Using NOVUS products to monitor refrigerators in western Santa Catarina

Posted on 14 de December de 20205 de December de 2022 by Roberta Roth

The search for better performance at lower cost, combined with safety and productivity, are the main reasons that lead the most diverse sectors of the industry to be always seeking improvements and technological advances. The same is true in the food sector. However, there are solutions that, despite presenting some type of risk, do not yet have substitution with the same cost x benefit ratio. This is the case of the use of ammonia gas for refrigeration, widely used in slaughterhouses and slaughterhouses.

From the group of the so-called “natural soft drinks”, it does not contribute to global warming, the ozone layer is harmless, cheap and with great performance in maintaining low temperatures. However, ammonia gas can be very harmful to workers’ health, as it is asphyxiating and toxic. In cases of uncontrolled leaks, it can even harm the product handled (in this case, meats). When in high concentrations, leakage of ammonia gas in places without ventilation can result in explosions.

We need to know the regulations to always be protected

The NR36 , standard regulating Safety and Health at Work in Abate companies and Meat and Derivatives Processing, requires the adoption of control measures to protect workers issue or release of physical or chemical agents by machinery and equipment, in addition to air control in artificially acclimatized environments. The Standard also deals specifically with ammonia and requires companies to have mechanisms for early detection of leaks at critical points, which include a control panel and an alarm system – which must be activated automatically when necessary.

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Using NOVUS solutions:

Western Santa Catarina is a pole of the meat industry – mainly pork and poultry – in Brazil, housing from small slaughterhouses to large centers of the largest companies in the sector. The Tesla , partner NOVUS Expert in Chapecó / SC, has extensive experience in providing solutions for monitoring and prevention of ammonia gas leaks.

There are two NOVUS products offered by Tesla in the monitoring solutions: Superview , a quickly configurable and affordable supervision software, and FieldLogger , a versatile module for reading and recording local and remote analog and digital variables, with high resolution, performance and speed.

The Superview meets the minimum safety requirements necessary to avoid accidents with ammonia, such as data logging, information on the operation, values and alarm management view. In addition, the supervisory has a hardkey, allowing only authorized and prepared people to have access to the program and thus guaranteeing greater information security and reliability in the supervision of processes.

The FieldLogger , in turn, can be used even for small systems – up to 8 detectors – as it is also able to present the information on your screen, is a good alternative for customers who require reports of records but can not invest in supervisory software. However, in case of expansion of the plant, the FieldLogger is still a suitable equipment, as it can hold more detectors, according to the customer’s need for its application.

How does the structure work?

A typical structure for the detection of ammonia leakage in refrigerators includes ammonia detectors (the amount varies according to the customer’s profile), a central panel that has a PLC , the FieldLogger for recording information and triggering alarms, sounders. warning and Superview for real-time monitoring, and may even have other viewing stations in various locations on the plant. It is necessary that the detection is accurate, reliable and intermittent, therefore, the equipment of the system must always be calibrated.

In addition to quality equipment and its know-how in the segment, Tesla’s differential when installing a solution to monitor ammonia leakage in refrigerators is its service. The company usually accompanies customers to ensure that the installation is working in the best possible way and to solve doubts and difficulties, to solve the problems promptly. In addition, there is a dedication to details of the installation site and plant procedures, seeking that the solution offered is the ideal one, with good quality, economy and avoiding future problems.

Several factors can cause a leak, such as inadequate supply of vessels, failures in valves or even the natural wear and tear of equipment. When a company seeks NOVUS solutions through Tesla to ensure monitoring in its refrigerators, they seek more than to comply with current legislation, but also to guarantee the quality of the delivered product, integrity of the assets and the well-being of employees.