NESTLÈ

Solutions for Nestlè Purina Petcare Italia SpA

The Company Nestlè Purina Petcare Italia SpA of  Summaga di Portogruaro, Venice is part of the Nestlè multinational. Today, it presents on the market as the leading world dry pet food producer and the Portogruaro plant is the only Italian one active for this commodity. In addition to a complete line of original products such as Purina and Friskie, Nestlè Purina Petcare Italia SpA also produces all the pet food for organised Distributors such as Coop, Sma, Conad and the like.
 Previous Situation
Nestlè Purina Petcare Italia Spa Requirements
The Customer’s main requirement was to have equipment capable of operating continuously for 24 hours at a times, without causing production down times or slow downs. Sudden or unforeseen stops inside the overall production cycle could in fact lead to complete loss of the lot being mixed. The mixer plant was equipped with Sand Piper pumps that generated serious periodic ice and maintenance problems, at least twice a year, as the pumps featured bad sealing and often locked up during the winter due to ice formations on the exhausts. The question was to find a pump capable of overcoming these complications and integrating with the existing mixer installation. What was needed was a 2” pump to handle animal fat heated to 65 °C.
 Present Situation
Application
After a test period, Gobbato personally noted that the installed pump has offered the following results:
• No ice problems
• No down time issues
• No maintenance complications
Moreover, unlike the Sand Piper unit, the pump could operate at lower pressure levels and still guarantee delivery required for the mixer plant. The Aro pump in fact features some 10 to 12% more delivery, which means possible operation at lower pressure levels with this greater delivery per cycle. As of September 2003, Gobbato had replaced the 3 Sand Piper units installed in the mixed plant with 3 Aro 2” PD20A-BSS-KTT provided with SB20A-BSP-T Shock-Blocker views.
 Advantages
Results
Today, Nestlè Purina Petcare Italia is the only Italian factory that uses membrane pumps to handle animal feed ingredients. Gobbato, who has been using Aro units and operating jointly with GL Finishing for over two years, has expressed his full satisfaction with his decision, as he had found a valid partner for solving equipment problems and membrane pumps gave him that very level of reliability needed for a demanding production such as provided by Nestlè Purina Petcare Italia.