The uses of spray nozzles in the food industry are varied and diverse but the following applications are given attention in this section of our website: spray coating; tank cleaning (CIP); cleaning and washing; and sanitisation nozzles and systems for food processing facilities.
See our Food Industry brochure (right)
for full details of our spray solutions for the food and drinks sector which also include solutions for spray drying, pasteurisation, freezing and deluge cooling and mixing.
Typically, flat fan nozzles are used to deliver a variety of coatings. Accurate and precise spraying is the key driver so air actuated and/or air atomised nozzles are often used.
Please click here or on the blue key applications menu to the right for more details on spray coating nozzle selection for food applications. Or access the nozzle data sheets by clicking the boxes below.
Tank cleaning
A huge variety of tanks and vessels need to be cleaned regularly in many food and beverage manufacturing process lines. SNP have tank cleaning heads suitable for small barrels up to large storage silos and anything in between.
Please click here or on the blue menu to the right to access more detailed information on tank cleaning nozzle selection for the food industry. Alternatively you can access the tank cleaning data sheets by clicking the boxes below.
Sanitising
Nozzles for sanitising
Sanitising fogs and mists are commonly used to kill microbes after residues have been removed by cleaning. The sprays used are very fine and are designed to move everywhere within a confined space to ensure complete sanitisation.
Please click here or on the blue menu to the right to access more detailed information on sanitising nozzle selection for food applications. Alternatively you can access the cleaning nozzle data sheets by clicking the boxes below.
Cleaning & washdown systems for sanitising for bakeries
In addition to our range of spray nozzles for sanitising we also offer a wide range of cleaning and disinfecting solutions for food processing and manufacturing plants. These include mixing stations and guns which will mix cleaning chemicals with a mains water supply either at a wall mounted unit, at the gun or via a trolley based cleaning unit as well as equipment for spraying, foaming and fogging. The Lafferty range of sanitising and washdown systems can be deployed in almost any food production facility.
Foaming
Foaming agents introduced into a washdown system will help improve the dwell time of cleaning chemicals. This improved action time often means less chemicals and water can be used to achieve the same levels of cleanliness. The Lafferty range of foam units can be used with just water or water and compressed air. They are available as wall mounted systems, trolley mounted or will mix at the spray gun itself. For more information, visit our Foaming Products page here.
- Mixing Systems
The accurate mixing of washdown and sanitising chemicals is an important part of the overall cleaning process in any food factory. Our venturi mixing systems allow for the acurrate mixing of chemicals with no pumps or external power required. They are a simple, accurate and rapid way to mix cleaning fluids with mains water.
Spraying
We have a range of mobile and wall mounted spraying systems.
Fogging
Fogging systems provide a disinfectant mist to kill pathogens both in the air and on surfaces. We supply mobile and stationary fogging solutions as well as a range of fogging guns (see here for more details of our fogging guns).
Key spray engineering challenges
There are many challenges that need to be overcome to deliver successful spraying applications in the food industry. Four key challenges are discussed in these web pages.
Spraying viscous fluids
The food industry uses a variety of different coatings and liquids that are highly viscous. These fluids have very different properties to water and as such can present significant challenges when it comes to successful spraying. SNP have both the product range and application knowledge to meet these challenges.
Please click here or on the grey menu to the right to access more detailed information on meeting the challenges of spraying viscous fluids.
Strict hygiene standards
We manufacture nozzles in food grade 316 stainless steel, PTFE and PVDF as standard, with options of hastelloy and other higher grade alloys where required. Our nozzle manufacturing process is backed up by ISO standards, full material certs and documented quality processes to meet the strictest of requirements. This means that you can be assured of a high quality product that will meet the stringent needs of the food industry.
Please click here or on the grey menu to the right to access more detailed information on meeting strict hygiene standards.
Precision spraying
The perishable nature of the product and strict safety standards means that any process failure can result in significant financial losses. The cost of a lost batch due a faulty spraying system will often dwarf the cost of the spray nozzles involved. This is why it is vital to talk to experts like SNP’s sales engineers. Our entire business is built on expertise in spray nozzles. We can offer the correct advice on nozzle selection so your process will work as intended.
Please click here or on the grey menu to the right to access more detailed information on achieving the accurate and precise spraying for critical food manufacturing processes.
Water efficiency
The food industry uses vast amounts of water. This represents a significant cost to many food processing businesses. Saving water is thus a critical concern for many plant managers. Correct nozzle selection can optimise spraying systems meaning the same job can often be performed with less fluid. The financial benefits of spray process optimisation can be significant and this is particularly true in tank cleaning applications. SNP have both the product range and applications knowledge to advise on any such optimisation projects.
In a similar vein, nozzle selection can be critical in optimising the use of coating products such as egg glazes. Over-spraying or using sprays that are not optimally atomised can result in product waste and inefficiencies. Again, SNP have the product and application knowledge to help minimise such wastage.
Please click here or on the grey menu to the right to access more detailed information on achieving water / product savings through optimised spraying.