EPIC Manufactured 20+ Liquid Blending Systems for a Plant-Based Preservative
Overview
EPIC designed and fabricated a series of liquid blending systems for a biotechnology company that are used to constitute the proprietary edible powder to be applied to produce. The product is an organic, edible protective coating that slows the aging process of produce. EPIC worked collaboratively with this client to develop and finalize the designs for the systems, then subsequently fabricated 20+ modular liquid blending systems in an isolated sanitary fabrication shop. Following fabrication, these systems were shipped to various sites across the United States, Europe and South America.
CLIENT: Biotechnology Company
Industry: Food & Beverage
Key System Features
- 50-80 Gallon tank capacity
- Dual-tank design
- On-Demand Inline water heaters
- Intuitive operator interface
- Food-grade stainless steel sanitary materials of construction
- Compact footprint, highly mobile
Core Considerations
- EPIC had to meet a tight design/build schedule to enable this client to deliver their systems on time
- Systems had to accommodate a wide range of electrical requirements which vary from country to country
- Systems were designed to meet CE requirements.
- The systems needed to be delivered to the customer’s sites turnkey
- The systems were designed to be easily operated by personnel without access to high levels of automation while accommodating the automation needs of sophisticated end-users
- Rapid deployment of modules on an as-needed basis
- A large number of skids ordered at one time
Solution Summary
EPIC worked with this client to complete detailed engineering and design on various concepts for liquid blending systems before settling on the final system designs. The designs vary in size, capacity, and capability and were engineered to meet the specific needs of each of the client’s sites.
For the first deployment of liquid blending systems, EPIC was asked to meet an aggressive timeline so that the client could deliver the systems to their customer sites by a predetermined date. Through daily collaboration, EPIC delivered these systems on time and on the budget for the client. The first of these edible coating liquid blending systems were successfully deployed and installed in Texas.
As the demand for this customer’s product grew rapidly, so did their need for additional processing equipment. The client ordered 20+ skids to be delivered to customers across the globe. Critical to skid design was the ability to operate anywhere in the world, accommodating varying electrical voltages from location to location. In addition to this flexibility, all the systems had to meet CE compliance for European installations.
As with any system, striking the right balance between automation and human intervention was an important design consideration for skid deployment. The systems had to be designed to be easily operated by personnel without access to high levels of automation, while accommodating the automation needs of sophisticated end-users, especially for the purposes of tracking data.
Each system that EPIC has fabricated has been factory acceptance tested (FAT) at EPIC’s stainless-steel fabrication shop, located in Saint Louis, MO. During FAT, the client was able to recreate production batches verifying on-spec product and mixing performance in EPIC’s shop, prior to shipment. This testing has ensured the success of the systems built by EPIC upon startup in the field.
Impact
EPIC’s client continues to develop new liquid blending skid models with EPIC, and skid manufacturing is ongoing. These systems will help reduce and eliminate food waste across the United States and the World. EPIC’s ability to deliver multiple production units skids on time for the client has created a win-win situation for both companies.
To learn more about EPIC’s liquid blending system manufacturing capabilities, visit our mixing systems page or call 314-714-1580 to speak with an engineer.
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