Stainless steel has helped deliver improved environmental performance and increased efficiency for a major food production company.
In 2014, Australian agribusiness GrainCorp announced a $125 million investment in a consolidation strategy to integrate its GrainCorp Foods’ manufacturing operations, including the relocation of its Brisbane plant to the existing West Footscray facility in Victoria. This move effectively terminates the use of its coal-fired equipment, giving GrainCorp Foods the opportunity to invest in efficient and environmentally sustainable technology and significantly reduce its carbon footprint.
As a result, GrainCorp Foods’ West Footscray operation commenced its expansion and upgrade in 2015 to deliver a state-of-the-art food processing plant.
GrainCorp awarded the design, engineering and installation to SPX Flow Technology Australia, and SPXFlow awarded ASSDA Member and Accredited Fabricator TFG Group the contract to install and fabricate specialised components for the facility’s new margarine production line.
TFG Group’s Foodline Projects division installed and assembled the stainless steel equipment under the direction of SPX Flow Technology Australia, including numerous pumps, valves, heat exchangers, vessels and specialised processing equipment.
The TFG Foodline Projects team also mechanically installed over 12km of stainless steel pipe, AS 1528 304L and 316L tube ranging from 25mm to 100mm in diameter, and over 6000 fittings supplied by ASSDA Sponsor Prochem Pipeline Products.
Hygiene and cleanability of equipment used in food production is paramount, and the correct specification and fabrication quality of stainless steel ensured this criterion was met.
The TFG Foodline Projects team consisted of 35 specialised welders, fitters and installation specialists to ensure the project’s tight lead-time of 24 weeks to completion was met with zero safety incidents. Orbital welding was applied to ensure speed, accuracy and prevention of bacterial contamination in the products.
As part of the factory upgrade, TFG Group’s Austline Fabrications division assisted with the fabrication and installation of the specialised scalloped stainless steel tank access platforms, break tanks, stainless steel chemical bunds and support racks. Jacketed pipework was fabricated to ensure the internal temperature of the process pipework was controlled to prevent the viscous product from solidifying.
These specialised items were all fabricated at TFG Group’s purpose-built factories in both Western Australia and Victoria, and transported to the West Footscray facility for installation by the Foodline Projects division.
GrainCorp’s investment in its West Footscray plant has delivered a fully integrated facility and a more efficient focal point for the sourcing, refining, and distribution of GrainCorp’s locally-produced edible oils and food ingredients.
This article is featured in Australian Stainless Issue 56 (Winter 2016).
Images courtesy of TFG Group.
