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Continuous Process Conversion

Batch vitamin manufacturing was to be converted to a continuous process, designed to run for periods of five days at a time.

The system combined raw materials with a catalyst in a reactor. The resulting product was mixed with water vapour that was removed in a distillation column. The molten product was then solidified using a drum flaker, scraped off the flaker cold roll and dropped through a discharge chute into the milling system.

The flakes were processed in a pin mill, and then passed through a screener. Flakes of acceptable size moved straight to a bucket elevator, into a hopper and onto a screw feeder used to fill the finished product bags.Flakes of unacceptable size were recycled back into the process.

Exhaust from the reactor, receiver and flaker was passed through a wet scrubber before being released to the atmosphere.

A thermal oil system was used to provide heating and cooling for the reactor jacket, the product transfer piping jackets and valves and the “hot” and “cold” rolls of the flaker.

JNE performed full engineering services to convert from batch to continuous process, including P&IDs and layout drawings. For modifications from batch to continuous process, material and energy balances were developed for proper sizing of main distillation components and auxiliary utility packages.

JNE also provided equipment and instrument specifications and procurement as well as control system specification, procurement and programming. In addition, used equipment was sourced and evaluated to aid in keeping project costs down.

Project Size: 6,000 sq. ft.
Project Value: $5M CDN