Beverages such as beer, soft drinks, wine, juices but also dairy products are being manufactured by use of the basic processes that always have defined the products (fermentation, milk etc.). The subsequent industrial processes in which the basic products are refined into various consumer products are usually done by traditional batch production.
The Food & Beverage industry is facing significant challenges due to the need for making the production more sustainable and because a still growing global population need more and better food. Finally, customers are asking for more and more different new products, which is difficult for food manufacturers to meet with batch production because of the need for minimum volume, dedicated production lines, long lead time and product waste. Finally, the Food & Beverage industry are being forced to reduce the carbon footprint and to reduce the waste of natural resources.
The Hydractflex project is a new approach that can be part of the solution to the challenges. The objective for the project has been to demonstrate that it is possible to mass produce a few concentrated base products and mix them in a continuous process just before the filling or packaging line. This process applies to beer production and other products where it is possible to differentiate them by producing Just-In-Time and On-Demand. By changing the process from traditional batch production of every individual product with the risk of producing too much or too little, will enable the manufacturer to produce what the market requires, in the right volume and when there is a demand.
The core technology behind Hydractflex is the water hydraulic valve technology Hydract that replaces compressed air with water pressurized to 50 bars in a closed and clean system. The saving of electrical energy is more than 90% vs. compressed air and the precision and reliability by using incompressible water instead of flexible air and springs enable the customer to have a safe, cheap, and more sustainable production.
