Many industries use compressed air, but reliable 24/7 access to oil-free compressed air is essential in the food industry. Regardless of the application, all machines used in the food industry must be sanitary to avoid potential contamination.
With Tamturbo’s Oil-Free air compressors, food processing companies can focus on food knowing their compressed air is contaminant-free for hygienic food products that meet and exceed industry standards.
From the beverage industry to dairy and eggs to bakeries, a wide variety of food industry companies require access to compressed air for an efficient and product safe operation. Here are some common food and beverage applications that require compressed air and reasons why your company needs the best oil-free air compressors available.
Dairy Industry
The dairy industry relies heavily on compressed air. In addition to clearing out pipes with air, it’s used to agitate raw milk in tankers, close and open pneumatic valves, clean and make product packaging, and palletize the finished product.
Because the air interacts so heavily with the final product, it’s imperative that it is free from contaminants, including oil, water or moisture, bacteria, dust, or other particulates. While many of these contaminants can be removed through intensive filtering, traditional air compressors rely on oil to operate. These types of compressors come with a high risk of oil-contamination, regardless of how clean and well maintained they are.
Instead of choosing an oil-injected screw compressor, or even an “oil-free” compressor that requires oil for lubrication, dairy producers should consider an entirely oil-free compressor. The air compressors at Tamturbo don’t require oil or any other lubricant to lubricate the parts because they don’t touch due to the active magnetic bearing (AMB) technology.
Often, so called “oil-free” compressors use tens of gallons of oil to lubricate the gears, and the only thing protecting the air stream from the oil is a simple seal. This oil seal can leak or deteriorate in older models, resulting in contaminated air and contaminated products.
Commercial Bakeries
Baked goods, while delicious, leave crumbs everywhere. To ensure that tools and machines remain crumb-free, many bakeries and baked goods factories used compressed air to clean processing machines between use. Beyond cleaning, compressed air is used in many process phases, i.e pneumatic pushers to guide material flows are directly in contact with end product.
According to the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Title 21, any food manufacturing plant, including bakeries, can only use contaminant-free air. Unfortunately, oil-based compressors require regular, continuous upkeep to ensure the air is oil-free. Having to devote time and money to regular cleanings can interrupt the workflow and lower the production rate. Oil filtration needs constant maintenance and surveillance to ensure lowest possible oil content in compressed air. Heavy filtration, even when new, causes pressure drop that forces compressors to be operated on higher pressure setpoint which again increases energy demand.
Tamturbo’s oil-free compressors are also Touch-Free and Care-Free. Because the metal parts don’t touch, no maintenance to critical components is required. Tamturbo also monitors the compressors remotely, alerting you when there is a potential problem. The constant monitoring means more uptime because possible issues can be solved before they become problems that could cause downtime.
Fruits and Vegetable Processing
Compressed air is essential in the packaging of fruits and vegetables. Because of the high cleanliness standards in the food industry, all fruits and vegetables are cleaned before packaging. However, once washed, the products need to be dried before placed in plastic. Too much moisture can result in premature ripening and the development of mold.
Many fruit and vegetable companies use compressed air to dry their products before packaging. Compressed air speeds up the drying process, and increases efficiency.
When using compressed air on fruits and vegetables, the air must be completely contaminant-free. Legacy technology “oil-free” air compressors have Teflon coated metal screws to allow for smooth rotation. As the screws wear down, the Teflon coating releases into the machine and the airstream. These particles can be dangerous for the consumer and the wear quickly deteriorates the efficiency of the compressor.
Because Tamturbo’s machines are Oil-Free and Touch-Free, they don’t require Teflon or other non-stick coatings, removing the possibility of contamination. Instead, they use Active Magnetic Bearings (AMB), which provide friction-free rotation with zero drag or metal-to-metal contact.
For fruits and vegetables, air compression is one of the last steps before packaging; using a fully contaminant-free compressor is healthier and safer.
Why Choose 100% Oil-Free Compressed Air for the Food Industry?
Environmentally Friendly
In addition to being more efficient and ensuring less contamination, a 100% oil-free compressor is more eco-friendly than oil-run machines. Food companies that focus on sustainable production will appreciate the smaller carbon footprint of Tamturbo’s compressors when compared to oil-based machines. For many companies focusing on sustainability, using fewer fossil fuels wherever possible, is a high priority. Tamturbo feels strongly about sustainability, and it shows in the design of its compressors. Tamturbo compressors offer significant energy savings possibilities in the form of waste energy recovery as well. With our standard liquid cooling system, it’s possible to capture over 90% of used energy to hot water and use it again for your process, heating or other needs. Most compressors waste this energy by blowing it into the atmosphere.
Sustainability isn’t only about reusing materials; it also involves using long-lasting materials that don’t require regular replacement. In addition to the oil-free design, the Touch-Free elements mean little to no wear and tear on the metal components, resulting in a long-lasting machine that requires few replacement parts.
Reduced Total Operating Costs
Although some oil-based machines may cost less upfront, they often require regular replacements, upkeep, and use more energy.
When these machines require new parts, more oil, or repairs, you’ll need to shut them down, interfering with your daily production rate.
Tamturbo turbo compressors, on the other hand, hardly require any maintenance and are monitored remotely. Instead of scheduling regular inspections, you’ll only need to stop production if Tamturbo detects a problem that cannot be fixed remotely.
The Touch-Free design means less money spent on replacement costs. Whilst saving environment, ensuring product safety, boosting production uptime and fullfilling governal regulations you will save also money from energy bills. All Tamturbo compressors are VSD-controlled to ensure most energy efficient air production for varying demands. With excellent efficiency that does not deteriorate.
Contact Tamturbo for High-Quality Air Compressors
In the food industry, cleanliness is everything. With Tamburbo’s Oil-Free, Touch-Free, and Care-Free compressors, you can rest assured that your products will pass even the most stringent of health and safety regulations. You can also increase your efficiency and decrease your carbon footprint by choosing one of our products.
If you’re interested in learning more about our innovative, energy-efficient, clean alternative to oil-based compressors, contact us on our website or send us an email. If you want to move forward with a purchase, we have distributors worldwide, including in Europe, Asia and the Americas. You can connect with our friendly staff in your region or go directly to a distributor.
Whatever your compressed air needs are, we have an option for you.
