Tetra Pak Launches Upgraded Sugar-Dissolving Unit

An advanced °Brix set-point control enables producers to keep dosing under constant control and maintain the optimal temperature for the exact amount of sugar they need to dissolve.

Nov 16 2011 --- Tetra Pak, the world leader in food processing and packaging solutions, is launching a new Tetra Albrix unit for sugar dissolving which enables food manufacturers to reduce costs and improve environmental performance. A modular design makes it easy to expand and upgrade the units.

Among the major improvements of the new Tetra Albrix are:
•    Heating energy costs cut by 42 percent and cooling energy costs cut by 55 percent
•    Operating hours reduced by at least 50 percent
•    Raw material costs cut by up to 20 percent
•    CO2 emissions cut by 62 percent

“By lowering energy and raw material consumption as well as operating hours, food manufacturers can save money and reduce environmental impact,” said Tomas Berg, Food Category Director at Tetra Pak.

The savings compared to previous versions of Tetra Albrix is made possible thanks to a number of innovations. An advanced °Brix set-point control enables producers to keep dosing under constant control and maintain the optimal temperature for the exact amount of sugar they need to dissolve. By dissolving right on target, energy use is cut.

A new cross-flow filter enables producers to control the size of the sugar crystals. The filter keeps larger crystals in the dissolver longer and lets only smaller crystals pass on to the pasteurizer, where they are fully dissolved during pasteurization. This minimizes the dissolution temperature, which in turn minimizes energy consumption. Electric energy consumption, including cooling, is as low as 4 kWh and heat energy consumption is 14.5 kWh per 1,000 litres of product. The new cross-flow filter also allows producers to use less expensive grades of sugar to produce sugar solution, leading to even more savings.

“This means no extra sugar and no extra energy going to waste,“ said Berg.

The Tetra Albrix’s new modular design enables manufacturers to adjust the same machine to address three different functions: dissolver, pasteurizer and control of decolourizer. This makes it possible to invest only in the dissolver, with the possibility of adding the pasteurizer and decolourizer when needed.