Geelen Counterflow
http://www.geelencounterflow.com/es
Geelen Counterflow
About the company
Since 1980, Geelen Counterflow exclusively designs, builds and installs counterflow dryers and coolers for feed and food products.
Inventor of the Counterflow Cooler & Counterflow Dryer. Worldwide market leader, references in more than 100 countries. Aiming for highest food safety standards, best energy efficiency and lowest Total Cost of Ownership. Striving to eliminate negative environmental impacts from our operations and from our customer's drying and cooling processes. All R&D and manufacturing in Haelen, the Netherlands. Sales & service offices in Europe, North- and Latin America and Asia.
Company News
Drying
2+ MIN
04/11/2020
Geelen Counterflow begin Production of Electric Dryers for China
Geelen Counterflow has started the engineering and manufacturing of a second electric dryer for extruded petfood, to be installed in 2021 in China. High temperature industrial heat pumps will supply 2400kW of heat to a seven-deck counterflow dryer and 65 percent of that heat will be recovered and re-used in the dryer. The first electric dryer is being assembled in South Korea for another customer and will be commissioned in 2021. Both electric dryers will initially be commissioned with gas burners. This allows installation and commissioning according to standard operating procedure. A few months later, once the dryers are up and running, the Counterflow Recovery Units (CRU) will be commissioned to start recovering energy through condensation of the warm moist air coming out of the dryer. The warm water coming from this CRU will be boosted in temperature by high temperature industrial heat pumps which will supply 100 percent of the heat for the dryer, so then the gas burners can be switched off or go in stand-by mode. The net energy consumption of the dryer will then be up to 65 percent lower and consist of electricity only. If the electricity is from renewable sources, the direct and indirect CO2 emissions of the dryer can be eliminated. Since dryers are by far the biggest consumers of gas in the plant, this typically reduces the CO2 footprint of the entire production line by more than 50 percent. It is no coincidence that Geelen's first electric dryers will be installed in the petfood industry. The market leaders in this industry have short term ambitious targets for net zero greenhouse gas emissions in order to comply with the Paris climate agreement. Electrification through heat pumps is the only technology that enables not only the elimination of CO2 emissions from dryers but also a big improvement in energy efficiency. by All Extruded
Manufacturing Process
5+ MIN
06/10/2020
GEA opens New R&D Center to drive Innovation in Pet Food Production
GEA has recently opened the doors to its new GEA Pet Food Experience Center (PEX) in Galliera Veneta, Italy. The role of the new center is to drive innovation in cooperation with customers and industry partners and to function as a locus for sharing latest know-how, where partners can anticipate a high level of technological development support. Situated in Galliera Veneta, the new facility sits alongside the GEA Pavan headquarters where a modern production facility with 400 employees design and build production lines for fresh and dry pasta, snacks, breakfast cereals, extruded products and pet food. One of the success drivers of the business is the well-organized R&D activities which have always taken place onsite and are now strengthened. The GEA Pavan Pasta & Snack Tech Center with three pilot plants and four flexible production lines for analyzing new products under all parameters has been in this location for many years. High-tech equipment for product development The new 1000 sqm facility is home to a team of 30 employees, including process technicians, analysts and mechanics who now have at their disposal a new pilot plant for developing new products as well as a laboratory equipped with diverse instruments for chemical, chemical-physical and rheological analysis and nutritional/organoleptic testing. Customers visiting the PEX will find a complete solution line with the latest machinery technology for each processing step. The mixing and milling section is equipped with a flour mixer, hammer mill and plansifter where new recipes can be tested which includes experimenting with the mixing to find the right solution for each innovative pet food product. The preparation section includes a GEA CutMaster for the preparation of meat emulsions in batches, which compliments the extruder line. Besides the GEA CutMaster, GEA also can supply continuous preparation lines with grinders, mixers and emulsifiers. The extrusion and inserts area is furnished with a pre-conditioner and twin cooking extruder. Diverse molds and die are available for testing and experimenting with product formats and shape, and for checking compactness and quality of final products. A coex cutter for pillows, a tumbler and spray unit as well as a flavoring drum are available in the tumbler and finishing section. Lastly, the drying zone is equipped with both a static and a continuous dryer for achieving specific flavor characteristics, which requires temperature-specific handling 'Our long-term strategy and goal here, as it is for GEA globally, is to be the preferred partner of choice for customers worldwide. With our state-of-the-art technologies and comprehensive application expertise, GEA strives to be the world's leading technology group, providing innovative and sustainable solutions for sophisticated process industries. Our new Pet Food Experience Center is a place for learning: how to create and process new products, leverage new raw materials, create new recipe ideas – and ultimately, new ways to strengthen the position of our customers on the market,' explains Klaus Raths, Head of Strategy and Business Development for GEA Food and Healthcare Technologies. Interactive pet food workshops offered Learning and hands-on education play an important role at the new GEA Pet Food Experience Center. This includes learning about, and understanding how, dry pet food extrusion-cooking technology works; what the main process requirements are; how to operate and maintain the equipment, what role digitalization plays and how to use it in processes, and many other important topics. The