Improving the output
Company: Lyckeby Amylex
Location: Czech Republic
Year: 2018
Application: Potato
Technology: Falling Film evaporator
As the largest producer of potato starch and associated products (modified starches) in the Czech Republic, LYCKEBY AMYLEX, Inc. constantly works to maintain its reputation as a supplier that offers unrivalled customer service by delivering high-quality, safe products.
Cost efficiency in focus
The company runs a tight ship, looking for cost efficiencies wherever possible – an essential part of being able to meet customer needs and keep ahead of the competition. In 2018, the focus was brought to bear on a particular cost that could not only become a profit generator but which could potentially make a contribution to sustainability as well!
Flushed away
Processing potatoes generates a certain amount of wastewater and potato juice – both of which are typically flushed out into fields. Producers like LYCKEBY AMYLEX must pay for the disposal of these residues while, at the same time, the nutritional value of the protein-rich juice simply goes to waste.
With these challenges in mind, the company began to explore ways to extract starch and potato proteins from the potato juice to be sold as fertiliser. Extraction would require the right equipment, sourced, of course, from the right supplier.
The right equipment
The equipment of choice for such applications is the re-circulation falling film evaporator – a special type of vertically oriented shell and tube (S&T) heat exchanger designed to remove water from a liquid to obtain a higher concentration of solids, operating under vacuum. Thanks to superior thermal performance, falling film evaporators are rapidly replacing older rising film evaporators, calandria style evaporators, and forced circulation style evaporators.
With the equipment determined, LYCKEBY AMYLEX issued a request for tender to a number of potential suppliers, listing the key criteria for choosing an evaporator and supplier as:
- The ability to meet required technical criteria
- Quality of delivery
- Speed of delivery
- Price
Winning strategy
While competitive project pricing was certainly part of the decision to choose a supplier, other factors were every bit as important, including technical expertise, application knowledge and installation capabilities. Here, SiccaDania checked all the boxes and, following a careful evaluation and selection process, LYCKEBY AMYLEX chose to work with the Danish-based, globally distributed company. The choice of SiccaDania was assisted, too, by positive prior experience of a SiccaDania solution.
“We had good experience with the dryer that SiccaDania delivered to LYCKEBY AMYLEX a year earlier.”
– Director of Lyckeby Amylex, Mr. Punčikar
Solid solution
SiccaDania provides highly efficient falling film evaporators ranging from pilot scale capacities to approximately 80 tons per hour of water evaporation. Configured and designed according to specific product requirements and the customer’s specifications, SiccaDania evaporators are particularly energy-efficient for applications in the dairy, starch and food industries. A modularised, standardised design ensures every evaporator can be easily customised, resulting in shorter delivery and installation times.
Knowhow-driven
Several SiccaDania teams were involved in designing and delivering the optimal evaporator solution, a task that encompassed the falling film evaporator itself, valves, electric motor drives and commissioning. The teams provided the necessary application knowledge, cooperating with SATEC, s.r.o. to ensure smooth integration into the existing ABB control system to manage the overall processing of tuber juice. As expert installation partners in their field, SATEC supplied and commissioned this control system and related electrical equipment in close collaboration with SiccaDania.
With a reputation for timely delivery of the evaporator, trouble-free commissioning and technical experience meeting all the criteria, Lyckeby Amylex and SiccaDania have established a long-term partnership.
“The evaporator delivers stable performance that meets the requirements both for now and will for a long time.”
– Director of Lyckeby Amylex, Mr. Punčikar
From cost to profit
Instead of paying for the disposal of previously unusable residues from the production of starch and potato protein, the company now sells output from the evaporator as fertilizer, providing a new source of revenue and recovering nutritional value that would otherwise have been wasted. And, following the timely delivery of the evaporator, compliance with all technical criteria and trouble-free commissioning, LYCKEBY AMYLEX and SiccaDania have established a rewarding, long-term partnership for the future.
About LYCKEBY AMYLEX
Operating mainly in the European market, LYCKEBY AMYLEX, Inc. develops manufactures and offers starch products and potato fibre. It is the largest producer of potato starch and related products in the Czech Republic. A substantial part of the company’s potato starch production is further processed into dextrin and modified starches for the paper industry. The company has a rich tradition of producing the highest quality products using premium-quality, fully automated technology.
