Projects » Hilmar Cheese Company
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| Job Type |
New Vacuum System |
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| OVERVIEW |
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- Hilmar Cheese was founded in 1984 and it is the largest single-site cheese plant in the world
- It produces nearly 1 million pounds (over 450 metric tons) of cheese each day
- It produces nearly 325,000 pounds (almost 150 metric tons) of whey protein and lactose powder per day
- It recycles over 700,000 gallons (more than 2.6 million liters) of water every day
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| CHALLENGES |
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- Running a 24/7 schedule, the old system was unreliable
- The system required high maintenance with frequent filter changes
- Operating costs were high
- Other technologies tried, including oil-flooded siding vane systems, also required unacceptably high maintenance and operating costs
- The company wanted a highly reliable, low-maintenance system that could work with a close differential-only one-half inch mercury between high and low set points
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| SOLUTIONS |
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- AES analyzed Hilmar's system parameters.
- We engineered a rooftop vacuum system of six units and 40HP
- To maintain vacuum level within the 1 1/2 inch HG differential requirement, AES used a PLC-based transducer sensing control panel equipped with a digital alpha numeric keypad
- With this solution, vacuum system parameters can be field adjusted and monitored via an RS232C communication port
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| BENEFITS |
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- The system has performed flawlessly 24/7
- Maintenance and operating costs decreased significantly
- The installation was completed on schedule
- The new energy efficient system will realize capital expenditure payback in less than three years
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