Modular Process Systems (Skidded Systems) Showcase Anderson Dahlen’s Growing System Integration Capability

Modular Process Systems, commonly referred to as Skidded systems, are fast becoming the preferred method of integrating a new process into existing facilities. The equipment is fully built-in manufacturing environments, tested and the process proved before they are shipped and installed. Resulting in less downtime for installation and faster start-up times.

Customers involved in Food, Dairy, Beverage, and Pharmaceutical manufacturing have called upon Anderson Dahlen for many years to partner and manufacture these modular systems. Thinking back to the 1980s or even 1990s, the modular systems were much different than they are now. As the efficiency gains and cost improvements of skidded systems became more significant, weve seen a process evolution. Old components and control systems are being replaced with newer equipment and technology. Customers are sending us more requests with ever-increasing sophistication.

Our goal is to leverage technology to create sophisticated and easy to operate systems for our customers. Including better graphics, improved techniques for interacting with the HMIs, simpler alarm management and so forth. With our modular systems, customers are experiencing higher quality products, low product waste, and increased efficiency. Which leads to higher profits for their operations.

Terry Voigt is the new Anderson Dahlen systems engineer for skidded systems. Terry brings a wealth of hands-on experience in operation, design, and build of sophisticated modular systems in food, dairy, beverage and pharmaceutical processing. Along with our current process, electrical and controls engineers; Terry will help lead in the continued growth of Anderson Dahlen Modular Systems.

The important infrastructure provided in skidded systems is growing in importance for the food, pharmaceutical, biotechnology, beverage, cosmetics, and many other manufacturing verticals. Todays skid systems are evolving into more complex, high-quality systems. Going beyond the basic materials of SS 304L or 316L, customers are now demanding ultra-high purity stainless, Hastelloy, AL6XN, with extremely high finish quality up to 5-10RA and electropolishing. Weld procedures, qualifications, weld mapping, video boroscoping, elastomer and glass certifications, material documentation are all being elevated to a new high level. Sanitary flow components are now being specified to a new level of technology and quality. Automation is sophisticated; PLC automation and touch-screen HMI controls including remote process control and troubleshooting are the standard now.

Skid systems growth is part of the manufacturing evolution in the USA to be more efficient and flexible. The more traditional stick-built systems are becoming less attractive for major brands as they move out of having specialists in fabrication in addition to their product processing expertise. They are more and more focusing on manufacturing their product and leaving the process system fabrication to high-quality stainless-steel fabrication and systems integration companies like Anderson Dahlen. This saves them time and money with increased quality of their systems.

Other factors that will keep driving the design and increased use of skidded systems are:

• Higher quality standards that are becoming more difficult to meet
• Importance of speed to market. The ability to have a skidded system designed, built, and fully tested in parallel with site preparation is a major time safer
• Improved documentation for operation and maintenance. The TOP turnover package for a skidded system is typically much more comprehensive because it is prepared in a controlled environment
• Maintainability built-in by skid system engineers who constantly improve their designs to make access easy (maintenance and CIP) and use components that keep running with minimum downtime

The top types of skidded systems Anderson Dahlen will be focusing on will be:

• Skids for IBC totes and barrel unloading. This is a great fit for our work as a Graco pump and unloader distributor. We stock the pumps from Graco, have full repair capability and stock repair parts
• Pharmaceutical skidded systems for personal care products. The higher viscosity of the fluids handled with these systems is an area our engineering teams have excelled in the food industry
• Product mixing, dosing, and metering skids. These have application across all the industry verticals and require engineering expertise to get the automation and control systems right
• High-Temperature Short Time (HTST) Skids. Critical in biopharma and food pasteurization processes, these systems usually have to heat exchangers. Great for killing viruses with temperature. The strict CIP requirements are an area Anderson Dahlen excels with its food processing history
• WFI skidded systems and CIP systems. WFI Water-for-Injection skids are in high demand in the pharmaceutical industry for pharmaceutical processing. These modular skid systems are also widely used in food, biotech, and beverage industries. Anderson Dahlens high-quality pressure vessel manufacturing capabilities are natural to expand into these high purity water systems.

Why Anderson Dahlen should be your Go-To manufacturer for skidded systems:

• Engineering and design staff
• Proven manufacture of stainless-steel components
• Extensive systems integration expertise, both skids, and stick-built
• Superior quality culture including ISO 9001 Compliant
• Commitment to on-time delivery of fully tested systems
• Partnerships (as a distributor) with SPXFlow, Graco, Alfa Laval, Anderson-Negele, Ace Sanitary, and Devalan
• Facility for clean, quality builds and testing of a wide range of skid systems
• FAT Final Acceptance and Testing areas, equipment, and expertise
• In-plant installation expertise for mechanical, electrical, and control integrations with your full plant

Our new lead project manager for skidded systems is Terry Voigt. Terry is a very experienced process and design engineer for food, dairy, beverage, and pharmaceutical industry skidded systems. He started in the dairy industry right out of college in 1985 and has delivered a long list of successful skid systems for a variety of companies. He brings hands-on experience in skid system operation, design, and installation.

With over 15 years of experience installing skidded systems, combined with his work as plant engineer and manager, Terry has a wealth of real plant and process engineering expertise. He has a clear vision of practical issues with skidded systems so that the systems he delivers will install easily, work immediately, and be reliable for the long term. His recent experience with plant level automation and inter-loop controls make him very qualified to deliver the most sophisticated new skidded systems in the food and related industries.

Skidded systems use in process control for food manufacturing, pharmaceutical processes, biotechnology, beverage, and dairy will keep growing in number and sophistication. As Anderson Dahlen grows its engineering and systems integration expertise, growth of our skid system production is a natural extension of capability. We have the technology, the engineering knowledge, the manufacturing equipment, and processes, plus the quality control culture to be a leader in sophisticated modular process systems.