How dry pump technology boosts production for a major meat producer

March 10, 2020

2 MIN READ

For the last 50 years, the food industry has used oil sealed vacuum pumps for processing and packaging. These pumps have worked very well in the industry. However, the downside of using this technology is the burden of expensive maintenance and rebuilding costs. This oil sealed technology has also resulted in high energy consumption for end users, which according to The National Provisioner, include some of the top 10 meat and poultry producers in the world.

Could dry pump technology optimize food production?

Leybold engaged in a project with a high-profile meat producer to test dry pump technology on their rotary packaging systems at their US plant over a period of two years. Before beginning the test, the client was generating an output of 32–34 packs per minute on their existing machines. The Leybold RUVAC and DRYVAC dry pumps enabled them to increase output to 40 packs per minute and the system ran successfully for two consecutive years.

Here's what we found...

Based on a single production shift, 5 days a week, the increase of four packs per minute amounted to an additional 500,000 packs per year on the same equipment. Proving a speedy ROI on the dry pump technology resulting from their improved efficiency and increased profitability. In addition, they achieved improved base pressure, greater reliability, and eliminated the maintenance burden of oil sealed technology.

We've replicated our success

Fast forward to today, Leybold and the customer have achieved the same levels of success at additional plants in the USA. The venture was so successful that Leybold is now the standard on all new rotary packaging machines at customer facilities in the US.

As a result of this project, Leybold is now engaging in a trial with the same client on upgrading their Rollstock machines from wet to dry vacuum technology in an effort to eliminate oil contamination in food packaging and processing.