How the vacuum pump has disrupted the food packaging industry
September 24, 2019
6 MIN READ
Think about your current costs
As costs rise across the board for food production and packaging, and new regulations come into effect, it can be difficult to hone in on potential cost-saving measures. Taking a big picture view of your food packaging process, particularly the vacuum technology you are using, may be the solution that will impact your bottom line, improve efficiency, and create reliability and consistency. While issues like inflated prices for raw materials, livestock, and utilities are largely out of your hands, selecting the best vacuum equipment is fully under your control. Using outdated vacuum pump equipment can lead to a laundry list of expenses:
Vacuum pump repair cost
Vacuum pump maintenance cost
Equipment downtime and lost production due to vacuum issues
Lost profits due to vacuum inefficiencies
It doesn’t have to be this way. Upgrading to one of Leybold’s modern dry screw vacuum systems will allow you to make improvements along your entire production process while letting you reap the benefits of significant cost savings and increased production.
Related: Find out more about the hidden costs of vacuum pumps in our blog post, Your Vacuum Pump May Be Costing More Money Than You Think.
With Leybold’s wet to dry upgrade you’ll be able to:
Increase production
By utilizing more efficient vacuum equipment you can meet corporate budget goals by achieving more, with less. Switching to one of our modern dry screw vacuum systems will increase uptime and lead to a reduction in maintenance and repair needs. Imagine eliminating unplanned downtime. It’s possible when you enhance your packaging and processes with the Leybold dry screw vacuum.
Related: Watch the video for a quick introduction to the Leybold NOVADRY, and check out our news broadcast when we introduced it to the international market at the IFFA International Trade Fair in Frankfurt am Main.
Reduce overall plant production costs
Thanks to an increase in efficiency and a reduction in power consumption and heat load concerns, you can save money on air conditioning and power requirements. You’ll also see cost benefits when you are using less oil and water, which are often major line items in your production budget. All our dry screw vacuum systems require less maintenance and fewer repairs compared to the outdated vacuum technology still being used in the food industry. Intelligent control can help you better evaluate your processes to spot potential areas for improvement.
Related: Improve your profit margins with an optimized maintenance routine with help from our blog post, 5 Vacuum Maintenance Tips to Optimize Productivity. And if you're ready to see the difference a wet to dry conversion can make to your bottom line, click the button below and use our Total Cost of Ownership Comparison Calculator.
Improve your work environment
When your employees are comfortable, your entire production process improves. Our dry screw pumps reduce noise levels so much that they are almost silent when running. Dry screw pumps also allow you to effectively keep your production area at appropriately controlled temperature levels, due to the low levels of heat they generate. What is more, the risk of slips and falls due to oil leakage is greatly reduced, because dry screw pumps have limited oil in the gear case.
Lessen your environmental impact
By switching to a pump that consumes less power and reduces the heat load, you can reduce your impact on the environment. Eliminating or greatly reducing harmful VOCs (volatile organic compounds), oil mist, oil consumption, and water consumption and waste are other environmentally friendly benefits of dry pumps. These gains will also make a positive contribution to the local community environment.
Reduce maintenance and repair costs
We are confident you will eliminate unplanned downtime and that you’ll be able to avoid potential problems before they lead to a shutdown. Our smart machines are equipped with several parameters that can be monitored and used to help predict pump maintenance and required pump service before they cause a major failure.
Related: We maintain our vacuum equipment over their entire life cycle with an innovative and comprehensive range of services. Click here and learn more about our Service Products.
Improve sanitation procedures
Dry screw technology pumps can be flushed internally with the appropriate liquids for cleaning purposes. Hygienic designs allow for daily washdown. This contributes to reducing down time, maintenance and costly pump repairs. This is an especially beneficial feature in the food industry, where product safety is paramount.
Related: Watch the video below for more on Leybold's oil-free vacuum solution that can be washed down daily.
Comparing the Leybold dry screw vacuum pump to older technology from the last 50 years.
It’s time to stop accepting the status quo. When compared to the vacuum pumps many processing plants are still using, our dry screw vacuum pumps come out on top every time, in every way.
Relying on older tech may seem like a way to keep costs down, but in fact, these systems are prone to issues that often cost more in the long run. More importantly, the end products they create may be of lesser quality and may even pose more food safety risks.
Oil sealed rotary vane pumps
Known for requiring a high level of maintenance, incurring frequent repairs, and generally being cost-inefficient, oil sealed rotary vanes have been the pump of choice. What other technology has stood still for the past 50 years without innovation? If you're still using these, check out our blog post for 5 Tips to Make Your Rotary Vane Pumps Last Longer.
Not surprisingly, water sealed liquid rings require high levels of water usage. The associated costs can climb quickly. These pumps require more power to deliver the same performance and are subject to varying vacuum levels based on seal water supply temperature. Performance reduction can be as high as 30% in summer months.
The Leybold difference
Leybold has worked tirelessly to create twenty-first century products that promise better efficiency, more cost savings, less downtime, and consistent quality. In short, we’ve created better products, period.
Switching from a wet system to a dry screw vacuum system will improve your process in every way. The cost savings you will realize will quickly cover the cost of an upgrade.
To sum up, our dry pumps offer:
More efficiency
Lower power requirements
Reduced maintenance and repairs
The ability to plan for maintenance
Onsite cleaning potential
The elimination or reduction of water and oil consumption and waste
No oil backstreaming or oil mist escaping out of pump exhaust
Localization - no need for housing vacuum units outside the production area
Increased food safety
Related: Explore our range of dry compressing vacuum pumps on our product page, or learn more about how to avoid oil backstreaming in our blog post, How We Helped a Major Food & Beverage Company Boost Their Bottom Line.
Make the Switch Today
Are you ready to find out how Leybold can help move your food packaging facility forward? Our dedicated team of experts is standing by to guide you through evolving your processes to the next generation of the technology that is changing the food industry for the better. Click the button below and contact us today!
