Contherm Max: an additional step towards Goals 9, 12 and 13 of the UN 2030 Agenda
27 February 2024
Innovation and technology are the fundamental drivers for guiding the transition of industry towards more sustainable processes and products.
Surgital has once again demonstrated its breadth of vision by implementing models of efficiency and sustainability and evolving in line with cutting-edge sector-based solutions.
The introduction of the Contherm Max, the new heat exchanger, has allowed us to expand the facility’s production capacity and increase product yield.
An innovation that has increased our sauce production capacity by 20% whilst also reducing energy costs.
Through this more efficient process, we have been able to confirm how technological choices can have a positive impact both on an environmental and social level, reinforcing the company’s commitment to a more responsible and sustainable industry.
Cristiana Savoia, Quality Assurance Quality Control Manager, tells us about this technology and its effect of the sauce production chain.
“It all started with a necessity.
We needed to find a system that could efficiently decrease the temperature of some of the sauces at the initial freezing stage.The goal was to optimise the use of cold air whilst the product was being moved in its liquid state to the initial freezing stage, thus improving the portioning process.
The collaboration with Tetra Pak, which already supplies us with kitchen technology, proved crucial. Thanks to the partnership with Alfa Laval, they succeeded in coming up with the ideal solution: Contherm Max. Machines which treat sauces containing bits, a key characteristic of our products.
The introduction of Contherm Max, backed by an in-depth study in the development phase, enabled us to find the right balance in temperatures between the cold air and the sauces spread out on the conveyor belt, thus obtaining a more defined and smoother cut of our pellets.
This change to the production process has resulted in energy savings, increased production capacity and an improved end product that lends itself to rational, less wasteful consumption.
A successful innovation, resulting from carefully considered decision-making processes and a reasoned investment of economic resources and labour: for theoretical and practical training and the calibration of the new process.
By no means a foregone conclusion, because investing in innovation and sustainable development is not always easy or guaranteed to succeed. We are often faced with roadblocks, such as high costs and uncertain outcomes, both economic and environmental, that may slow down our efforts towards an ecological and energy transition. However, we refuse to give up and continue to explore new ways to improve efficiency and reduce the consumption of resources, both for the environment and for our company.”
In an attempt to trace the innovation of the Contherm Max heat exchanger back to Surgital’s ongoing commitment to achieving the goals of Sustainable Development, we can pinpoint two goals of the UN 2030 Agenda, in particular:
- Goal 9: Enterprises, innovation and infrastructure – This goal focuses on building resilient infrastructure, promoting inclusive and sustainable industrialization, and fostering innovation.
The introduction of Contherm Max is an example of innovation in the industrial sector that improves production efficiency. This innovation helps to improve industrial efficiency by reducing the amount of energy required to cool the sauces and by optimising the production process; - Goal 12: Sustainable consumption and production – This goal focuses on ensuring sustainable consumption and production patterns. Contherm Max helps to reduce energy consumption and maintenance costs which are aligned with the goal of a more efficient economy in terms of resources and less waste.
The 2030 Agenda highlights the importance of innovative and sustainable solutions in all industrial sectors to achieve these global goals, and the innovation of Contherm Max is a step in the right direction.
