Cleaner Crates Create Great Success
28 February 2007 18:08
The challenge of cleaning 10,000 plastic transit trays an hour for Tesco's new state-of-the-art distribution centre was taken on by Danish technology.
A vast new distribution complex at Peterborough, operated by Christian Salvesen for Britain's number one supermarket, is not just a storage and logistics centre. It also houses a recycling facility and the UK's most advanced 100,000ft² automated tray washing and handling facility – designed and installed by Danish specialists Brüel.
The fully-automated tray-washing plant is housed in purpose-built facilities and operates for 20 hours every day, for seven days a week. It is programmed to ensure that up to 10,000 food transit trays every hour – around three trays a second – are cleaned to the highest standard for immediate re-use in a logistics operation which serves 200 Tesco's supermarkets within an eighty mile radius of the new facility.
With more than 700 tray-washing facilities successfully installed for customers across Europe, Brüel was one of a small number of specialist companies short-listed to bid for the Christian Salvesen contract. However, the Danish company's commitment to advanced technologies and bespoke design, combined with its on-time and on-budget ethic, meant that Brüel was awarded the prestigious contract.
Dr Phil Shepherd, technical services director at Christian Salvesen, said: "We were impressed by the expertise we found at Brüel, not least with the mechanical plant. This was of great importance to us as we were aiming to build the new distribution centre with the highest possible degree of mechanisation. Following an in-depth evaluation, we chose the supplier who was best fitted to minimise our total washing costs over the total lifetime of the plant."
The contract meant that Brüel took responsibility for the design, build, installation, commissioning and training of staff operating the new washing plant. In acknowledging their role, Dr Shepherd went on to describe the project as being delivered to the agreed time and price with commissioning smooth and free from problems.
THE LARGEST FULLY-AUTOMATED TRAY-WASHING PLANT IN THE UK
The washing plant plays a critical role in the new operation, which is regarded as a flagship project: the first automation of its kind on this scale in the UK. The Brüel system is capable of recognising and handling 13 different tray types – both full-size and half-size – within the Paxton Maxinest range, and utilises two twin-lane, automated tunnel washers, each 32m long (excluding in-feed and out-feed conveyors). It has a capacity of 9,600 trays and 120 pallets every hour.
The Brüel installation includes fully-automated bale arm opening, tray stacking, palletising and strapping equipment. Each of the washers incorporates pre-rinse, dissolve / wash, high-pressure label removal, heated re-circulated after-rinse and final freshwater rinse sections. The system also incorporates turbomatic drying using 20 'air knife' units.
The six wash tanks used in the facility minimise water consumption by utilising 'rain water harvesting' through the collection of rain across the vast surface area of the roof. Each is equipped with Brüel's rotating screw filter system and the wash processes are specified to give optimum cleanliness with minimal energy and environmental impacts. "We have placed great emphasis on the Brüel technical superiority in frontline areas of water filtration systems, low washing-temperatures, high productivity and extremely good washing-performance," said Dr Shepherd.
In addition to energy and environmental considerations, the project brief reflected Christian Salvesen's highest priority for operational safety. Brüel responded by incorporating such requirements from the earliest stage of system design, and the plant also includes full MIS / Scada monitoring and performance-logging, including HACCP requirements.
Brüel has focused its research and development team on leading-edge washing technologies for more than twenty years. Dr Mark Hoffman, representing Brüel in the UK said, "We are delighted to have played such a part in this major UK project. Our philosophy centres upon specifying individually tailored solutions according to the nature of the washing task and the demands set by the level of contamination and throughput required. We believe we have set new standards for the industry in line with the significant changes and challenges demanded by our clients who are responsible for the safe and hygienic delivery of food and beverages to millions of their own customers across Europe."
For more information on this company:
bruel - Crate Washers, Tray Washers, Basket Washers and Handling Equipment
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