Constant performance

The process technologies used at Symrise in Holzminden must always be state of the art. For Dr. Ludwig Tumbrink, who is responsible for flavor production, this means "I want to have innovative, robust and reliable technologies that not only work well today, but will continue to meet our requirements for years to come." As an example, he cites his mixing and dispersing systems, which are used to produce a wide variety of emulsions for subsequent spray drying. The systems from ystral, Ballrechten-Dottingen, are characterized above all by their efficient powder wetting and excellent emulsification. The dry and liquid components are fed into the dispersing and mixing head of the Conti-TDS powder wetting machine via separate inlets. The additives can be fed in dust- and residue-free via vacuum feed. The Conti-TDS is virtually the core unit of the respective overall system with preparation tank, jet mixer, feed and fluidizing device for the dry substances, etc. Symrise produces around 1,000 different spray-dried flavors. The main ingredients such as water or carriers (e.g. maltodextrin) are fed automatically to the mixing and dispersing systems, while the smaller recipe components (fruit concentrates, emulsifiers, etc.) are added manually. Here, the operator is instructed at a terminal how much of which ingredient to add. Tumbrink: "To be on the safe side, a batch record is created and the system itself also weighs the quantities added. This virtually eliminates errors." The employees operate the systems at terminals using simple and logical menu navigation.

Tumbrink confirms: "The employees get on very well with it because all processes are visualized, i.e. there are process images on the operating terminal that always show the current status and provide instructions for action." Before the systems were installed, two years of tests and optimizations were carried out. With an investment of well over EUR 1 million, this conscientious preparation is understandable. Hanspeter Seeger, Head of Development at Ystral, explains: "We even completely adapted the control system to Symrise's specifications." Great attention was also paid to hygienic design and thus the cleanability of the systems. Tumbrink: "Absolutely no flavor must be carried over after a product change. The consequences would be fatal if, for example, our strawberry powder had a hint of garlic or vanilla suddenly tasted like onion. We fear such contamination like the devil fears holy water." This is why Symrise places the utmost importance on thorough cleaning between the 15 to 20 different products that are processed daily on three systems with capacities of 3,000, 1,000 and 300 kg. The duration of the automatic CIP is 30 to 45 minutes, depending on the product. Tumbrink explains:
"We work with different cleaning intensities here. After all, the requirement for changing from an orange to a lemon product is not as high as for an onion or beef flavoring." A lot of development work was carried out by the plant manufacturer to ensure the hygienic design. This means that there are no cracks or corners where product residue could get stuck during cleaning. Seeger knows from his many years of experience: "In some companies, the profitability of a system is even determined by its cleaning efficiency." However, the technology used impresses above all with its constant performance, which they run in three-shift operation. The mixing results are very consistent. Specifications regarding temperature control, viscosity of the spray emulsion and particle size distribution are reliably adhered to. A batch is ready after around 30 to 45 minutes. "As far as recipe accuracy is concerned," says Tumbrink, "we work with a fluctuation tolerance of ± 1% throughout our flavor production, otherwise there are error messages. In the case of the 1,000-unit system, we achieve a deviation of just 100 g, and 300 to 400 g for the 3,000-unit system. These are excellent values."

The mixing and dispersing systems work almost fully automatically. Tumbrink points out the advantages: "We are able to generate a process recipe from the developer's recipe using our IT system. Based on the characteristics of this specification and the order size, the system is set automatically." If the operating control should ever fail, each of the systems could also be operated completely independently.

Understandably, ensuring traceability is particularly important for Symrise. Tumbrink: "We have complete documentation of which raw materials with which lot number have been used in which quantity in which batch." The work steps in the plant are also recorded: Speeds, temperatures etc. Seeger concludes: "So here too, you can see exactly what happens in the process of manufacturing a batch, how the product was processed."
It took less than six months to commission the three mixing and dispersing systems. Tumbrink: "For such a complex technology, it was surprisingly quick - and that for a solution that was previously uncharted technological territory for us." This was mainly due to the good cooperation between the system manufacturer and the user. Tumbrink praises the process engineering advice in particular, while Seeger praises the willingness to cooperate. Both key factors for the joint success. They have also known each other for years. Tumbrink emphasizes: ,,Whenever there are difficult mixing tasks to solve, we turn to this company." At Symrise
now has over 90 individual Ystral units in use. The largest of the systems installed there are used to produce cosmetic ingredients. The plans for the flavors division envisage capacity increases in the medium term, as the market in this product category is currently developing extremely positively. "We are also in the process of establishing this technology at our other sites around the world," says Tumbrink. We here in Holzminden are currently playing a pioneering role in this respect."