Flowmeter switch helps brewer on new contract

Wellingborough, UK -- Brewing and drinks packaging company Thomas Hardy Kendal Ltd (THK) has employed a new flowmeter to overcome problems it was experiencing in measuring an ingredient for products being manufactured under a new contract.

Before winning the contract, THK of Kendal, Cumbria used an electromagnetic flowmeter to measure various ingredients used to make drinks. However, the new product range uses a deionised sweetener ingredient which it found could not be measured using this technology.

The company needed to rapidly find a way of measuring the deionised sweetener, as well as numerous other ingredients that vary in viscosity and temperature, to ensure it could manufacture the products.

“We needed to quickly find a solution to measuring the deionised sweetener so that we could start producing products for this new contract,” said David Rigg, engineering manager at THK.

The solution came with the installation an Optimass 1000 Coriolis Mass flowmeter from Krohne, which by measuring mass flow could accurately measuring deionised materials as well as the other ingredients used.

The Optimass 1000 is installed on a 2-inch diameter pipe, which feeds ingredients held in holding tanks into a mixing vessel. These can include fruit juice, wine, alcohol, sugar and water, which all vary in viscosity and temperature and are fed separately through the flowmeter at rates of between 3 and 10 litres per second.

The instrument measures the flow rate of each ingredient and outputs a reading to a visual display. An operator monitors the measurement and shuts off the flow once the right amount has been reached.

The Krohne device is designed to deliver accuracy of +/- 0.2 per cent of measured value. The instrument uniquely has a single straight tube appearance but incorporates two close coupled measuring tubes which are pressure rated to 100 bar. The secondary

containment is also rated to 100 bar.