Successful overhaul by replacement of cooling coils
Overhauling the existing or installing new equipment? At Cosun Beet Company’s sugar factory at Dinteloord, three cooling crystallisers (from Selwig & Lange, built in 1984) should initially be replaced, since the cooling water coils were increasingly leaking. A rough comparison of the costs, however, led to the decision to replace only the cooling coils.
Cooling crystallisers – vessels are fit for further use
Thanks to their good condition, all vessels of the cooling crystallisers proved to be fit for further use. Moreover, the water and hydraulic lines could remain nearly unchanged – an important benefit with regard to operational reliability and renovation costs.
So as not to exceed the annual budget, Cosun Beet Company decided to renew the crystallisers one by one. This also makes it generally easier to adhere to the defined time schedules.
Cooling coils – manufacture, disassembly, installation
BMA was commissioned with:
- Manufacture and delivery of 13 cooling coils
- Disassembly of existing cooling coils and installation of the new coils
- Partial disassembly and reassembly of the insulation
- Reconnection of water and hydraulic lines
- Provision of scaffolds and cranes
At the time of the first renewal, BMA had already implemented similar projects.
The cooling coils were manufactured by a company which had been certified by our Quality Management beforehand. The hydraulic pressure test was conducted at the manufacturer’s site.
Successful overhaul thanks to good project conditions on site at Dinteloord
The fact that there was a parking area at Dinteloord directly in front of the cooling crystallisers turned out to be advantageous: It could be used as intermediate storage and offered also sufficient space for crane movements. The spare coils arrived in July at Dinteloord, and the assembly as well as the reconnection of the apparatus performed by Cosun Beet Company could be completed in mid-August. After recommissioning, the plant was ready for production in time before the campaign start.
Overhauled and fully operable cooling crystalliser
In summary, the whole project was a challenge because of the corona restrictions. The close collaboration of Cosun Beet Company and BMA was an essential prerequisite for its success.
The overhauled cooling crystalliser is doing its job. The second overhauled crystalliser is scheduled to be ready for production before the 2022 thick juice campaign.
