Hasytec company has specialized in the prevention of biofilms as well as organic and inorganic deposits on liquid-bearing surfaces. By means of self-developed ultrasonic methods, microorganisms are combated that form the basis for the settlement of biofilms and deposits.

The problem of deposits in pipelines, machines and production circuits occurs in many branches of industry. Especially in the areas of food and beverage production, biofilms can have a negative impact on product safety, among other things.

Microorganisms initially settle on interfaces of liquid-bearing surfaces such as inner pipe walls. After settling, a protective film forms, a slime layer, which protects the germs from external influences and increases their resistance. Then, the coating begins to grow and spread over a wide area. In the process, parts of the biofilm can detach again and again and get into the final product, for example.

The newly developed Intelligent Deposit Protection (IDP) system from Hasytec prevents the settlement of protozoa. For this purpose, sound transducers are glued to the plant to be protected. The sound waves generated penetrate the carrier material and spread through the media being conveyed, such as water, emulsions and suspensions. In doing so, they destroy the cell membranes of unicellular organisms and thus prevent them from settling. An important aspect is that the generated sound waves do not cause cavitation. This means that the machinery is not damaged or other systems are impaired.

There are numerous, sometimes very different possible applications for the IDP system, as the example of a basket washing machine used by Steiskal company in Northern Germany shows. The medium-sized company produces bread, small and fine pastries as well as snacks for more than 60 branches at its production site in Kiel. The baked goods are transported to the individual branches in bread baskets. To clean the baskets, the company uses a basket washing machine on which ultrasonic technology has been installed.

By using the system, the amount of rinse aid required has been reduced. In addition, the germ load is significantly lower than usual. Since the installation, there are also no biofilms and only small amounts of limescale deposits. The results achieved have led to a significant reduction in operating and maintenance costs.

At a renowned food manufacturer, in turn, the system has recently been in use on a blanching line. Among other things, it prevents inorganic deposits there. A completely different type of use takes place in a steel mill in Central Europe. There, the innovative technology prevents not only biofilm but also fouling by the zebra mussel, which was introduced into Europe, in parts of the cooling system. This shows that it is important to Hasytec to further develop customer concerns into new standard applications and to take into account newly gained knowledge in other application areas and industries.

The IDP system was developed and optimized specifically for the requirements of industry. The propagation of the ultrasonic waves used depends, among other things, on the density of the medium, the ambient temperatures and the solid content in the medium itself. This results in differentiated performance requirements for various liquids, emulsions and products.

The IDP technology, which has now been further developed, autonomously measures the aforementioned variables, detects deviations and independently makes the necessary adjustments so that the optimum power and frequency are always available. In addition, the system’s performance has been increased by a factor of 3.5 compared to its predecessor, and power duration variables have been integrated, enabling an even broader performance spectrum.

Thanks to the newly integrated USB port, future system and software updates can be easily installed via plug & play. Thus, the system can be expanded with already planned contents. In addition, external devices can be connected. Furthermore, almost all data can be read out and analyzed, from the control box to the individual sound transducer. This includes running times, performance analyses as well as error messages of individual components. The extended error analysis of the interface created, the artificial action of the system as well as the possibility of uploading updates have laid the foundations for
Industry 4.0.

Cost efficiency, streamlined process chains and environmental friendliness are just a few factors that have always been of great importance in the food industry. Biofilms, deposits and the resulting biocorrosion have a negative impact on the running time and life cycle of machinery and equipment and thus strongly influence the design and planning of processes. At the same time, these negative impacts can reduce the quality of products, which in the worst case can lead to a loss of image with the consumer.

“Biofouling” has an increasing economic significance for companies in a wide range of industries. For example, biocorrosion not only reduces the life cycles of liquid-carrying systems and makes it necessary to replace tanks, pipes and coolers at an early stage. At the same time, operating costs increase due to the necessary maintenance servicing. An additional cost driver is the decrease in efficiency or reduced performance of the individual components, which increases the overall energy demand of the industrial plant. The necessary use of biocides and their disposal is no less important from an ecological point of view. The IDP system efficiently counteracts all mentioned negative factors.