Food Processor's New Spray System Improves Yield of Expensive Coating
 Labor costs reduced as well since clogging was eliminated
Many food processing applications require a precise amount of coating to be applied to the food product. Nozzles which clog or do not apply precise amounts of coating can result in costly maintenance and increased expenses.
PROBLEM: An Ohio food processor applied a special egg-based coating to turkey patties to add flavor to the patties and to also assist in the browning process. At first, workers applied the coating manually with brushes, but the result was an imprecise application and wasted coating. Eventually they tried various hand-held spray guns and other types of automatic spray guns, but without much success. That's because the viscous nature of the coating caused frequent nozzle clogging and erratic coating.
SOLUTION: The Spraying Systems Co. sales engineer recommended VAU variable spray nozzles. This nozzle is unique in its ability to fine-tune the capacity, drop size and spray pattern for precise coverage. The nozzles now apply an even, controlled amount of the egg-based coating which measures just under 3.5 ounces (1.0 gram). As a result, coating waste was reduced from 50% to 10%. The coating is purchased overseas and is expensive, so the reduction in waste more than cost justified the new spray system.
The VAU variable spray nozzle offers another advantage. It features a built-in orifice clean-out needle which is automatically activated between each spray cycle. This has virtually eliminated nozzle clogging. The reduced maintenance and the elimination of hand-held spray guns also allowed the company to reassign two 40-hour per week positions on this line.
The Spraying Systems Co. sales engineer also recommended the accessories which completed the spray system including filters, regulators and gauges.
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