FRIESS W40 Oil Skimmer for Food-Industry Process Wastewater
Sustainable pre-treatment in food production — removing floating fat from process wastewater
Customer: Plukon Food Group
Business:
Plukon Food Group is one of Europe’s leading food manufacturers, supplying meals, salads, poultry products and more. The company operates 34 sites in seven countries and employs around 9,500 people, with a focus on producing healthy food sustainably.
The Challenge
A large volume of floating fat accumulated in the wastewater treatment plant’s separator because substantial salad-dressing residues entered the wastewater. The organic fat formed a thick, sticky layer and generated foam, making it difficult to remove.
Over time, this dense layer remained in the separator, became contaminated and caused unpleasant odours.
Treating all of the wastewater together with the floating contaminated layer would have been very expensive and would not have provided a lasting solution, because the same problem would have continued to recur. A different treatment method was therefore required.
The Solution: FRIESS W40 Oil Skimmer
Because the greasy salad-dressing residues floated on the wastewater surface, a hose-type oil skimmer offered an effective solution.
For this application, FRIESS selected the W40 oil skimmer, a model proven in many comparable applications.
The oil skimmer was installed on the short side of the separator tank. An additional hose guide carried the oil-collecting hose along the full tank length, enabling it to sweep the surface and remove the floating fat layer thoroughly.
Results
Within a short time, the oil skimmer transferred the entire fat layer into a separate collection container. The solution removed the immediate problem while also enabling the oily residues to be handled sustainably and cost-effectively. The residues could be stored safely in a small sealed container until disposal after water separation.
The customer was very satisfied: the wastewater treatment system returned to reliable operation and unnecessary treatment costs were avoided.
This application once again demonstrates the versatility and efficiency of FRIESS hose-type oil skimmers and shows how a tailored wastewater-treatment solution can resolve a complex operating problem quickly and effectively.