R&D center can also be used as a training ground for customer employees, where they can learn about efficient processing and best practice. Workshops provide the participants with an introduction to the basics of extrusion-cooking technology, focusing on preconditioning, energy consumption, as well as the importance of moisture and mass flow balance. The primary aim is to help attendees learn how to be efficient at every step of the dry pet food production process, which includes: selection of raw materials, raw material intake, handling, weighing and dosing, mixing, grinding, conditioning, extrusion-cooking, forming, drying, coating and storage/packaging. Hands-on exercises give participants a unique opportunity to learn about the engineering behind our twin-screw extrusion-cooking technology, screw configuration, selecting the proper die and cutting device, SME control, product density control as well as their significance in various methods of product coating. The skills and know-how learned in these practical demonstrations can then be used in the R&D pilot plant. Next-generation technology solutions for modern dry pet food Pet food customers are increasingly looking for products that mirror those available to humans, not only from a nutritional and production quality standpoint, but also in terms of the variety of formats. Thanks to its long history and experience in developing food processing technologies, GEA can offer advanced solutions that are capable of setting new standards in the market. 'Our philosophy is about working alongside our customers, supporting them in creating and developing innovative products, helping them define the formulation, form, consistency, weight, flavor and color of their particular product to ensure it satisfies the demands of end-consumers, which in this case includes pet owners and pets. Our common goal of achieving an innovative and high-quality industrial production begins with collaboration at the research phase and culminates with the provision of advanced processing technologies, based on the customer's specific requirements and KPIs,' says Vanni Antonello, R&D Senior Technologist for GEA. En el nuevo Pet Food Experience Center (PEX) de GEA, se crean productos innovadores de alimentos para mascotas en colaboración entre los expertos en tecnología de GEA, los clientes y los socios de la industria. (Foto: GEA, Anima Film srl) GEA offers complete solutions to produce dry food of the highest quality for dogs and cats. GEA understands this market is changing and diversifying rapidly, which is why the company offers customized process solutions for fresh meat inclusion, grain-free formulations and alternative protein sources, including equipment for snacks and treats production. The offer includes designing and implementing these solutions to meet specific customer requirements – all followed up with professional service and support as required. Let's co-develop: kibbles, pillows and dental sticks The size, shape and moisture content of each product is determined by the individual recipe, which often includes a large amount of fresh meat. The sophisticated twin screw extruders with their unique dough conditioners, ensure precision results and meet the highest standards requirements for pet food production while reducing costs significantly. GEA has made its own detailed study of those pet food formulations and formats that both satisfy energy and nutritional needs, while also whetting the pet's appetite. GEA solutions for making kibbles – the most common food in pet diets, produce compositions and formats that are varied according to pet size, age and health. Likewise, additional ingredients can be incorporated in the kibble to fulfill other functional needs. Pillows, on the other hand, are snacks or that tasty reward for positive pet behavior. Using extrusion-cooking technology, GEA combines grains with a flavorful and nutritious filling based on the specific requirements. Dental sticks are designed and developed specifically to help dogs keep their teeth clean. Thanks to their unique shape, sticks are able to get into those hard-to-reach areas to clean teeth, which protects the pet's health while providing them with the nutrients they need. Innovative machines and systems from GEA produce dry pet food of the highest precision and quality. by GEA Source: All Extruded
Drying
2+ MIN
25/08/2020
Second Electric Dryer sold to China - Geelen Counterflow
Geelen Counterflow has started the engineering and manufacturing of the second electric dryer for extruded petfood, to be installed in 2021 in China. High temperature industrial heat pumps will supply 2400 kW of heat to a 7 deck counterflow dryer and 65% of that heat will be recovered and re-used in the dryer. The first electric dryer is being assembled in South Korea for another customer and will be commissioned in 2021. Both electric dryers will initially be commissioned with gas burners. This allows installation and commissioning according to standard operating procedure. A few months later, once the dryers are up and running, the Counterflow Recovery Units (CRU) will be commissioned to start recovering energy through condensation of the warm moist air coming out of the dryer. The warm water coming from this CRU will be boosted in temperature by high temperature industrial heat pumps which will supply 100% of the heat for the dryer, so then the gas burners can be switched off or go in stand-by mode. The net energy consumption of the dryer will then be up to 65% lower and consist of electricity only. If the electricity is from renewable sources, the direct and indirect CO2 emissions of the dryer can be eliminated. Since dryers are by far the biggest consumers of gas in the plant, this typically reduces the CO2 footprint of the entire production line by more than 50%. Geelen Counterflow started developing this technology in 2014. It was tested and approved on pilot scale in a commercial petfood plant during 2016. Since then, full scale components have been developed and tested and the technology has been on the market since 2018. It is no coincidence that Geelen's first electric dryers will be installed in the petfood industry. The market leaders in this industry have short term ambitious targets for net zero greenhouse gas emissions in order to comply with the Paris climate agreement. Electrification through heat pumps is the only technology that enables not only the elimination of CO2 emissions from dryers but also a big improvement in energy efficiency. The majority of new dryers installed by Geelen for extruded petfood and aquafeed are now of the latest MkIV generation, which means they are prepared for either gas-burners and/or electric heat pumps. Plants that now install dryers with only gas burners can upgrade them to heat pumps and heat exchangers with a minimum of downtime. A flowsheet and more details of the process can be found here : For more information, please contact [email protected] by All Extruded
