Bakery and Confectionery equipment specialist standardises on Qdos pumps for pilot installations

These pilot machines are deployed in R&D departments at major food manufacturers, where the accuracy of Qdos pumps in the dosing of colouring and flavouring is vital during development processes to help optimise the quality and cost of the end product.

Established in 1991, Tanis Food Tec has nurtured an enviable reputation for the development of sophisticated, fully automatic food processing solutions that involve operations such as weighing, preparing, pre-mixing, tempering, crystallising, plasticising, aerating, depositing, coating and decorating. The company says that these characteristics make it a future-orientated, reliable partner for confectionery and dairy manufacturers, as well as industrial bakers.

While Tanis Food Tec has hundreds of continuous, software-controlled production lines around the globe making millions of carefully crafted treats, the Lelystad-based company also produces numerous pilot machines for customers looking to develop new products and manufacturing processes. Since 2017 Tanis has been using Qdos pumps from WMFTG for this purpose.

“At Tanis Food Tec we use Qdos for the accurate dosing of colours and flavours within R&D departments, and today these pumps have become an integral part of our pilot machines,” confirms Piet Vader, the company’s Sales Manager. “The high precision with which the Qdos can handle both small and large volumes of fluid is crucial to adjust recipes and dosages, or perform exact process replication.”

Dosing accuracy saves on costs

ReNu peristaltic pumphead technology is at the core of the Qdos pump, ensuring the delivery of accurate and repeatable flow for fluids of wide ranging viscosities.

“The accuracy of the Qdos peristaltic pump is a key feature because colours and flavours are often very expensive ingredients,” says Mr Vader. “In fact, these ingredients can cost more than €10,000 per kg, so precise dosing is extremely important. Qdos pump accuracy is therefore important for both the quality and prime cost of the end product.”

Of course, the accuracy of Qdos pumps is an important asset for many industries, not just the food sector. A case in point is personal care.

“At Tanis Food Tec we focus primarily on the food industry, however, the use of Qdos pumps has allowed us to diversify beyond our traditional markets,” says Mr Vader.” For instance, we currently have one of our pilot machines installed at a large company that develops personal care products. It goes without saying that the cosmetics industry also uses expensive components in its products, which is why accurate and repeatable dosing is so vital."

Repeatable performance

Repeatability is a critical factor as the products pumped by Qdos pumps differ greatly in terms of viscosity, for example.

“And yet Qdos pumps maintain very accurate and continuous dosage at different system pressures,” says Mr Vader. “Additionally, ease of use is a great advantage. The display screen on Qdos pumps shows all the important information.”

“Among further benefits, removing and replacing the pumpheads can be done very quickly,” he adds. “Moreover, it is possible to change between pumping different substances without any risk of contaminating the surrounding environment or personnel.”

“Another significant advantage is that Qdos pumps need hardly any maintenance,” says Mr Vader. “Unlike membrane pumps, peristaltic pumps do not have suction and discharge valves that often demand higher levels of maintenance."

Using Qdos means that process uptime is maximised by facilitating quick, safe and easy pumphead removal and replacement, with no requirement for tools, specialist training or dedicated technicians. Unlike on many other pump types, using Qdos pumps means there are no valves or seals to clog, leak or corrode, reducing maintenance costs considerably.

Long-standing partner

Watson-Marlow has been known to Tanis Food Tec for many years, and has enjoyed high levels of satisfaction with the pump manufacturer’s service and support.

“In Watson-Marlow we’ve found a partner that offers quality at a fair price and honours all agreements between our companies,” states Mr Vader. “We really value these three factors when it comes to building relationships with suppliers."

So, is the Qdos pump set to remain the preferred choice at Tanis Food Tec?

“Yes, especially for this type of pilot installation, for which Qdos is ideal,” concludes Mr Vader. “It has become our standard solution.”