From material handling and transfer to complex chemical process systems, no two challenges are alike or too big or too small. Count on Anderson Dahlen to deliver robust engineered solutions that increase quality, thoroughput and efficiency.

This is just a small sample of the problems our teams solve day in and day out. These are general to protect the companies involved.

Productivity needs to be increased but no room for a large process system

Utilizing a skidded process system that combines multiple pieces of process equipment onto a common frame. These systems create a compact, efficient, and ergonomic work environment. Quick installation and start-up times eliminate negative impact on production downtime. These modular systems are complete with all interconnecting piping, valves, instruments, and wiring. There is a single field connection point for utility connections. Control packages can be pre-programmed, and electrical connections verified and shop tested. Utility and CIP piping can be installed and tested before delivery, as well as FAT testing. ADIs skid systems are used by food, chemical, pharmaceutical, and industrial manufacturers.

Our engineers work with our customers engineers to evaluate their processes to determine which aspects of the process would benefit from using a packaged process solution. A Process Flow Diagram (PFD) would be developed to describe the current product flow through the system. From that information, a Process and Instrumentation Diagram (P & ID) would be developed to determine the control strategy and indicate the control points in the system. This data would then be utilized to specify the components of the process system and the control logic. Our engineers would ensure that the transition from the skidded system to the existing processing system would be seamless.

Product inconsistency due to blending issues

ADI has been a leading manufacturer of customized blending equipment for many years. Our customized blending solutions provide a variety of blending from gentle agitation to low and high-shear mixing. In difficult applications such as powder to slurry blending, vacuum might be utilized to aid in deaeration of the product mixture. Our mixers and blenders are used in many types of processing such as food, pharmaceutical, cosmetic, chemical, and others. ADI provides these mixers and blenders with ASME rated housings if needed and can be provided with jackets to facilitate cooling or heating.

Sourcing safe and effective custom pharmaceutical and bio-tech process equipment

ADI engineers, fabricates, and installs sanitary process systems for use by pharmaceutical and bio-tech industries. Working with your engineers, ADI will develop a custom solution to your process issues. ADI is an ASME board-certified designer, fabricator, and installer with ASME Section VIII, Division I U and R stamp certification. Our products include skidded systems for formulation, process modules, and CIP/COP systems; bio-reactor vessels; bio-storage tanks; mixers and blenders; ASME pressure vessels and vacuum vessels; pump feeders; material handling (flat belt, vacuum, or screw conveyor). Our process systems are compliant with 3-A, USDA, cGMP, ASME (U & R), BPE, FDA, and API regulations.

Effectively processing temperature-sensitive products

ADI has a wealth of experience in processing products such as jams and jellies, soups and tomato sauce, cosmetics, lotions, and pharmaceuticals that can be negatively affected by improper control of process temperatures. One solution to reduce product degradation due to overheating is to utilize vessels with vacuum capabilities. Vacuum allows the product to evaporate at a lower temperature, avoiding damage caused by higher temperature boiling. ADI can also provide these vessels with jacketed housings to facilitate temperature control. These vessels can be furnished with agitators, if needed, for vacuum processing for deaeration, cooling, temperature control, or other processing advantages.

Eliminating risk of product contamination in process area

A large salad mix processor was concerned about the use of several large hydraulic lifts in its cleaned product area. If a hydraulic hose were to fail, product would be contaminated. ADI proposed the use of electric lifts to transport the cleaned salad mix to a height of 20 ft. to the packaging area. These lifts can transport 1000 lbs. of salad mix the required height and tilt the totes at the correct angle to feed the packaging equipment.

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Finding an efficient cost-effective method of pasteurizing pre-packaged meat and poultry products

Checker spiral steam ovens are an efficient and relatively economical way to pasteurize ready-to-eat (RTE) meat and poultry products. A spiral steam oven provides maximum microbe elimination in the product while minimizing pasteurization time. Some methods used for post-package pasteurization require that too much heat is applied to the packages for too long of a time. This excessive exposure to heat causes flavor degradation in the product. By minimizing the time it takes to completely pasteurize the product, and by precisely controlling the process temperatures, the flavor of the RTE product is retained.

Customer needed to automate their blending operation

ADI provided a complete blending and conveying system to improve the efficiency of the companys dipping sauce operation. Product is conveyed by this system in drums to the blending area. A control system was developed to precisely monitor and add ingredients to the drums and agitating blenders are used to mix the product. After blending, the product is pumped to temperature-controlled storage vessels. The drums are then conveyed to a holding area for cleaning.

Ergonomic issues at a small salad processor

Employees at this company had difficulty accessing vegetables that were delivered in large corrugated totes. ADI designed an electric lift with a capacity of over 1200 lbs. to raise totes of vegetables to a sorting area. Product from the totes is sorted onto two flat urethane conveyor belts and transported to the companys packaging line.

Transporting highly-viscous food material to an elevated process area

This large candy manufacturer has difficulty transporting a thick food material to an elevated filling machine. ADI recommended using a pump feeder system. The product is discharged from a cooling conveyor to the pump feeders metering surge hopper. The hopper feeds product to the pump via a vertical feed screw to a PD pump. The material is then pumped through sections of stainless steel piping to the filling machine on an upper level. These sections of piping as well as all components of the system are easily disassembled without tools for complete cleaning. ADIs pump feeder systems can be constructed of 304 or 316 stainless steel. Optional features for these systems include custom control packages, variable frequency drives, ASME-rated heating or cooling jackets, or special finishes in product contact areas.

Conveying expresso coffee from grinding to packaging

The expresso is very finely ground. It is also hygroscopic which makes it prone to sticking to the screw conveyor sidewalls. ADI recommended an EZ-Access screw conveyor system. This screw conveyor is built with trough clearances that are much smaller than CEMA standards, which minimizes the amount of residual material remaining in the housing. This screw conveyor features easy-open, dust-tight upper and lower doors that provide excellent access to the auger for sanitation. The frequent shut-downs due to product jamming in the conveyor have been eliminated and the ability to sanitize has been greatly improved.

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    Anderson Dahlen is an ISO-9001:2015 certified company that custom manufactures advanced equipment & solutions to make organizations deliver better products, faster.