A sauce producer optimizes production through an Integrity Test
A customer in Belgium produces a variety of different sauces for the food industry. They encountered a problem where sauce product was mixing with glycol, risking production downtime. Performing the Alfa Laval Integrity Test on all eleven heat exchangers took less that fifteen minutes per section and took just two days, a process that normally takes much longer. Automated and technically advanced, the Integrity Test identified the problem, helped resolve it quickly and showed ways to improve the process for greater uptime.
DATE 2025-05-09
A sauce producer in Belgium had problems understanding why sauce product was mixing with glycol. It was expensive to remove the product from the glycol, which was causing costly disruptions to their production, deliveries and sales. They contacted Alfa Laval to find the problem and offer a solution that would get the line up and running as soon as possible. The answer was to perform Alfa Laval Integrity Tests on 11 gasket plate heat exchangers (GPHEs) in their production.
Find out in fifteen minutes
Each test takes less than 15 mins per section of heat exchanger and all 11 units were tested within two days as the customer had helped by dismantling the heat exchangers. The tests showed leakage in two of the units. The heat exchangers were brought to the nearest Alfa Laval Service Centre, inspected and new plate packs were installed. The whole operation was performed quickly, minimizing downtime compared to traditional methods.
Correct running for better uptime
One outcome of the Integrity Test was that it helped to quickly identify process changes to run the heat exchanger according to its design specification. That reduced unexpected downtime, increasing customer satisfaction – and of course profit.
Add value to your operations with Integrity tests
Proactive Integrity Tests are a cost-effective way to identify potential leakages both now and in the near future. They give you insights about the condition of the plates and gaskets of your heat exchangers, helping prolong their lifespan. Taking less than 15 minutes per section to perform given the right connection setup and cleaning of heat exchangers, the Alfa Laval Integrity Test helps you improve maintenance planning, avoid unexpected downtime, stay in control of your production process and secure the safety of your product.
They produce an automated report which, together with recommendations from our experts, makes it valid for meeting regulatory demands and audits. Additionally, using hydrogen as a test gas reduces your environmental footprint.
How Integrity Tests work
A non-toxic, non-flammable mix of hydrogen and nitrogen is pumped through your heat exchanger revealing any microscopic cracks, corrosion or material fatigue. Our precision sensors pick up any discharge of gas and identify the type of flaw – micro-cracks, corrosion, gasket failure and more. Our experts use Integrity Tests to detect cracks in your unit’s plates and external leakages on gaskets to evaluate the risk of media cross-contamination.
Alfa Laval Integrity Test is a proven method for onsite leakage detection in gasketed and tubular heat exchangers.