Team celebrates new tank installation

The Ohly team in Hamburg recently celebrated the successful replacement of a 185,000 litre yeast cream storage tank.

“The tank suffered distortion due to thermal stress in combination with negative pressure. As a consequenceleaks appeared frequently. A leaking tank can increase the risk of microbiological contamination, and deformation can make it susceptible to collapsing. So it was a serious issue that had to be addressed,” explained Michael Schwerdt, Engineering & Maintenance Manager at the site.

A plan was made that involved dismantling the old tank and its pipework, refurbishing the foundation on which it sat and installing a new tank – all without causing any production downtime. Michael was on site overseeing the installation.

“The project worked out well!” said Michael. “We collaborated with the tank supplier and various contractors to get the project completed on time without disrupting the capacity of the factory. We now have a new tank in place that is more advanced than its predecessor. It is equipped with measuring technology that tracks the density of the product inside the tank and produces meter readings online. This allows us to, if necessary, flexibly add more water to the yeast cream to optimize the following production steps in extraction.”

To celebrate the inauguration of the new tank everyone from the Hamburg site was invited to a barbe-que lunch, which was held on 26 April. “It did not matter whether they were directly involved in the installation or not, it was an opportunity for everyone to come together to mark the occasion,” said Michael. “We welcomed colleagues from sales, logistics, innovation and QA teams, to name a few, as well as our CEO, Dr Ralf Fink.”

“The weather was glorious and the lunch delicious. It was a great way for the 160 people on site to come together to enjoy each other’s company and a good meal. Everyone was in a very positive mood,” enthused Michael.