Food Engineering logo
search
cart
facebook twitter linkedin youtube
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
Food Engineering logo
  • NEWS
    • Latest Headlines
    • Manufacturing News
    • People & Industry News
    • Plant Openings
    • Recalls
    • Regulatory Watch
    • Supplier News
  • PRODUCTS
    • New Plant Products
    • New Retail Products
  • TOPICS
    • Alternative Protein
    • Automation
    • Cannabis
    • Cleaning | Sanitation
    • Fabulous Food Plants
    • Food Safety
    • Maintenance Strategies
    • OEE
    • Packaging
    • Sustainability
    • More
  • EXCLUSIVES
    • Plant Construction Survey
    • Plant of the Year
    • Sustainable Plant of the Year
    • State of Food Manufacturing
    • Top 100 Food & Beverage Companies
  • MEDIA
    • Podcasts
    • Videos
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
  • FOOD MASTER
  • EVENTS
    • Food Automation & Manufacturing Symposium and Expo
    • Industry Events
  • RESOURCES
    • eNewsletter
    • Custom Content & Marketing Services
    • FE Store
    • Government Links
    • Industry Associations
    • Market Research
    • Classified Ads
  • EMAGAZINE
    • eMagazine
    • Archive Issue
    • Advertise
  • SIGN UP!
Latest headlines

Insulating pipes

Hygienic process insulation solves dairy coop condensation issues, saves energy

Kamataka Milk Producers replaced aging and cracking foam and nitrile rubber insulation, reducing the potential for bacterial cross contamination

By Wayne Labs, Senior Contributing Technical Editor
New insulation on dairy piping saves energy and reduces the chance of bacterial cross-contamination

Piping in dairies that is exposed incessantly to extreme heating and cooling needs to be insulated as shown in this Kamataka Milk Producers application, where old cracked insulation was replaced with custom-designed foam insulation. Photo courtesy of Zotefoams

September 22, 2021

Condensation on piping is a significant risk in dairy operations as it introduces the chance for mold and bacteria to grow, which creates a potential cross-contamination problem when it could spread to other critical areas in the plant.

When condensation was identified recently as an issue for Kamataka Milk Producers Federation Ltd (KMF), the leading Indian dairy cooperative solved the problems using Zotefoams’ high-performance T-FIT insulation. The installation of T-FIT Process and T-FIT Hygiene solutions has greatly reduced the risk from condensation and decreased ongoing maintenance costs while delivering significant energy savings.

KMF is India’s second-largest dairy cooperative and, through its ‘Nandini’ brand, a market-leader in fresh and pasteurized milk products, including ice cream. Maintaining product quality is critical, so when an external compliance audit by the India Food Safety and Standards Authority noted an issue with the existing insulation, KMF acted quickly. The traditional polyurethane foam and nitrile rubber pipe insulation was showing signs of wear in the form of cracks from thermal fatigue, allowing condensation ingress and thus the possibility of bacterial and fungal growth and possible cross-contamination.

Condensation a common problem

Condensation is common in chilled and frozen-food production, where both seasonal temperatures and production flow vary. Cold pipework is particularly susceptible to condensation if the temperature at the pipe’s surface falls below the dew point of its environment, resulting in condensed water droplets that can transfer various impurities into the production process.

For KMF, a particular challenge was posed by regular changes in line temperature, between -5°C (23°F)—during ice cream production—and a peak of 90°C (194°F) during steam and clean-in-place (CIP) procedures. This was causing energy losses under both chilled and hot operating conditions. In addition, lye formation on the surface of tubes was also noticeable after CIP, and the overall result was KMF personnel having to work hard to maintain the rigorous quality standards necessary.

Custom-designed insulation for demanding environments

KMF worked closely with the T-FIT team in India to replace the existing insulation with T-FIT Hygiene and T-FIT Process technical insulation. Specifically designed to target specific challenges in the most demanding, highly controlled production environments, Hygiene and Process insulation products are manufactured from Zotefoams’ ZOTEK® high-performance foams, with Hygiene produced from ZOTEK F (a fine, closed-cell PVDF foam) and Process from ZOTEK N (a tough nylon foam).

The supplier’s proprietary three-stage manufacturing process delivers several in-use performance benefits, including ease of cleaning, immunity to most chemicals, a wide operating temperature range, excellent flammability credentials, and UV-resistance. Because all T-FIT products are also guaranteed to be particulate-free, installation can take place during production, with no need for PPE or special containment requirements such as tents or hoods.

T-FIT Hygiene, which is tailored to aseptic applications, and food processing in particular, was retrofitted to the chiller and ice cream filling lines to prevent condensation forming. T-FIT Process, designed for process areas demanding heat-tolerant insulation, was applied to the steam and CIP lines. Stable up to 200°C (EN14707), T-FIT Process withstands the temperature spikes that occur when pipes are steam-flushed to prevent contamination.

