Business North March 2021

54 | Nozzle specialist a key player in dairy industry The dairy industry is a key market for Spray Technologies with many dairy factories throughout New Zealand choosing to work with the componentry it supplies. Spray Technologies DAIRY INDUSTRY P eter Whale, Managing Director of Mt Maunganui-based business, Spray Tech- nologies Ltd, says that since establishing the company in 2003, growth in demand for the specialised products he markets, has gone very well, a reality he is not at all surprised about. “I knew when I began the company that the quality of the spray equipment we would sell meant that demand would grow. “We sell and service the world’s leading spray nozzle componentry, manufactured by Delavan, who are based in Widnes, England and we stand by every item we sell,” says Peter. The dairy industry is a key market with many dairy factories throughout New Zealand choosing to work with Spray Technologies and use the high quality Delavan componentry. “We supply the nozzles that turn the partly processed milk into powder. “A large number of factories have several driers, with multiple nozzles. Inside these, the design and materials used are highly technical in nature.” Milk is first processed into a condensed-milk consistency. This is done by reducing the water content from approximately 90% down to around 50%. The “condensed milk” is then heated to around 70°C to allow it to flow more easily and then it is forced through specialized spray nozzles, usually operating at upward of 3000 PSI. The nozzles spray the milk into a large chamber where the air is around 200°C. As the small droplets pass through the hot air they dry and fall to the bottom of the chamber as milk powder. Given the incredible forces in play, the internals of these nozzles are made of Tung- sten-Carbide and are regularly inspected to ensure they are in good condition. Should any wear or damage be discovered, then only the component in question is replaced. “These are not materials that can be re- paired and it is essential, with the standards that govern the production of milk powder, that the spray nozzles are not in any way com- promised. This is critical for both the quality of the product being manufactured, as well as the health and safety of the teams working with the dryers. On-site training is an important service Spray Technologies offers to all its customers. T T Sue Russell “We train the operators in these dryers on the best way to assemble and disassemble the nozzles as well as the key areas to inspect frequently for wear.” Peter says nozzle componentry in dairy factories is replaced as required with most seeing excellent wear lives, however this will vary depending on the product the nozzles are spraying. “The more abrasive the product (for example infant formulas are highly abrasive, where commodity whole milk is very gentle on the componentry) the faster the nozzle components wear out In 2014, Business Development Manager Clinton Prince joined Spray Technologies, part of a carefully planned strategy to reach out to new customers. Clinton concentrates for the main part on the company’s North Island and Australian customers, while Peter travels South. “He is very committed to what we are about and to ensuring our products reach the widest possible markets,” says Peter. Offering a consultancy service is another core activity. When a customer isn’t sure what equipment will provide the best return on investment, Peter will engage with design engineers at Delavan. In highly specialised situations, the team will design and manufacture bespoke nozzles to suit the application at hand. While a large proportion of business is with the New Zealand dairy sector, Spray Tech- nologies also works with customers in a wide range of other industries throughout Australa- sia and some Pacific Islands. These industries include pulp and paper, mining, steel manufacturing, medical waste management, automotive and pharmaceutical to name just a few. “A market where we are seeing significant growth is our highly specialised Swirl Air range of air atomising nozzles. “These are used in many applications, tem- perature management in furnaces is a com- mon example where a specific droplet size is required to maintain a specific temperature, without wetting the furnace wall.” Now, 17 years after establishing Spray Tech- nologies Ltd Peter and the team are positive demand for their products and services will grow. “When you have such a great product range, backed up by our years of experience servicing the industries we do, we are confi - dent we will continue to adapt as new technol- ogies evolve and increase our customer-base.” SDX ® Spray DryNozzles ® Delevan’s SDX range of nozzles with the “original” single inlet swirl chamber produces a hollow cone spray pattern with a uniform droplet distribution. With 10 sizes of swirl chambers and over 220 orifice sizes, the ability to fine tune the flow rate and spray angle is almost limitless. • Hand tight design for ease of assembly and reduced downtime • Patented orifice design with a proven increase in wear life • Multiple grade of carbide to maximize wear life • Custom lance designs available for any drying operation • Wear parts positively retained during assembly, eliminating the possibility of component breakage and minimizing the risk for misalignment during assembly. OTHERS FOLLOW! WHERE WE LEAD, Delavan Limited, a Collins Aerospace company