Completion Date: June 2017

Practical Engineering’s highly qualified and innovative team was recently engaged by a south east Queensland food processor* to investigate ways to improve the functionality of its hot water conditioning bath.

During the production process at this client’s plant, the bath is used to introduce moisture into the product which aids downstream processing and minimises damage allowing the client to attract a higher price per unit. Moisture, if introduced at the correct temperature, also has the capacity to reduce bacteria levels in the product, making it fit for export around the world.

Working initially through a concept study, the team at Practical Engineering considered a number of factors, including how to manage the thermal expansion and contractions of various components as they were exposed to water temperatures exceeding 90 degrees and how all of the requirements could be achieved at the lowest ongoing operational cost to the client.

The team provided three different concept designs before the client selected the option that best suited their needs. The final bespoke design involved forming a hot water channel that gently moved the product the whole way along the bath while at the same time keeping the product submerged long enough to achieve the required bacterial reduction rate. Additionally, our innovative team provided a solution that would reduce waste to zero percent, further improving the client’s bottom line.

The client then chose to engage the Practical team to detail design and fabricate the chosen concept. Practical’s highly qualified engineers designed and assisted in the fabrication and assembly of the custom solution alongside the team of tradesmen at our Acacia Ridge office and workshop. The engineers then oversaw the installation and commissioning of the final product at the client’s processing plant.

The unit is now performing well in the client’s processing line and stands as another testament to the creative thinking and practical solutions ethos of the Practical Engineering team. This project showcased Practical’s ability to carry out concept design and if clients request it, continue on through the various stages of detailed design, fabrication and installation.

Find out more about our work in the industrial sector.

Our people hold Registered Professional Engineer of Queensland (RPEQ) and Chartered Professional Engineer (CPEng), qualification and are registered with the National Engineers Register (NER). To engage our highly qualified team in a confidential discussion about your mechanical engineering needs, email or phone 07 3875 2133.

*For confidentiality reasons, the client cannot be named.