Benefits

As well as solving the condensation problems at KMF, T-FIT Hygiene and T-FIT Process have delivered other major benefits compared to the previous polyurethane foam and nitrile rubber pipe insulation. T-FIT is far more durable, easier to maintain and has resulted in significant reductions in combined heat loss—by 96% on a 3-inch CIP line and 80% on a 2.5-inch chiller line. Over a year, these reductions add up to big savings in energy consumption.

For more information, contact Zotefoams at www.zotefoams.com. Zotefoams has manufacturing facilities in London UK, Walton, Kentucky and Poland.

KEYWORDS: bacteria cross-contamination energy insulation

Share This Story

Looking for a reprint of this article?
From high-res PDFs to custom plaques, order your copy today!

Wayne labs 200px
Wayne Labs has more than 30 years of editorial experience in industrial automation. He served as senior technical editor for I&CS/Control Solutions magazine for 18 years where he covered software, control system hardware and sensors/transmitters. Labs ran his own consulting business and contributed feature articles to Electronic Design, Control, Control Design, Industrial Networking and Food Engineering magazines. Before joining Food Engineering, he served as a senior technical editor for Omega Engineering Inc. Labs also worked in wireless systems and served as a field engineer for GE’s Mobile Communications Division and as a systems engineer for Bucks County Emergency Services. In addition to writing technical feature articles, Wayne covers FE’s Engineering R&D section.

Recommended Content

JOIN TODAY
to unlock your recommendations.

Already have an account? Sign In

  • Global Organic Food & Beverage Market to Grow

    Global Organic Food & Beverage Market to Grow

    With a CAGR of 12.07%, Bonafide Research estimates this...
    Latest headlines
  • skilled MEP worker

    Predicting Food and Beverage Manufacturing Trends for 2024

    The two words that should be kept in mind are labor and...
    Automation
    By: Derrick Teal
  • cleaning and sanitation

    The basics of cleaning and sanitation in food plants

    Sanitation maintains or restores a state of cleanliness...
    Cleaning | Sanitation
    By: Richard F. Stier
Manage My Account
  • eMagazine
  • eNewsletter
  • Online Registration
  • Manage My Preferences
  • Customer Service

More Videos

Popular Stories

Kraft Heinz DeKalb Distribution Center Rendering

Kraft Heinz Upgrades U.S. Manufacturing Facilities

FMTE Formed by Four Food Manufacturing Companies

Coalition Unites Europe’s Food Manufacturing Technologies and Equipment Sector

Bottling machine

How Sensing Technologies Can Help Avoid Food and Water Waste

CHECK OUT OUR NEW ESSENTIAL TOPICS

Alternative ProteinAutomationCleaning/SanitationFabulous Food Plants

Food SafetyMaintenance StrategiesOEE

PackagingSustainability

Events

June 17, 2025

Refrigerated & Frozen Foods’ State of the Cold Chain

On Demand Kelley Rodriguez, Editor in Chief of Refrigerated & Frozen Foods, will be joined in this 60-minute webinar by industry experts to help unpack the latest research.

July 10, 2025

Smarter Innovation With Practical AI: How to Stay Agile in Uncertain Times

Regulatory updates, supply chain shifts and evolving consumer demands keep the food and beverage industry in a state of constant change.

View All Submit An Event

Products

Recent Advances in Ready-to-Eat Food Technology

Recent Advances in Ready-to-Eat Food Technology

See More Products

Plant of the Year

Related Articles

  • IcePoint cycle

    IcePoint saves energy via on-demand agile cooling and moisture control

    See More
  • Boiler control systems

    Connecting process control, CIP, HVAC and energy management

    See More
  • Pacitti

    Discovering broken links in the cold chain cuts food waste, saves money

    See More

Related Products

See More Products
  • Functionalized_Carbohydrate.gif

    Functionalizing Carbohydrates for Food Applications

See More Products

Events

View AllSubmit An Event
  • July 24, 2024

    Illuminate & Innovate: Optimizing Lighting for Food and Beverage Facilities With Energy Efficiency in Mind

    On Demand This seminar will provide practical insights and actionable strategies to optimize lighting systems for improved efficiency, productivity, and sustainability.
View AllSubmit An Event
×

Elevate your expertise in food engineering with unparalleled insights and connections.

Get the latest industry updates tailored your way.

JOIN TODAY!
  • RESOURCES
    • Advertise
    • Contact Us
    • Food Master
    • Store
    • Want More
  • SIGN UP TODAY
    • Create Account
    • eMagazine
    • eNewsletter
    • Customer Service
    • Manage Preferences
  • SERVICES
    • Marketing Services
    • Reprints
    • Market Research
    • List Rental
    • Survey/Respondent Access
  • STAY CONNECTED
    • LinkedIn
    • Facebook
    • YouTube
    • X (Twitter)
  • PRIVACY
    • PRIVACY POLICY
    • TERMS & CONDITIONS
    • DO NOT SELL MY PERSONAL INFORMATION
    • PRIVACY REQUEST
    • ACCESSIBILITY

Copyright ©2025. All Rights Reserved BNP Media.

Design, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing