TPi March 2019

Products & developments

Longitudinally welded stainless steel tubes and a logistics concept for heat exchangers

inner tubes with a heat transfer medium flowing around them in a jacket tube. This structure equalises the differing heat expansion rates between the inner tube package and the jacket caused by high differences in temperature. All heat exchangers have to fulfil the strict conditions imposed by Pressure Equipment Directive 97/23/EC. GEA was therefore

GEA has a reputation for fulfilling the high hygienic demands made by the food and beverages industry with its production machinery. The company’s site in Ahaus, Germany, produces not only milk and juice processing systems but also heat exchangers for heating and cooling in aseptic procedures. The fitted tubes inside the pressure vessels that come into contact with the products are supplied by Schoeller Werk in Hellenthal, Germany. The specialist in longitudinally welded stainless steel tubes has also convinced the managers at GEA with its logistics concept: The tubes can be delivered within just one week, giving GEA scope for the best response to short-term fluctuations in demand. The brewery and beverage industries are typical applications for GEA heat exchangers, where they are used for wort cooling/heating, flash pasteurisation of beer and yeast, and the heating and cooling of wine. Users can choose from a large number of different heat exchanger designs, depending on the required production capacity and the physical properties of the product. GEA also develops customised designs on request. Regardless of the individual application, all heat exchangers function according to the same principle: the product flows through several straight

The DIN EN 10217-7 compliant tubes made of austenite 1.4571 fulfil Pressure Equipment Directive 97/23/E

them according to demand on the basis of a refined logistics concept. The DIN EN 10217-7 compliant tubes made of austenite 1.4571 fulfil Pressure Equipment Directive 97/23/EC. The tubes in the heat exchangers are in direct contact with the product and therefore also fulfil the special hygiene requirements imposed by the food and beverages industry. “The special thing about our collabora- tion with GEA is the logistics concept, which has been drawn up together with the customer,” commented Nathalie Türffs, head of sales industry at Schoeller Werk. “We plan the production quantities according todemand. These are checked on a monthly basis, and safety stocks are taken into storage in quantities agreed with the customer.” This is an advantage for GEA as it saves storage costs and allows the company to respond to short- term project business and the resulting fluctuations in demand. “Production of the tubes would take several weeks,” said Mr Oberrecht. “In the framework of the logistics concept, the tubes are supplied usually just a few days after placing our purchase order. It helps of course that Schoeller Werk in Hellenthal is not far from our Ahaus site.” Schoeller Werk GmbH & Co KG – Germany www.schoellerwerk.de

looking for a reliable supplier of longitudinally welded stainless steel tubes for use as product-conveying inner tubes fitted inside the heat exchangers. “We know exactly what we need in terms of the tubes used in our aseptic systems,” explained Christoph Oberrecht, purchaser PSC EMEA central procurement at GEA. “In addition to high quality and the right value for money, it was also important for us to find an appropriate concept for the logistics. Schoeller Werk is the right partner to meet both of these requirements.” Schoeller Werk produces stainless steel tubes pursuant to the food industry standard DIN EN 10357 BC and supplies

The start of the production process: strip steel is about to go through tube calibration

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March 2019 TUBE PRODUCTS INTERNATIONAL