Quadbeam sensors are a great opportunity for plants that want peak performance from CIP processes. Many plants rely on less accurate methods that miss opportunities for improved performance. Quadbeam’s multi-beam suspended solids sensors offer precision control of CIP processes, reducing downtime, increasing production uptime, and saving money on the CIP process itself.
While they are a very common alternative, time and flow calculations are generally run to more conservative settings. This is necessary to avoid contamination but it can over-use water, energy and chemicals, and it misses any opportunity to capture potentially valuable solids.
Adding conductivity sensors is an improvement, but still misses potential benefits. Conductivity sensors are primarily used for measuring changes in chemical concentrations, and they are not as good at highlighting concentration changes with some suspended solids like milk fat. Because conductivity sensors are less accurate, operators tend to compensate with conservative settings regarding solids concentrations, resulting in waste.
Introducing suspended solids sensors delivers another level of control and efficiency. Quadbeam sensors offer superior performance and great returns on investment. Because they measure turbidity and suspended solids with incredible accuracy, they allow plants to see exactly what is happening in their CIP processes and fine-tune them to achieve multiple efficiencies and savings.
Install the sensors directly into the product line at the CIP return points using a 3-inch tri-clamp fitting.
Connect the sensor to MXD73 or MXD75 transmitter and simply calibrate against the solids to be measured.
The transmitter provides a 4-20mA output for each sensor for connection into the plant control system.
The range of Quadbeam sensors suits different applications, conditions, concentrations, and products. CIP processes typically use either the S20HT-3HY or the S40-3HY sensor.
(the measuring range will vary according to media and particle characteristics)
Find the right sensorThe range of Quadbeam sensors suits different applications, conditions, concentrations, and products. The most commonly used sensors for loss monitoring are the S20 and S40, in either the tri-clamp (hygienic) or immersion styles.
Quadbeam sensors are incredibly accurate because they’re multi-beam, so they can eliminate measurement error that single-beam sensors can’t cope with. Two LEDs fire near-infrared (NIR) light at two detectors to generate multiple light intensity measurements that represent the suspended solids concentration. These measurements are combined into a ratio-metric algorithm that self-compensates for common sources of measurement error like contamination or component ageing.
Quadbeam sensors are also tough because they’re made from a one-piece polymer body, with no glass lenses that could leak or break.
Quadbeam sensors are simple to calibrate on-site, so they give results that are directly relevant and meaningful to the site. There are easy calibration instructions here, or contact us for assistance. They’re also easy to use. They produce a 4-20 mA output for transmitters, and can be used with Quadbeam’s MXD73 or MXD75 multi-channel transmitter.
Quadbeam’s greater accuracy results in multiple savings.
1. Reduce the amount of water you need to use. Quadbeam’s more precise reading tells you exactly when a rinse is clean, so that you can stop running water through unnecessarily.
2. Reduce water treatment costs. Less water used in each rinse means less water running to the treatment plant, which cuts down expenses there.
3. Reduce energy costs. Running less hot water in each rinse saves the cost of heating that water.
4. Reduce the amount of chemicals you need to use. As with water, multi-beam precision lets you know when the chemical flush is complete.
5. Recover valuable solids from the first part of the rinse. Most companies send all their rinse down the drain, but the first part of the rinse contains a lot of valuable product. Quadbeam sensors tell you the suspended solids content of that rinse, so you can divert it for recovery.
6. Reduce water usage by re-using rinse water. The end of the rinse is nearly clean. Quadbeam’s accuracy allows you to divert water that is clean enough so that it can be used again instead of going down the drain.
7. Reduce downtime and increase production uptime. Less accurate CIP processes have to be conservative to make up for that inaccuracy, so they have to run for longer. Quadbeam precision means you only run the CIP regime for as long as you need to, and no longer. This increases your cycle time and allows you to resume production much sooner, so you can get more product into packaging and out to market. Quadbeam streamlines CIP, creating layer upon layer of efficiency gains.
If you want to discuss your installation or have another question, or just want to find out more, contact us. You can also see our full product range here, and access data sheets, manuals, and technical information.