Maximizing oil yields, minimizing losses
The fifth edition of oils+fats, the worldґs only trade fair for the technology and trade of oils and fats, boasts an innovative CI and an even broader spectrum of themes. Exhibitors from over ten countries will be presenting machinery, systems, components and equipment for the manufacture and processing of oils and fats. Also on show are raw and auxiliary materials, logistics solutions, and filling and packaging technology. The special appeal this year is that oils+fats is taking place from September 18 to 20, 2013, in other words, in parallel with part of drinktec 2013. oils+fats certainly offers drinktec participants points of overlap and common interest, particularly with the liquid food industry.
oils+fats: “The most important event in this segment”
Klaus-Peter Eickhoff, Director, Business Unit Renewable Resources, GEA Westfalia Separator Group, is convinced of the idea behind oils+fats: “We are supporting oils+fats very strongly, because it is the only true platform that deals in a comprehensive way with this subject. There have been many smaller, regional congresses with info platforms attached, but no central event of this significance. For the GEA Westfalia Separator Group oils+fats is the most important event in this segment at international level.”
Visitors benefit from the combination with drinktec
The combination with drinktec, the Worldґs Leading Trade Fair for the Beverage and Liquid Food Industry, makes perfect sense, according to Klaus-Peter Eickhoff Sinn, because “it means a broader spectrum of exhibitors. Now the visitors can meet up not only with engineering firms and machine manufacturers specialized purely on the oils and fats sector, but also pump suppliers, for example, or manufacturers of filling systems.”
The high level of acceptance of the event is seen also in the steadily rising number of visitors from outside Germany, says Gьnter Simon, Managing Director of the Hamburg-based HF Press+LipidTech, Harburg-Freudenberger Maschinenbau GmbH: “Since the first edition of oils+fats we have been delighted with this event and were convinced it would be a success. We worked very hard on our presentation for oils+fats 2011 – and all that effort really paid off. In the end oils+fats 2011 marked the start of a range of international projects for us.”
The search for more efficient processes
For years, says Gьnter Simon, the trend has been towards making processes more efficient, in order to continually optimize the price-performance ratio. Maximum oil yield, minimum oil losses and energy-savings in processing are important aspects in this. Then there are the health aspects, too: The findings from scientific research in the food sector are showing that we need to be very precise and sensitive in the way we use refining technology, to prevent the formation of newly discovered harmful substances and to remove them. The trend in the area of individual machines is towards ever higher throughputs, e.g. presses with a processing capacity of 800 tonnes of seed per day. Specialized concepts, custom designed for individual customers, are therefore of great importance for the industry.
The oils and fats processing sector is currently working intensively on the application of enzymes, to improve certain reactions, increase yields and design processes more effectively, e.g. in degumming, esterification and transesterification. The results of this should be presented at oils+fats 2013. In parallel with this there are attempts, using intensive mixing techniques, for example with cavitation mixers, to increase the reactions and therefore the yields, and to minimize losses in the processes. As in many other industries, in the edible oil industry, too, a general trend is emerging for reducing losses and energy consumption. Klaus Peter Eickhoff: “In terms of machine technology, direct-drive centrifuges are coming more to the fore, ones that are now also available with ATEX certificates for explosion-risk areas and can therefore be set up, for example, in extraction systems.”
Edible oils sector benefits from the trend towards a Mediterranean diet
The highly regarded Mediterranean diet, with oil as a basic ingredient, is continuing to support growth in the edible oil sector. The health benefits of oil, olive oil in particular, with its polyunsaturated fats, valuable minerals and vitamins, have been scientifically proven. Olive oil, for example from Spain, which together with Italy and Greece accounts for over three quarters of world output, is exported mainly in glass bottles, because of the gourmet character of the product. Innovative filling systems, such as will be on show in the parallel event drinktec 2013, are used to fill these oils via base-handling. The exact fill quantity is filled, without pressure, by means of weighing cells on every single valve stem in line with the gravitation principle. For the filling of edible oils in PET containers, new filler-block solutions have been developed which combine inline PET production with weighing fillers. The advantage of the blocks is that as well as ensuring excellent hygienic standards, they offer tremendous energy-saving potential, an increase in efficacy and a reduction of maintenance costs, plus the possibility of using lightweight bottles.
Oilseed rape and renewable resources
The high growth rates in the edible oil sector were already a top theme at oils+fats in 2011. A second main theme was biodiesel, an area in which, however, in recent years much consolidation has taken place. Nevertheless the biodiesel market remains the most important sales market for example for German rapeseed growers. Companies that operate integrated systems, i.e. from oil extraction to refining into edible oils and biodiesel, have survived this consolidation process and will continue to grow further. The production of purely biodiesel, by contrast, is increasingly moving to where the raw materials are grown, in other words to South America, in particular to Argentine and Brazil, where soy beans are grown intensively, and to the palm oil regions of Southeast Asia and the canola growing areas of Canada. Beyond its use in the production of biodiesel, rapeseed oil also encompasses a range of other innovative and eco-friendly applications. For example, an asphalt has been developed that contains up to 20 percent rapeseed oil in place of crude oil. One manufacturer of roofing and insulation membranes replaces the bitumen in these products with rapeseed oil, and another application that continues to be popular is as a concrete release agent in the building industry. Rapeseed methyl ester is used in the dye industry, in car manufacturing and in the production of carbon paper. Thatґs sustainability in action.
One application that could grow in the future is the processing of algae for the production of bio fuels, proteins, oils and fats: Sustainable raw materials are in many ways a very topical subject in the food and energy sector. oils+fats 2013 is just the right place to get up to date on all the latest developments.
Further information: www.drinktec.com
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About oils+fats
oils+fats is the worldґs only international trade fair for the technology and trade of oils and fats. The range on show here at the exhibitors’ booths comprises machinery, components and auxiliary materials for the production and processing of oils and fats. As Europeґs foremost information and communication platform, oils+fats highlights current trends in the sector and gives an opportunity to review all the latest technological developments. Thatґs what makes oils+fats the most important sector gathering for producers, processors and distributors of oils and fats. The next oils+fats, which takes place from September 18 to 20, 2013, at the Messe Mьnchen exhibition center, is expected to attract around 60 exhibitors from more than 10 countries and approximately 1,000 participants from all over Europe.
About drinktec
drinktec is the “World’s Leading Trade Fair for the Beverage and Liquid Food Industry”. It is the most important trade fair for the sector. Manufacturers and suppliers from all over the world – global companies and SMEs alike – meet up here with all sizes of producers and retailers of beverages and liquid food products. Within the sector drinktec is regarded as the number one platform for launching new products on the world market. At this event manufacturers present the latest technology for processing, filling, packaging and marketing all kinds of beverages and liquid food – raw materials and logistics solutions included. The themes of beverages marketing and packaging design round off the portfolio.
drinktec 2013, which takes place at the Messe Mьnchen exhibition center in Munich, from September 16 to 20, 2013, is expected to attract around 1,500 exhibitors from over 70 countries and approximately 60,000 visitors from more than 170 countries.