IBC Heaters – Electrical Process & Container Heating For Food Industry

Published 18 Dec 2020

 

IBC Insulated Heating Jackets

IBC Heater Jackets In The Food And Beverage Industry

  • By Chris Dodds : estimated reading time 5 minutes

IBC Heaters

T&D are major distributors of IBC Container & Process Heating Products to the food and beverage industry supplying major customers with bespoke solutions to overcome heating challenges faced with consistent and reliable production – our range of IBC heaters provide reliable surface heating to bulk containers ensuring optimum contents viscosity, frost protection and temperature maintenance.

The range of Electrical Process & Drum Heating products that T&D supply can be used to ensure consistency, hygiene and guaranteed plant performance which is absolutely vital in the food processing industry.

IBC heating jackets and systems provide effective electric surface heating for food industry containers and drums:

  • Dairy
  • Beverages
  • Tea, Coffee & Cocoa
  • Bakery (Flour, Yeast, Bread products)
  • Breakfast Cereals
  • Soups & Sauces
  • Flavours & Fragrances
  • Colourants
  • Nutraceuticals

Common heating applications include IBC’s, containers or drums storing honey, corn sugar, palm oil and molasses.

Explosive Dust Atmospheres

Powders including flour and sugar are routinely stored on site at bakeries – when mixed with air, they can form a potentially explosive mixture and are classified as Zones 20 / 21 under ATEX guidelines.

T&D distribute ATEX IBC heaters for safe use in both hazardous area gas (Zone 1 & Zone 2) and dust (Zones 20, 21 & 22) atmospheres – typical food industry applications include wheat starch, gluten, wheat gluten production, grain processing and sugar production.

Other combustible dusts include:

  •  Most solid organic materials (wood, flour, grass, paper, cereals, etc.)
  •  Many powdered metals (such as aluminium, magnesium and titanium)
  •  Certain non-metallic inorganic materials (although less common)

Low Voltage IBC Heaters

Fox’s Biscuits

Thorne & Derrick are distributors and stockists of low voltage IBC heating jackets which provide a consistent heating solution at safe low voltages of either 24V or 48V.

Low voltage IBC heating jackets have been used in the past in a case study for Fox’s Biscuits. Fox’s Biscuits manufacture a wide range of premium quality biscuits within the UK and are part of the Northern Foods PLC.

The client required a heating method to maintain an IBC containing glucose at 35ºC to ensure consistent flow during production and had previously used trace heating to achieve this but found that heat tracing cables did not provide an even temperature across the large surface area of the IBC.

To provide a more suitable solution a low voltage IBC heater jacket was provided which wrapped around the IBC covering the entire surface area, along with an insulated PVC lid. Additionally, custom sized low voltage heater jackets were supplied to fit around 40 metres of associated process pipework.

Using IBC heater jackets, the client was able to achieve a constant heat, ensuring the glucose could be fed through the pump and at the optimum temperature production.

Sugar Glucose

Sugar Glucose – sugars provide sweetening, texture, bulk, colour and act as preservative agents in the food and beverage industry.

Low Voltage IBC Heater Jacket Benefits

  • Accurate temperature control and monitoring
  • Even temperature distribution across the IBC container – no hot or cold spots
  • Safe – Low Voltage (24V-48V ac)
  • Low Power Consumption – provides energy cost savings – up to 72% reduction
  • Easy access (removable container covers) reduces maintenance costs
  • Cover types to suit application/customer requirements
  • ‘Plug & Play’ pipe option – rapid installation, reduced downtime

Low Voltage IBC Heater Jacket Applications

  • Process pipework
  • Pumps, valves and ancillary equipment
  • Bulk storage tanks and vessels
  • IBCs, drums and cylinders

T&D also provide heat tracing cables for the temperature maintenance of food industry process pipework.

IBC Heating Jackets Used To Heat Up Caramel

IBC Heaters - HIBC/A

IBC Heaters – HIBC/A

T&D have supplied Nestle Bulgaria with an IBC heater to heat up liquid caramel. Our client required a process heating method to maintain the temperature of the caramel between 40 and 50ºC to reduce the viscosity of the caramel and approached T&D to supply IBC heating jackets.

The client held the caramel within ‘bag-in-a-box’ style IBC containers to which HIBC/A IBC heating mats are ideal for providing surface heating.

HIBC/A silicone IBC heater mats are placed underneath the container before filling and provide heat through the container. Insulated IBC jackets and insulated lids help to reduce heat loss from the container.

HIBC/A heating mats have a PTC temperature sensor which can be connected to a digital temperature controller to allow for accurate monitoring and control of the temperature.

Bag In A Box - IBC Heaters

Bag In A Box – IBC Heaters

Bag In Box IBC Heaters

Bag in box IBC systems offer safety and hygiene with replaceable liner bags – the reusable bulk container protects the liquid contents providing ideal transportation conditions. T&D provide IBC heating jackets to suit all type of plastic or steel containers.

 

Drum Heaters


EXPERTS IN WINTERISATION SOLUTIONS FOR INDUSTRIAL & HAZARDOUS AREA ENVIRONMENTS

Heat Tracing I Frost Protection

Thorne & Derrick hold the largest UK stocks of frost protection & winterisation equipment to help keep your plant and personnel operational during the winter months.

Thorne & Derrick understand that prolonged periods of low ambient temperatures can bring operations to a standstill costing thousands of pounds in lost downtime.

Experts in heating solutions for use in industrial & explosive atmospheres, Thorne & Derrick have the knowledge & expertise to help clients prevent unnecessary down time this winter.

We can provide overnight delivery of Trace Heating Cables at the most competitive prices to guarantee frost protection of your pipelines and mechanical services.| Ask About Our Heat Trace Design Service.

💡 Contact us today and our skilled and friendly team can provide technical support as well as reliable, fit for purpose and compliant solutions to suit your exact requirements.

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