Our Most Popular Articles of 2019
Here’s a look back at our most popular blog articles from 2019.
We’d like to take this opportunity to thank you for taking the time to read our blog articles. We hope you enjoy reading them as much as we enjoy writing them!
So, here are the top 10, liquid product recovery (pigging) and industry-related blogs of 2019.
We love your comments and feedback, so please let us know your favourite and give us suggestions for future blog posts by filling out the short form at the bottom of the page.
10. Contamination and Cross Contamination in Paint Manufacture
This was also our 10th most popular blog article in 2018. It looks at the paints and coatings industry and the risk of contamination and cross-contamination.
Not only does contamination and cross-contamination pose a potential health threat, but it can seriously affect product quality. This is turn can affect consumer confidence and a company’s reputation and consequently sales and profitability.
This blog article looks at some of the causes of contamination in paint manufacture, the implications of environmental regulations and the transition towards sustainable, waterborne paints. It also looks at how liquid product recovery systems can help paint manufacturers ensure hygienic production and lower the risks of contamination and cross-contamination.
Here’s the blog article Contamination and Cross Contamination in Paint Manufacture.
9. Minimising Production Downtime in Food and Drink Manufacture
Production downtime is a major challenge facing food and beverage manufacturers. Downtime can be planned (i.e. changeover from one product to another) or unplanned as a result of equipment failure.
This blog article looks at downtime and the tangible and intangible costs associated with it. It also looks at the main causes of downtime and how technologies such as pigging and product recovery solutions are helping food and beverage companies minimise downtime by speeding up changeover times, improving production uptime and boosting efficiency.
Here’s the blog article Minimising Production Downtime in Food and Drink Manufacture.
8. The Food Industry and the Plant-Based Eating Trend
Plant-based eating is a trend that is driving the food and beverage industry and shows no sign of slowing down. Lifestyle changes, ethical choices and environmental concerns are leading consumers to seek more fruit, vegetables, grains, seeds or other plant-based ingredients within the products they purchase. As such, the plant-based eating market is booming.
This blog article provides an overview of the plant-based eating trend and the market opportunity it presents to food and beverage manufacturers. It also looks at some of the companies that are jumping on the plant-based food trend with new product offerings.
Here’s the blog article The Food Industry and the Plant-Based Eating Trend.
7. Pipeline Pig Tracking
Pipeline pig tracking means monitoring the location of a hygienic (sanitary) pig in a liquid processing system. Tracking the pig is important, as to operate and control any pigging system safely, effectively and efficiently, it’s fundamental to know the location of the pig (or pigs) as they travel through the pipeline.
This blog article provides an overview of pipeline pig tracking and looks at the types of pig tracking used in hygienic (sanitary) and process pigging systems. This includes HPS non-intrusive pig detectors.
Here’s the blog article Pipeline Pig Tracking.
6. How do Pigs Move Along Pipes
The pipeline pig is the most important part of any pigging system. However, due to the pig containing no moving parts, it requires pressure to move it along the pipes or tubing.
This blog article looks at how the pipeline pig is propelled along the pipeline by either liquid or gas. It also looks at the pressure required to propel the pig, speed of pigs, types of propellent plus more.
Here’s the blog article How do Pigs Move Along Pipes?
5. How to Prevent Aeration During Liquid Processing
Aeration can be a major problem for certain products such as shampoos, shaving foams, detergents and so on as it can cause foaming. Not only does foaming potentially result in delays and production coming to a grinding halt but in severe cases, it can render the product unusable.
This blog article provides guidance on how to prevent aeration, foaming or air contact in your liquid processing operation by using a double-pig pigging system.
If a product is susceptible to foaming, or risks being compromised by coming in to contact with air (such as wine), it’s strongly recommended to use a double-pig pigging system.
Here’s the blog article How to Prevent Aeration During Liquid Processing.
4. The Impact of Industry 4.0
The Impact of Industry 4.0 was our most-read blog article of 2018. But this year it’s dropped to fourth place.
This blog provides an overview of Industry 4.0, which is also referred to as the ‘Fourth Industrial Revolution’. It also looks at the opportunities and challenges that Industry 4.0 presents.
For food and beverage manufacturers, Industry 4.0 brings ample opportunities for firms to digitalise their supply and demand systems, therefore reducing waste and increasing profitability. The blog also looks at the role of automatic pigging solutions and the part they will play in the fourth industrial revolution.
Here’s the blog article The Impact of Industry 4.0.
3. Facing Challenges in the Chocolate and Confectionery Industry
This was a popular blog article last year, and it’s still proving popular in 2019. It provides an overview of the chocolate and confectionery industry and looks at some of the challenges facing manufacturers. This includes volatile raw material prices, intense competition, government regulation plus more which are directly impacting the margins of chocolate and confectionery firms.
This blog also provides an overview of the options available to manufacturers to overcome these challenges such as increasing the price and shrinking portion sizes. It also explains how pigging systems can transform chocolate and confectionery processing operations. This is through recovering product from pipelines (instead of wasting it), lowering costs and speeding up operations.
Here’s the blog article Facing Challenges in the Chocolate and Confectionery Industry.
2. Beer Industry: Environmental Concerns and Regulations
This blog article was also a popular blog article in 2018. Even more so this year as it climbed up a position to second place. It provides an overview of the multi-billion-dollar beer industry and the environmental and regulatory challenges facing the sector.
Due to environmental concerns and legislation, many beer manufacturers are shifting towards sustainable green technologies. Pigging is a technology that is increasing in use in the beer industry. This blog article looks at how pigging can help manufacturers improve efficiency, reduce water usage, lower energy usage and boost environmental performance.
Here’s the blog article Beer Industry: Environmental Concerns and Regulations.
And the most popular blog article of 2019 is
1. Sustainability Challenges Facing the Cosmetics and Personal Care Industry
Sustainability challenges facing the cosmetics and personal care industry takes the top spot and is HPS’s most popular blog of 2019. This blog article looks at the major challenges facing cosmetics and personal care manufacturers regarding sustainability.
In recent years, sustainability has become a key concern for many businesses in the cosmetics and personal care industry. As a result, many manufacturers are implementing sustainable technologies such as pigging into their processing plants to reduce their environmental impact. Because pigging cuts waste, reduces water usage, minimises the amount of effluent generated and saves energy and resources, the environmental benefits of pigging are significant.
Here’s the blog article Sustainability Challenges Facing the Cosmetics and Personal Care Industry.
Thank You for Reading Our Blogs
Again, we’d like to thank you for reading our blog articles this year! If there are any questions you have about pigging, product recovery or liquid transfer solutions that we can potentially dedicate a blog article to, then please get in touch.