Process tanks
Process tanks are tanks in which a specific stage of a process is carried out, rather than tanks that simply store a product. A standard storage tank is essentially a large container. A process tank actively does something to the product.
Typical equipment of a process tank:
- an agitator, which keeps the product homogeneous or mixes the ingredients,
- a heating/cooling jacket, an additional wall through which steam, hot water or chilled water flows,
- temperature, level and pressure sensors,
- cleaning heads (CIP spray heads), which clean the tank from the inside without opening it,
- valves and nozzles for filling, emptying and sampling.
In the food and cosmetics industries, tanks are made of stainless steel, with a smooth internal surface and no crevices where product residue and bacteria could build up. In the chemical industry, where reactions or intensive mixing take place inside the tank, such vessels are often called reactors.
Example: In the process kitchen of a sauce production plant, a process tank heats the ingredients to a set temperature, mixes them for a set time, and then cools them with chilled water through the jacket before the sauce goes to packaging. A standard storage tank would only hold the finished sauce before filling.