Turnkey systems drive HRS business growth

Clients in the food sector are increasingly looking for turnkey solutions for their thermal processing challenges, rather than creating their own lines using a range of components from different suppliers.

Since the pandemic, as a company we have seen significant sales growth around the world, with turnover increasing more than 60% in 2022 compared to the previous year. In terms of volume, component orders remain our core business; however, the number of full systems we are commissioned to produce is increasing every year and now accounts for the majority of turnover.

Most of the demand for complete systems comes from the food and drink industry, but we are also seeing a strong interest in systems for wastewater treatment, as well as specialist applications such as anaerobic digestion and zero liquid discharge.

Global trends

One reason for increasing interest in complete lines and systems is a move towards greater automation — something we see from food manufacturers across the globe. One survey showed that almost two-thirds of food and drink manufacturers planned on investing in automation or robotics in the last year. Two of the biggest driving factors are that automated integrated solutions improve quality control and traceability.

Every transfer between machines or lines introduces the potential for error or losses, so complete lines which have an integrated design make sense. Keeping ingredients and products together improves efficiencies and enhances food safety, while minimising the potential for human-related errors or contamination. Automation also makes it easier to ensure product consistency time-after-time, batch-after-batch, for even complicated recipes.

Having integrated lines and systems also reduces the number of checkpoints required during manufacturing, while also helping with record keeping and traceability. Not only do automated traceability systems remove the potential for human error, but they also reduce worker stress and can help to reduce the costs associated with safety compliance in the workplace. An integrated system can centralise data from multiple sources to make it easier and quicker to find what you need.

Complete lines also reduce food waste, a key agenda for manufacturers driven by both economic and environmental considerations. Not only is the potential for physical waste during production reduced, but so too is the likelihood of out-of-specification product which then has to be destroyed or reworked. The same recording systems which provide product traceability can also be used by production staff to check against inventory and stock levels, providing another way to monitor and reduce waste.

Right first time

Each product is designed to meet a client’s individual needs and specifications. While this can increase the development and production period, it also means that our customers get the right system first time around.

HRS Engineering Manager Alejandro Lopez explains: “The average length of a typical system project from order to commissioning is between 20 and 26 weeks. We design and build each system to the client’s exact specification, and we also see each system through the commissioning phase. This can mean travelling anywhere in the world from our manufacturing base in Spain, although we are increasingly seeing clients opt for remote commissioning, which we are happy to facilitate.

“Our most popular systems are for pasteurising juices, similar to those in the fruit growing area near our manufacturing base in Murcia, Spain. However, we are also seeing strong demand for our R Series rotary scraped surface heat exchangers, particularly in Australia and New Zealand. Energy recovery, which can reduce energy consumption by 70–80% in juice processing, is increasingly popular and we are designing more systems which incorporate this. “In the last few years, we’ve completed a number of other systems. For example, those which contain tanks, aseptic filling stations, clean-in-place kitchens, preparation areas and more. We are actively looking to grow our systems department and have recruited additional engineering staff to accommodate this.”

Systems for every need

HRS can offer clients a range of modular or turnkey system solutions, such as our Asepticblock pasteurisers and sterilisers which combine heat treatment, aseptic filling, and clean-in-place capabilities in a single system, and which can be skid-mounted for easy installation. Other systems for the food and drink sector include deaeration systems, ice crushers and melters, direct steam injection sterilisers and dedicated CIP and SIP kitchens. We also provide trial systems for conducting product and processing trials before committing to a final production solution.

HRS Asepticblock pasteurisers and sterilisers which combine heat treatment, aseptic filling, and clean-in-place capabilities in a single system

Many system solutions are based around our key products: component heat exchangers and other products (such as hydraulic piston pumps) which underpin our whole business, and we continue to invest in product development and innovation in all these areas.

Many systems can be skid-mounted for easy installation

Turnkey system case study: Fruit juice processing

HRS supplied a complete sterilisation and aseptic filling solution for a leading specialist in fruit product processing and logistics located in Murcia, Spain. With the capacity to process up to 300,000 litres of fruit juice per day, the main products include concentrated juices such as lemon, orange, and mandarin, grape and peach, and some mixed fruit juices.

The first part of the system sterilises the product in an HRS Thermblock steriliser featuring a multi-tube heat exchanger. The product is pre-heated in a buffer tank to 48°C, then passes through a deaerator to mitigate oxidisation which would spoil the product. It is then heated to pasteurisation temperature (around 92°C) for one minute to kill any bacteria, before being cooled to 31°C to preserve quality.

The sterilised product is then placed into sterilised bags within drums using an HRS Aseptic filler. The two-headed design ensures continuous operation, with the product placed into 200 litre bags inside a drum at a rate of 12,000 litres/h (60 drums/h). Once full, the drums are then then transported to final customers across Europe and the United States.

The client’s Plant Manager comments: “The HRS aseptic plant was designed and optimised to exactly meet our needs and we are very satisfied with it. It’s simple to use and manage, does exactly what it was designed to do and is extremely reliable. We have had no problems with it since it was installed. The engineering involved is excellent and I would definitely recommend both the system and HRS as a company.”

Matt Hale, International Sales & Marketing Director, HRS Heat Exchangers