Drying
2+ MIN
18/10/2019
Geelen Counterflow and the GoodShipping Program
Geelen Counterflow and the GoodShipping Program have signed a 3 year contract that ensures that all of Geelen Counterflow's container ocean freight to customers around the world will be climate neutral through the use of sustainable biofuels for container ships. Geelen Counterflow is a supplier of dryers and coolers for the feed and food industry. The company ships around 300 containers per year to customers in Africa, Asia, Latin America and North America. This requires around 75 metric tons of fossil marine fuel and causes approximately 250 tons of CO2 emissions. By joining forces with GoodShipping, Geelen Counterflow ensures that their annual ocean freight volume is decarbonized through the usage of sustainable biofuels. On Geelen's behalf, GoodShipping facilitates a fuel switch and substitutes the corresponding fossil fuel volume with these sustainable biofuels. This way GoodShipping can certify that all equipment that Geelen Counterflow ships by containers to customers worldwide, is done with net zero emissions of CO2. The sustainable biofuels are supplied by GoodFuels Marine and are waste and residue based. GoodFuels' external and independent sustainability board makes sure these fuels meet the highest sustainability criteria. This means that the products GoodFuels supply do not cause deforestation or biodiversity loss. There are also no other, higher quality applications possible for these waste and residue streams. Geelen Counterflow does not charge the costs for this fuel switch to its customers. Instead it pays for these costs from its sustainability budget which results from the application of an internal CO2 price of € 100 per ton of CO2 emissions. This internal carbon price is virtually charged to all activities that cause Geelen Counterflow to emit CO2. Fossil fuels have already been phased out from its office and company cars. As soon as factory heating switches to heat pumps in 2020 the entire site is close to being fossil-free. Electricity is generated by an array of over 3000 solar panels which generate the same amount of electricity as the complete Geelen site uses annually. Excess solar energy (in summer and weekends) and deficits (mostly in winter) are exchanged with the local electricity coop Leudal Energie which includes windmills, a watermill and multiple solar arrays. Any remaining electricity consumption is supplied by 100% sustainable sources in the Netherlands. The CO2 emissions from employee travel, business travel, trucks etc. are virtually charged with €100 per ton, and the virtual proceeds are used to facilitate the above fuel switch to sustainable biofuels, amongst others. Sander Geelen, Managing Director of Geelen Counterflow: 'The biggest challenge we face is to avoid global warming over 1,5 ⁰C above pre-industrial temperatures. For us that means phasing out fossil fuels from our own processes as soon as possible. However, the biggest impact we can have is to continue developing and installing dryers and coolers that run on renewable energy. Shipping these dryers and coolers around the world without causing carbon emissions is a challenge that GoodShipping will help us solve.' by Geelen Counterflow
Cooling
2+ MIN
23/05/2019
Geelen Counterflow New Product Launch at Victam International 2019 : Counterflow Cooler Plus™
Improved product distribution, easy inspection and optional evaporation control. A new generation of counterflow coolers improves product quality, operational cost and efficiency.
Customers who are keen to avoid insufficient or excessive product moisture after cooling, due to fluctuations in raw materials or ambient circumstances, can use Evaporation Control™ to select the ideal air volume and cooling time to maximize ór minimize evaporation in the cooler. Multiple sensors for air and product temperature help to control the process. Even a 0,5% improvement in the average moisture content of product can have a very significant effect on the processor's bottom line.
The new Topdrive product distributor has its gear motor mounted outside of the cooler, lowering the risk of pollution and overheating. Inspection of all moving parts of the product distributor is now possible from the outside. The short vertical drive shaft in solid stainless steel minimizes the need for horizontal surfaces inside of the cooler, keeping the process as clean as possible. The drive of the product distributor is controlled by frequency converter to allow the corners of the cooler to be reached, leading to a very even product distribution.
The new design stainless steel +10%Hood has a 10% bigger air exhaust opening which reduces airspeed to avoid product being sucked into the air exhaust system. The round flange avoids the need for a transition piece from rectangular to round and the diagonal exhaust orientation keeps dust from accumulating on any horizontal surface.
The Big Access Doors in the side walls and collecting hopper enable good access for inspection and cleaning. The side walls in stainless steel contain multiple product sensors to allow automatic selection of bed depth, depending on product and ambient conditions.
The discharger of the cooler is the very versatile Swivel Valve discharger, available in mild steel or stainless steel, that can handle any size, shape and condition of food, petfood, aquafeed and feed. Its hydraulic drive with angle encoder enables your control system to automatically set product specific open and close positions.
The new Counterflow Cooler Plus™ will be launched at Victam International 2019 in Cologne. Come and see the first model on our stand F011 from June 12 – 14.
by Geelen Counterflow
All Extruded
