A major North American manufacturer of pea protein was facing persistent challenges with cleaning their spray drying tanks; a critical step in maintaining both product quality and food safety.
The Challenge
Pea protein production is a demanding process. After peas are milled and processed to extract protein, the resulting product is often spray-dried into a powder. This process leaves behind tough, baked-on residues that adhere to tank walls, agitators, and internal surfaces. If not thoroughly cleaned, these residues can lead to product contamination, process inefficiencies, and costly downtime.
Before implementing Lechler’s solution, the facility relied on a combination of manual and automated cleaning:
- 30 minutes of manual power washing to pre-rinse the tanks
- 30 minutes of CIP (clean-in-place) using four standard static spray devices
- The process required significant water, heat, and chemical use, as well as labor-intensive manual cleaning to dislodge the heavy soil load
- Despite these efforts, the cleaning process was inefficient and unsustainable, particularly as the company scaled production
The Solution
Lechler, Inc. introduced a more powerful and efficient cleaning alternative: the XactClean HP 2 (also known as the 5S7). These high-impact, controlled-rotation tank cleaning nozzles are designed for tough hygiene-critical applications like those found in food and beverage production.
Only two XactClean HP 2 nozzles were installed, cutting the previous nozzle count in half. The result?
- CIP cycle time was reduced to just 10 minutes
- No manual pre-rinse was required, eliminating the need for pressure washing altogether
- Water, chemical, and energy usage were significantly decreased
The consistent, controlled rotation and high-impact spray provided complete coverage and optimal dwell time for tough residues
The Results
The performance of the XactClean HP 2 exceeded expectations. The plant experienced a dramatic improvement in cleaning efficiency, and the maintenance team quickly decided to retrofit all tanks at the facility with Lechler’s solution.
This upgrade not only improved hygiene and reduced cleaning time but also contributed to substantial cost savings and sustainability benefits.