It is expected that in the near future, developing countries will increase their consumption of dairy by 2% per annum, with international milk solids prices forecast to hit record highs. Teagasc, the Irish agricultural and food development agency, is aiming to increase production of milk solids for processing by 50% by 2020. Following the abolition of quotas in 2015, it aims to increase production from 5.5 million tonnes to 7.5 million tonnes. As a result, getting control of product loss in the dairy industry has never been more important, according to Patrick Kinsella, the managing director of Classic Technology. It is widely estimated that the Irish dairy processing industry loses 2-3%* of its total processing volume per annum. However, new research shows that the introduction of plant monitoring as part of performance improvement programmes would result in significant process waste reductions and deliver huge savings. “By using continuous monitoring of waste streams, dairy processors can see just what is going down the drain as it happens,” explained Kinsella. “They can also be alerted to problems such as a minor flange failure, joint or hatch leaks or, indeed, a leaking valve or pump gland. “Product loss monitoring can also indicate a major spill or process malfunction,” he continued. “In this way, it can avert significant product loss, significant costs in waste processing – or worse, significant excess municipal sewer charges.” [login type="readmore"] CONCENTRATION AND VOLUME Classic Technology’s own experiences have revealed that data from a controller, such as the LTH MXD70, fed into plant control systems and over-layered with drain flow data, can provide operators and management with very important information that will show losses in both concentration and volume. Such data can include high flows with high solids concentration in drains outside a planned event like CIP. It can also include trending that may show small increases in solids concentrations over a sustained period – which, if accumulated over time, can be very significant. The company specialises in instrumentation calibration and maintenance and is also a test instrument distributor and Ireland's only GE Druck-approved service centre. Classic Technology represents some of the world leaders in their field, including GE Druck, LTH, Zwiebel and Techne covering parameters such as pressure, mass, temperature, flow, level, pH and conductivity, and calibration software. Many operators only become aware of the scale of product loss when faced with large local authority environmental charges levied for spill clean-ups, Kinsella added. Others hide the problem by diluting spills with large amounts of water. “The Suspended Solids System can detect leaks and spills very quickly and send alarm signals to operators, enabling them to take action locating a leak and preventing pollution,” said Kinsella. Designed to cope with the rigours of the highly efficient New Zealand dairy industry, the LTH Suspended Solids sensor has a one-piece construction, providing a very reliable instrument. With annual exports in excess of NZ$10 billion, the dairy industry is New Zealand’s biggest export earner, accounting for more than 26% by value of the country’s merchandise exports. QUADBEAM SENSOR “The Quadbeam sensor was developed because single-beam sensors are susceptible to sensor fouling and deterioration in performance,” explained Kinsella. “This sensor is manufactured from a single piece of material, which means that it’s not affected by changes in the temperature coefficient of different materials, which would result in leaking or failing sensors.” “With the Quadbeam, four beams of attenuating light are used ratiometrically to ensure that the sensor self-compensates as it becomes fouled or as it ages,” said Kinsella. “This ensures that an accurate and repeatable signal is maintained. A simple calibration process involving site samples of known quantity and determining the linearisation points by dilution will ensure that the system is calibrated to the product it is monitoring.” Through its ratiometric four-beam method of measurement, the LTH sensor effectively self-compensates for variation in temperature and fouling of the fingers, providing an accurate and repeatable signal, according to Kinsella. The LTH MXD70 series transmitters can take up to three sensors where there are multiple drains and it can also accept other measurements such as turbidity, conductivity, pH/oxidation-reduction potential and dissolved oxygen sensors in any combination. “This type of monitoring is now standard in many advanced dairy-processing plants, particularly those that are used by those involved with the dairy industry in New Zealand. They have a really well-developed dairy sector there,” Kinsella said. Since 1992, dairy productivity in New Zealand has increased by 125% from 259 kilos of milk solids every season per dairy cow to 323 kilos of milk solids in 2008-’09. The country’s dairy industry invests heavily in plant monitoring. “Plants over there have made large savings through catching small leaking valves or pumps long before maintenance checks, right through to early warning of large comprehensive product spills,” said Kinsella Savings can easily be in the thousands in just one event, with product loss often used as a key performance indicator in many plants, he concluded. *Calculated lost product in a dairy plant as 2.85%.  Reference Dairy processing methods to reduce water use and liquid waste load. Kent D Rausch and G Morgan Powell, Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering, Kansas State University. Agricultural Experiment Station and Co-operative Extension Service (1997) Classic Technology operates Ireland's only UKAS accredited calibration laboratory for pressure, temperature, electrical and mass calibrations, which enables it to deliver quick turnaround times for both repair and calibration to industries that demand exacting standards, such as the pharmaceuticals and aerospace sectors. The company’s support extends through a range of approved training courses that are designed to enable laboratory, inspection, quality assurance, maintenance and certification personnel to meet the increasing need to demonstrate their competence. For more information, contact info@classictechnology.ie or see www.classictechnology.ie.