Liquid product recovery (pigging) systems in the process industries began with simple manual systems. They were OK at the time, but compared to the modern, automated technology used today were clunky, slow, and required a fair amount of operator training. They also had to incorporate a lot of safety features to prevent incorrect or unsafe operation.
To put it simply, manual pigging systems just weren’t that good.
As time has gone on, manual pigging systems have improved a bit. But they still require a lot of maintenance, interaction, and training.
As an alternative, HPS has developed semi-automated and fully automated liquid product recovery technology.
HPS provides fully automated advanced liquid product recovery (pigging) technology to manufacturers in many industries across the world. We work with food, beverage, pet food, chocolate, homecare, personal care, cosmetics, paint and coatings, chemical and lubricants manufacturers, and more.
We have a saying:
“If you can pump it, we can pig it!”
The Importance of Automation in the 21st Century
Industrial automation has grown significantly since the turn of the century and many manufacturers now include automated processes within their operations. Automated technology is important in the current socioeconomic climate for several reasons:
- Operational Efficiency: Business is becoming more competitive, and it’s important that companies maximise their operational efficiency to stay ahead of competitors.
- Resource Conservation: With the rising cost of bills and the decreasing quantity of natural resources, conserving resources is important to businesses and world health.
- Cost Savings: Economic pressures, market volatility, and rising energy costs make cost control paramount for businesses.
- Product Quality and Safety: One of the foremost benefits of using automated technology is the decreased risk of human error impacting product quality and safety.
- Regulatory Compliance: Stringent regulatory requirements persist across many industries. Automation reduces the risk of non-compliance penalties and legal issues.
- Health and Safety: The well-being of employees is a top priority, and automation contributes to ensuring employee safety, especially in hazardous conditions. This is particularly important at a time when workforce safety and health are paramount concerns.
- Labour shortages: In many sectors, labour is difficult to get hold of these days, so automating systems helps reduce reliance on this increasingly scarce resource.
In the current socioeconomic climate, where businesses face complex challenges and uncertainties, automated pigging systems offer practical solutions to enhance efficiency, reduce costs, meet regulatory requirements, and maintain product quality and safety.
These systems help industries adapt to changing circumstances while remaining competitive and environmentally responsible.
Why Automated Pigging Systems Are Good For Manufacturers
HPS pigging systems are used by some of the largest companies in the world, including Mondelez, AkzoNobel, Exol, Coca-Cola, P&G, Purina, Unilever and many more. Although they use their pigging systems for different reasons, they all experience the same benefits of pigging by using automated systems.
Some of these benefits include:
- Increased Operational Efficiency: Automated pigging technology helps liquid manufacturers streamline their operations by reducing the downtime required for maintenance and CIP procedures. This efficiency is especially valuable as companies strive to optimise production to meet increasing demand and cost constraints.
- Resource Conservation: As sustainability and environmental concerns gain prominence, automated pigging systems contribute to resource conservation. By minimizing product waste and reducing the need for chemical cleaning agents, these systems align with eco-friendly practices, helping companies meet environmental regulations and reduce their carbon footprint.
- Increased Cost Savings: Automated pigging systems offer long-term cost savings by reducing the quantity of product sent to waste, increasing yields and reducing energy, water, and chemical consumption. HPS hygienic and sanitary pipeline product recovery technology offers a high ROI, with most companies seeing a rapid payback period of 6 to 12 months.
- Improved Product Quality and Safety: In all industries ensuring product quality and safety is non-negotiable. HPS automated pigging systems are hygienically designed to help maintain product purity by preventing contamination and minimizing the risk of product recalls or quality issues. Removing almost all the products from the line also helps companies to perform more effective CIP procedures. In the face of stringent regulations and consumer expectations, this is critical.
- Regulatory Compliance: Automated pigging systems help companies maintain compliance by providing a documented and systematic approach to pipeline product recovery. HPS pigging systems are ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 certified.
- Health and Safety: Automated pigging systems contribute to workplace safety by reducing the need for manual intervention and cleaning, which can be hazardous in certain conditions. Optimising the quantity of chemicals required for CIP procedures poses less risk to operators and the product.
By using HPS automated pigging systems, manufacturers of liquid products see improved operations, increased efficiency, and maximised profits. They can stay ahead of the game and keep up with their competitors without having to sacrifice product quality or safety.
Learn More
You can learn more about HPS Advanced Liquid Product Recovery (Pigging) Technology by visiting the Resources section of our website. There you’ll find blog articles, industry guides, videos, and much more.
We’ve also done an interesting article on manual, semi-automatic and fully automatic pigging systems so make sure you check it out – Manual, Automatic and Semi-Automatic Pigging Systems – What’s the Difference?
Alternatively, our lovely team are always happy to chat – just send us a message using the button below!