure. Therefore, the solution would not work, unless the pump was also replaced, which can be a large investment. We were able to work with both the manufacturer and the processor to find a solution to clean the tanks, while using the existing supporting equipment infrastructure, saving the customer money while also providing a solution to their tank cleaning needs.

In regards to UV, below are only a few of the process and regulatory considerations that can be part of the equation for a successful and compliant installation:

• What is the CIP process? Is it too harsh for the UV quartz sleeves?
• What is the operating system pressure?
• Is there a risk of a water hammer?
• Is a UVT meter required for regulatory or corporate compliance?
• If desired, how will you integrate the equipment into your existing plant control system?
• How will you monitor the system’s performance?
• Do you need a diversion valve downstream of the UV system to divert any off spec water?
• If flow is intermittent, what is the optimal process design to dissipate the UV system’s heat without shutting off the system?

In It for the Long Haul
Distribution and integration companies have a unique relationship with their customers. They know that when the customer succeeds, they succeed. Rodem has based our business structure around this demand for long term success and we work every day to help our customers improve yields, minimize waste, reduce costs, and deliver an uncompromised product. We pride ourselves on providing our customers with various options for equipment at multiple levels of investment. To reference the above tank cleaning example, we won’t sell you an expensive impingement tank cleaning device when a spray ball will do the job.

Our manufacturing partners count on us to maintain long-term relationships with our customers and to provide local support on a day to day basis. When a manufacturer may have one representative that oversees four states and works with multiple distribution channels, Rodem has multiple representatives in each state of our designated territory and is available for sustained maintenance.
We work with many manufacturing partners to certify our technicians to the manufacturer’s specifications and we maintain a large inventory of genuine spare parts. We maintain stocked warehouses throughout our served territory to provide fast and local support.

Shared Solutions
Here at Rodem we regularly share experiences amongst one another internally to pass along helpful information and solutions for specific applications in similar industries. Because we work with a large number of sanitary processors in similar industries we often see trends emerge and when we find a solution for one processor, chances are we can apply that solution to another processor in the same industry.

Specific to UV, over the past couple of years we have been working with major dairy processors in the Midwest to replace traditional heat pasteurization of water with UV. The Pasteurized Milk Ordinance, which regulates all fluid milk processors, has approved UV as an alternative to heat pasteurization of process water. Since all fluid milk processors must adhere to the same PMO requirements, we have been able to use what we have learned about UV disinfection in one dairy processor and apply that knowledge to others. The result is significant energy savings for processors (>95%) as well as the ability to eliminate the need for water storage since UV disinfected water is ready on demand.

As a distributor who is well versed in process design, we are happy to share our product and industry knowledge with processors who face unique challenges or tight processing schedules. When researching upcoming equipment purchases, system integrators and process design experts, like Rodem, can be a trusted resource.

More information about Rodem including their library of industry tools, resources, and articles can be found at www.rodem.com/resources.