IN practically every industry, in almost every production environment, where cleaning, rinsing, cooling, drying, lubricating or sanitising is required, an industrial nozzle can be found. Lechler Germany, represented in South Africa by Industrial Nozzles & Systems, is the oldest nozzle manufacturer in the world, and has been designing and manufacturing nozzles for this purpose for over 140 years.
With a diverse standard range of over 40 000 nozzles, a customer’s exact requirement for precision-engineered nozzles can be met. Owner of Industrial Nozzles & Systems, Steve Smith, talks about the latest technology: “Designing nozzles in today’s world is quite different, as computational fluid dynamics (CFD) have radically changed the way engineers are able to design more efficient nozzle technology. CFD data analysis gives us unique insights into what it takes to create highly efficient and complex spray systems, ensuring the best options for a customer’s business and their applications.”
Innovative industrial nozzles for every industry need
Some of the latest innovations from Lechler include MeshClean, a high impact tank cleaner suitable for medium to large tanks, which offers a high degree of effectiveness due to the powerful solid stream nozzles. Driven by the flow rate, the controlled rotation creates a mesh pattern which can also be used at high pressure.
A further new product is the PopUp Clean nozzle (Series 5P5) which was developed for cleaning the lower side of agitators. It is installed flush in the bottom of a tank and is ideal for confined spaces. The PopUp Clean is particularly interesting for applications in the food and beverage industry, as well as in the chemical and pharmaceutical industries due to the ATEX approval, thereby making it suitable for use in explosive areas.
HygienicFit adapter not just hygienic but secure too
Lechler’s HygienicFit adapter has been cleverly designed to fit onto the supply pipe of the tank cleaning nozzle. It creates a completely hygienic thread area which eliminates the ingress of product, thereby reducing the potential of bacteria in the thread connection.
Moreover, it has a long-lasting secure fit unlike the slip-on type connections that are common in the food and beverage industry.
Covering all areas of the production environment
Smith explains how their company covers the three different areas of the typical production environment, and this is particularly pertinent to the food and beverage industry. There is the raw materials phase, followed by the processing phase and the third element being packaging. In all these areas, nozzles are required extensively for numerous purposes, whether it be for raw material preparation, cleaning of storage tanks, sanitising filling machinery/bottles/cans in the production area, chilling/cooling and rinsing filled products, to the drying thereof.
Industrial Nozzles & Systems has a long relationship with Lechler having represented them in South Africa for over 20 years; the first six years regionally, thereafter nationally. Where Lechler has global preferred nozzle supplier agreements with large original equipment manufacturers (OEM’s), Industrial Nozzles & Systems supports the Southern African branches and offices of these OEM’s.