GTC Nutrition is a recognized global leader in providing innovative, customized ingredient solutions along with scientific, technical and marketing expertise to the food processing, dietary supplement and animal nutrition industries. One of the company’s premier ingredient solutions, OatVantageTM oat bran concentrate, is a natural, highly concentrated oat soluble fiber that provides support for heart and glycemic health. OatVantage is made from non-GMO North American oats using a patent pending aqueous extraction process enabling the oat soluble fiber to be included as an ingredient in great tasting foods and convenient supplements.
To process OatVantage, GTC performs an aqueous extraction of beta-glucan from oat bran. Oat bran typically contains 5.5% beta-glucan and the concentrate that is produced by GTC Nutrition contains 54% beta-glucan. The end product oat bran concentrate is distributed and marketed as OatVantage. Only 1.4 grams of OatVantage are required to reach the 0.75 grams of oat beta-glucan, required by the FDA to make a heart health claim. Over 40 clinical studies show a reduction of blood serum cholesterol when consuming at least 0.75 grams of oat beta glucan per day.
Like many food product manufacturing processes, GTC Nutrition’s Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs) require frequent wash down of the manufacturing equipment. Cleaning the outside of equipment proved to be a challenge for GTC Nutrition; one that was solved with the installation of food grade curtainwalls.
One of the problems GTC Nutrition’s QA/QC Manager Dan Johnson dealt with was the cleaning of a double roll dryer used in the manufacturing process. A high pressure washer is used to remove product that has dried onto the exterior of the dryer. The force of the water stream resulted in overspray around the room and onto nearby equipment, which added time and labor to the cleaning process.
As Mr. Johnson explains, “I eventually came to the idea of a curtain to surround the piece of equipment for containment purposes during cleaning.”
“Food grade Curtainwalls are available that have USDA approved vinyl and stainless hardware made it suitable for food environments.”
Once the curtainwalls arrived they were installed quickly with only minimal need for customization.
The primary feature of the USDA approved 40 mil thick PVC curtains is a slick, non-porous surface that sheds solutions and soils. Welded seams prevent the trapping of contaminants, with the panels hung on a smooth-gliding trolley that runs along a track attached to the ceiling. The #2 stainless steel roll rimmed grommets have spur washers for a sure grip on the curtain section.
The trolley has an open design to prevent bacteria formation. All metal parts are food quality stainless steel. The curtains overlap to confine the wash to the clean up area around the drum dryer, and are transparent to prevent personnel from entering the area during application of the high-pressure spray.
The containment area around the drum dryer is 16′ x 18′ within curtains that are 11 feet high. According to Mr. Johnson, “The curtains are easy to move along their roller track and completely contain the unit. When production starts and access is needed to the drum area the curtains are pulled back and are totally out of the way along one corner of the track system.”
The curtain maintains containment during the wash process of the drum dryer. The use of the curtain has reduced cleanup time by approximately 30 percent. “For us, this cuts three to four hours from our cleaning time, which was spent not only cleaning the drum dryer but also exteriors of other equipment and walls near the drum dryer,” said Mr. Johnson. “That’s time our crew can spend on other jobs in our facility.”
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CAPTIONS
Dryer enclosed -The 16′ x 18′ area around drum dyer at GTC Nutrition is enclosed by an 11′ high Goff’s Clean Curtains.
Spraying – The Goff’s Clean Curtains prevent overspray from contaminating surrounding operations.
Please send inquires to:
Tony Goff
Goff’s Enterprises, Inc.
1228 Hickory St.
Pewaukee, WI 53072
Telephone: (800) 234-0337
Fax: (262) 691-3255
Email: sales@goffscw.com
www.goffscurtainwalls.com
