Commercial Bakery Improves Productivity with Vacuum Jacketed Piping System

A commercial bakery in Pennsylvania has had a very satisfying experience working with Technifab Products, Inc. to install a vacuum jacketed piping system to distribute liquid nitrogen for a production line that flash freezes unbaked cookies. Not only has the system met all of their expectations, but the savings are more than the customer expected. 

This company installed 171 feet of vacuum jacketed piping,  replacing an inefficient 250 foot system of copper pipe with foam insulation covered by a protective polyvinyl chloride layer. The nitrogen comes from an 11,000 gallon bulk tank through a main line of 1.5 in. diameter pipe that drops to the first tunnel freezer with 1.0 in. inside diameter pipe; then to a second tunnel freezer in two drops of 0.5 in. inside diameter pipe. The system is connected to the bulk tank with a 1.5 in. inside diameter Techflex™ vacuum jacketed hose; the three drops to the tunnels:  one 1.0 in. inside diameter and two 0.5 in. inside diameter Techflex vacuum insulated hoses. The flexible drops have a heat-shrink covering to satisfy government inspection requirements for food industry applications, while providing the operations the advantages of flexible piping.

This customer heard about Technifab from their cryogen supplier who provided several sources for their choice. The bakery was searching for a solution to a nagging ongoing issue in that they experienced prolonged start-up time each day getting liquid nitrogen to the freezer tunnels, especially after being down for any extended period of time. They were also having problems reaching desired freezing temperatures and were not happy with the added cost of exhausting nitrogen gas from the distribution piping every day.

They chose Technifab because of the confidence and comfort level they had with each Technifab person they spoke with, the quality of the product and the reasonable price. The choice proved wise and the bakery established a good working relationship with Technifab from the initial system start-up to the present. The customer’s Maintenance Manager says, “If I had to do it again, I would still choose Technifab.”

Benefits the customer achieved as a direct result from installing the Technifab VJP system include reduction in cost per pound of product frozen, quick start-up time every day and a colder internal temperature of the final product.

Lessons Learned

Since the vacuum jacketed piping system is delivering a more consistent and colder supply of liquid nitrogen to the tunnel freezers, the customer has been able to focus on improving the liquid nitrogen distribution inside the tunnels. They have since made some changes to the spray nozzles in the larger tunnel and they are planning to change the header in the smaller tunnel and possibly add a second drop and control valve.

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