“Sustainable manufacturing”. Have you ever Googled it? There are over 323,000,000 results. There are “Complete Guides to Sustainable Manufacturing” and company posts and pages on how they manufacture sustainably.
They discuss “closed loop industry” and “reduction of waste”, but none of them develop on how these practices are sustainable or how they reduce waste.
Do they recycle packaging and turn off lights when they leave a room? One company, rather than focusing on cutting down their carbon emissions, plants trees to compensate. Not a bad idea, but not the best way to be sustainable.
So today we want to talk to you about one way to effectively practice sustainable manufacturing: hygienic and sanitary liquid product recovery (pigging systems).
SUSTAINABLE MANUFACTURING
Sustainable manufacturing has become more important since the 2015 Paris Agreement. This has set a 1.5˚C target for limiting the rise of the global temperature.
To achieve this target, it was agreed that industrial companies would have to decrease their carbon emissions by 45%.
Companies have been encouraged to reduce waste, recycle, and reuse what they can, and develop ways of decreasing or capturing carbon outputs.
Yet there has been very little practical guidance issued on how to become a sustainable manufacturer. Some people may be asking themselves, “Well, I’ve been told that we have to become more sustainable, but how can we do that?”
If you produce liquid products, then we can help you make your process practices much more sustainable.
WHAT IS PIGGING?
Liquid product recovery (pigging) is a technology that enables companies to recover product from pipelines. This is product that would normally be wasted. The benefits of pigging systems are significant, such as cutting carbon emissions, reducing waste, and, in some cases, reducing water consumption.
Pigging is a simple process. At the end of a batch run, a projectile (the pig) is sent through the pipeline. The pig pushes the remaining product to the end of the line. That product can then be sent on for further processing or packaging.
The pig then returns to its housing and can be cleaned as part of CIP procedures.
SUSTAINABLE MANUFACTURING AND PIGGING SYSTEMS
Now we know about what pigging is, let’s talk about how it can make your manufacturing process more sustainable.
Increased yield.
Our pigging systems increase yield by recovering product from pipelines. Rather than having to produce additional product to meet output targets, you’ll be able to produce as much as you need.
For example, if you make shampoo and have an output target of 1,000 litres and you have 10% wastage, without pigging you’ll need to produce 1,100 litres of shampoo.
If you have a pigging system installed that operates at a 99.5% recovery rate, you’ll only need to produce 1000.5 litres of shampoo.
There are other variables that will impact how much product can be recovered, such as product viscosity. Use the example above but with an 90% recovery rate and you’ll still only need to produce 1,010 litres of shampoo.
By decreasing the amount of product created, you’ll be able to reduce the amount of energy used during production, thus reducing your carbon emissions.
Decreased water consumption.
CIP procedures are key to ensuring that systems are kept hygienic and fit for purpose. Many manufacturers will use large amounts of water in their flushes to ensure that pipelines are clean. Because pigging removes most of the product from the line, manufacturers will not need to use as much water in CIP processes.
Decreased carbon emissions.
Directly related to the rising temperature of the world is carbon output. Pigging systems decrease how much carbon companies produce by decreasing the amount of energy (e.g., electric and gas) used for production, transport, and disposal.
Download Our Carbon Zero Report
WHY SHOULD YOU PIG WITH HPS?
HPS have extensive experience in process pigging solutions and pipeline pigging products. Our pig is unique in the world of pigging because of its specialist design.
Our pig maintains full-body contact with the internal pipeline wall, which increases the product recovery rate up to 99.5%. Our pig is made of a flexible material and contains a flexible magnetised material, which enables it to go round 1.5D bends while still maintaining full-body contact.
While you research pigging, you’ll see lots of photographs of pigs. They’ll all look somewhat different, but the biggest difference isn’t just in the look but the feel. The material that we use to create the necessary flexibility means that we have a more highly performing and safer pig than other companies.
Unlike the HPS pig, hard pigs with protruding elements and a solid magnet are more at risk of breaking in the pipeline. Sometimes, if the pressure and angle is not right, the magnet can break free from its casing and pierce the pipeline wall. This is a safety risk to those who work in your factory environment, as well as to equipment.
HPS pipeline pigs can’t break through stainless steel and they’re less likely to spontaneously break in the pipeline.
Not only are HPS pigs high performing and efficient, they’re also safer as well.
FIND OUT MORE
HPS pigging systems deliver a wide range of benefits. In addition, the product recovery system ROI and payback is nearly always significant.
If you want to know more about how pigging can help your company become a more sustainable manufacturer or contact us for more information.