Pinguin Combats Condensation
31 January 2008 16:52
Flanders-based company Pinguin is known throughout the world for the preparation of frozen vegetables. To combat the frost problems which threatened to plague their operations in Westrozebeke and Langemark, Pinguin approached Munters for help with two important projects.
In Langemark, the problem manifested itself through the formation of condensation. The fresh vegetables cross in bulk through a tunnel in which the temperature borders -30°C. At the exit of the tunnel, the temperature is +10°C. The difference in temperatures caused condensation on the ceiling, ground, products and packing, with the resulting risk of contamination.
Another problem lay with condensation forming on the vegetables themselves - peas in particular. The re-freezing of products during storage in freezing rooms caused the peas to stick together in blocks.
Munters solved this problem by placing a desiccant dehumidifier at the exit of the tunnel which dries the air in the room. This brought back the dry air to the coldest place in the room, just above the exit to the freezing tunnel. The installation gives perfectly dry air, making it possible for Pinguin to store vegetables under ideal conditions without condensation.
Munters installed a second de-humidifier above the door outside. When the door is opened, warm air penetrates into the cold space. The Munters dehumidifier prevents the formation of condensation, preventing puddles from forming that could compromise hygiene standards.
"The advantages of the installation are obvious," explains Pinguin's Koen Dejonghe. "The ground is no longer slippery from condensation. We also increased the quality of the products - the vegetables no longer freeze together. Another advantage is that the dry air prevents formation of frost on the refrigerating elements. The investment in the dehumidifiers made it possible to obtain a tangibly higher and more constant level of output from the freezing tunnel. Before, we had ordinary driers, but they did not have the same effect."
At Westrozebeke, Pinguin called upon Munters to eliminate the formation of frost in the freezing rooms. In the workshop the frozen vegetables were passed along a conveyor belt which carries them through various stages of packaging. The conveyor belt passed through both warm and cold areas of production, resulting in the formation of frost on the ceiling and ice on the cold-store.
To eliminate this costly and time consuming problem Munters installed an ice drying system above each conveyor passage, which introduced dry air between warm spacesm freezing and hoppers. "We chose to invest in one large installation which dehumidifies the air and distributes it to various points," explains Koen Dejonghe.
Constant control of moisture has many advantages for Pinguin. The absence of condensation ensures a dry environment, increasing the quality of the products and resulting in a safer factory. The principal advantage, however, is that Pinguin can now maintain a more constant temperature throughout the plant, protecting freezing machinery.
"We do not have only freezers to protect," continues Koen Dejonghe. "We have also much handling taking place in our freezing rooms. Thanks to Munters, we do not have any frost on the machines, or conveyors. That has a positive effect on the output."
Pinguin also decided to fight the formation of frost in its new automatic store by using Munters.
For more information on this company:
Munters - Frost Prevention in Freezing and Cold Storage with Humidity Control
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