Maintaining air quality in food and beverage production

Jul 31, 2023

Air purity is critical to protect against contamination from particles, water, and oil across multiple facets of production to varying levels of defined standards. Here, CAPS Australia explores multiple ways to achieve this.

Oil-free compressors

The food and beverage industry requires clean, dry compressed air to comply with safety and hygiene standards. The ideal approach to achieving and maintaining this critical air purity is to minimise the risk of contamination in the first place by using oil-free compressors. Though they come with a higher initial capital cost, oil-free compressors offer long-term benefits associated with less ancillary equipment and servicing, as well as a significant reduction of risk, often making them a worthwhile investment. CAPS Australia meets this requirement with its range of ISO Class 0 oil-free compressors, guaranteeing 100 per cent oil free air for industrial applications.

For larger scale applications, CAPS has a full range of oil-free centrifugal compressors as well as rotary screw compressors from 37kW to 355kW in either fixed or variable speed. These machines are versatile and tailor-made so there are many factors to weigh up when choosing the right compressor. Elements such as size, speed control, continuous or intermittent usage, portability, and site operating conditions including altitude and ambient temperature can all impact which system will suit your needs. Our experts at CAPS can help you assess your requirements to find you the perfect match.

On a smaller scale, the CAPS CS Series offers an all-in-one solution with a dryer, storage tank and compressor in a single unit, keeping the real estate of the system as compact as possible. This smaller footprint translates to higher efficiency, a key component when choosing the right compressed air system particularly as energy prices skyrocket across the country. Offered as single phase from 1.5kW – 2.2 kW or three phase from 3.7kW to 7.5kW, CAPS suggests this integrated solution as ideal for small food and beverage applications requiring oil-free air.

Cost-effective solutions

Due to their lower initial costs, many manufacturers opt instead to use oil-lubricated compressors with air treatment processes downstream.

From a 7kW CAPS Brumby through to a 315kW Ingersoll Rand, there are many technologies and brands to choose from, meaning it can be quite challenging to evaluate different compressors and select the best technology for your system. CAPS offers a full suite of compressed air solutions and the expertise to help you choose the right equipment to suit your needs. CAPS understands that every application is unique, which is why we offer customised solutions and provide ongoing support to ensure optimal performance.

Air treatment

Air dryers are an essential element to meeting the quality of air critical to food and beverage manufacturing. Air dryers help to remove moisture from compressed air systems, decreasing the humidity and preventing bacteria from growing, as well as ward off rust and elongate the life of the machine. Desiccant air dryers are popular for industrial applications and processes that require extremely dry air, where a desiccant material such as silica gel, molecular sieve or activated alumina is housed in a container through which the compressed air is passed through, absorbing the moisture.

Now dry, the air must also be cleaned before it can be compliant with relevant standards. Filters use a variety of technologies, including coalescing and adsorption, to remove dust, oil, and other contaminants from compressed air systems. Reliable and customisable, they are available in various sizes and configurations to meet yourspecific needs.

For those taking a more balanced approach to capital investment costs, CAPS Australia has an extensive range of equipment and is not tied to a particular manufacturer, allowing us to mix and match for certain applications perfectly tailored to individual requirements.

KATES 150L STAINLESS STEEL JACKETED PADDLE MIXER

$15,000

Broadmeadows, VIC

PACIFIC KRGR-750

$4,500

Dandenong South, VIC

2007 UNKNOWN CLIFF AND BUNTING/ CUSTOM

$350,000

Longford, TAS

PACIFIC MACHINERY

$10,000

Dandenong South, VIC

UNKNOWN 10000

POA

Laverton North, VIC

WESTFALIA RSE 150 01 776

POA

Laverton North, VIC

HANDTMANN 220-16 COMMERCIAL PRODUCTION SAUSAGE HANGER CONVEYOR

$6,000

Broadmeadows, VIC

PROTEC DIXAIR COMMERCIAL VEGETABLE FRUIT OPTICAL SORTER

$98,000

Broadmeadows, VIC

FMC FMC JBT MULTI FRUIT CITRUS ORANGE FRESH N SQUEEZE JUICER

$14,000

Broadmeadows, VIC

INOXPA NTE-100 GRAPE TRANSFER PROGRESSIVE CAVITY PUMP

$30,000

Broadmeadows, VIC

INDUSTRIAL CONFECTIONERY MIXER - 350L

$12,000

Broadmeadows, VIC

GROEN ELECTRIC 20L TILTING STEAM KETTLE

$5,000

Broadmeadows, VIC