KROHNE reduces Production costs at grease Manufactuar

Specialist grease manufacturer R S Clare Ltd has chosen KROHNE flowmeters to help reduce manufacturing costs and improve processes as part of a major plant upgrade.

The company has installed two flowmeters, a straight-tube OPTIMASS Coriolis mass flowmeter and a UFM 3030 ultrasonic flowmeter, which are being used to measure accurately the amount of materials, such as mineral oils, which are added during the production of greases. Three additional flowmeters are also planned for installation.

Greases are manufactured to a precise viscosity, which is controlled during production by adding various mineral oils. If batches are found to be outside specification then considerable time is spent on correction, which significantly effects productivity and costs as well as jeopardising the company?s ability to deliver ?on time in full?.

Previously R S Clare used older technology flowmeters to monitor the addition of materials but their ?paddle? design provided a low level of accuracy.
KROHNE?s flowmeters enable the company to measure and control more precisely the amount of materials added and manufacture to a consistently tighter tolerance. This has significantly improved R S Clare?s ability to manufacture ?right first time?.

The materials are held in bulk containers and gravity fed through steel pipes to the flowmeters then into mixing vessels. The UFM 3030 is being used to measure a single material, while the OPTIMASS has been configured to take feeds from several bulk containers, which are selected depending on the type of greases being manufactured.

Data signals from the flowmeters are used to control valves which regulate the flow of materials.
?Krohne flowmeters have helped us improve our manufacturing process and reduce costs,? said Jim Collins, business improvement manager at R S Clare. ?In an increasingly competitive environment these factors are extremely important.

?The upgrade of our production equipment is continuing and we will shortly be installing three more flowmeters to provide us with a better understanding of the processes and ultimately better control.?

Wellingborough-based KROHNE?s revolutionary OPTIMASS Coriolis flowmeter was the first of its kind to incorporate a single straight tube design. It is approved in accordance with ATEX, FM and CSA standards for use in hazardous environments.

The UFM 3030 is a three beam ultrasonic flowmeter incorporating a patented transducer design. It is ideally suited for use in industrial chemical applications.

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