Choosing the correct spray nozzles

The right equipment for applications in food manufacturing can help ensure efficiency benefits across a range of areas, including cost, staff safety and sustainability. Ensuring spray nozzles are efficient and fit for purpose can provide businesses with benefits.

Cleaning and sanitation: Certain volumes of water and chemicals are needed to achieve the required level of sanitation within the food industry, and these products plus treatment and removal of cleaning waste are things that businesses aim to keep as cost-efficient as possible. Selecting the correct equipment, optimising cleaning processes and ensuring regular maintenance to check for declining performances or failed components will help reduce wastage and improve sustainability.

Food coating: When liquid products are added to foods, specific nozzles are required depending on the viscosity and weight of the liquid being sprayed. The right nozzle will provide an even spray coverage with minimal waste, whether it is for coating pans, spraying oils, bakery release agents or applying solutions to a product travelling on a conveyer belt. Depending on the application, the nozzles will have different designs such as air atomising or a standard spray fan. Additional factors to consider involve understanding the size of the droplets that need to be applied to prevent overspray while still making an even coating and the thickness of the coating required. The wrong type of nozzle can mean product waste or uneven distribution, leading to substandard outcomes. The right nozzles will allow for the spray to freely move over the products and reduce the amount of potential waste and clean-up.

Food safety: Spray nozzles must meet the standards of the food processing industry. Considerations for the right stainless steel nozzles include high corrosion resistance for a long lifespan, strength retention when exposed to high and low temperatures, hygienic for food and beverage usage, durability and recyclability.

Staff safety: Each year, staff are injured from manually cleaning equipment in the workplace. Tank cleaning inside confined spaces or while walking on wet production floors means staff are at risk of falling, tripping or slipping. Safety should be a priority in any processing plant to ensure employees can remain safe. Using retractable hoses and nozzles, automated cleaning systems and CIP tank cleaning nozzles will help ensure staff safety and also reduce the risk of using excess water or cleaning chemicals.

Sustainability and efficiency: The use of damaged, worn or incorrect nozzles wastes water and affects overall performance. The right choice of nozzle for each application will provide benefits from both a cost and sustainability perspective. Faulty spray systems can be costly with current environmental legislation. Identifying and preventing spray nozzle performance problems can help you lower your production costs while reducing the amount of chemicals and energy you waste.

In the long run, businesses will benefit from choosing correct, quality tech from the offset and maintaining equipment properly.

Tecpro has been servicing the food and beverage industry for over 40 years, with experience across various sectors including dairy, wineries, breweries, bakeries and more.

Image credit: iStock.com/siculodoc