Yili-GEA Partnership supports innovation for safe, future-focused manufacturing
Focus on safe, high quality and sustainable manufacturing
This ethos of safety, quality and sustainable manufacturing underpins a more than 20-year partnership between Yili and GEA that started in 2001 when GEA installed a Tall Form 800 spray dryer at Yili’s powder production facility in Duerbote, Hoelongjiang Province. Since then the firms’ partnership has grown and expanded, with experts here at GEA working closely with Yili to configure Tall Form and Multi Stage Dryer (MSD®) spray dryer plants and complete, wet and dry lines for dairy powder processing across multiple Yili sites.
NIFRS technology for faster, safer, fully automated CIP
In 2022 Yili became the first dairy manufacturer in China to invest in the patented GEA No Intervention Fines Return System (NIFRS) for the GEA MSD® 1250 spray dryer being installed at its (at the time) new dairy manufacturing site, i.e. “Yili Modern Wisdom Health Valley“ located in Hohhot, Inner Mongolia.
The patented GEA NIFRS system, developed for food and dairy spray dryers and unique on the market, fully automates the clean-in-place (CIP) process for food and dairy spray dryers.This GEA technology comprises a patented valve, situated below the cyclone(s), and before and after the diverter valves. The patent covers the valve itself, and also a unique washing sequence that automates CIP and negates the need for any manual steps. The NIFRS technology effectively removes the need for manual disassembly and reassembly of the ducting underneath the cyclone that conventionally must be carried out prior to, and after the CIP wash process itself.
Eliminating a potential source of contamination
Importantly, removing the need to uncouple and reassemble pipework eliminates one potential source of spray dryer contamination, as there is no human contact, or exposure of the pipework air, contents or surfaces to the external environment. Full CIP automation enabled by the NIFRS also equates to improved safety, as there is no longer any risk of errors during manual disassembly and reassembly of the pipework, and no potential for liquid leakage. The result is faster, thorough CIP, with potentially less use of water and cleaning chemicals. This ultimately saves on resource use and costs, waste, and wastewater treatment. And faster CIP and reduced downtime allows for greater overall productivity, and so increased plant capacity, and faster return on investment.
Having witnessed the benefits of the NIFRS technology in action, Yili has again considered the NIFRS system for the Yili Modern Wisdom Health Valley Phase II GEA dryer, this one an MSD® 1250, that is currently being constructed in Hohhot. A third NIFRS system is included in the new GEA spray dryer plant, which comprise MSD® 1000 system, in Tianjin.
For Yili, installation of the NIFRS means that:
- As there is no need for human intervention, there is no risk of errors associated with manual tasks
- The company saves at least an hour of turnaround time, each CIP cycle, which means increased available production time
- Yili personnel have better working conditions, with less manual lifting
- At least one potential source of contamination risk is removed
- There can be increased confidence in product quality and safety
- CIP may be faster, and more thorough, requiring less water and chemicals, and producing less wastewater
Investment in spray drying plants and complete process lines
Yili already operates many infant formula and dairy powder manufacturing sites across China and further afield. Since the firms’ collaboration started at the start of the Millenium, GEA has configured spray drying equipment including Tall Form, and MSD® spray drying plants, at six of these manufacturing sites. At three of these sites, Yili has commissioned GEA to configure supply complete lines for wet and dry process stages. One site is already completed and fully operational, another plant is under construction, and the third, Tianjin plant, is due for completion in 2025.
Mutual drive to deliver excellence in manufacturing
The close, dynamic relationship between our GEA teams and Yili stakeholders is built on trust, mutual understanding and a drive to deliver excellence in manufacturing. Yili’s commitment to greener, more efficient processing means the firm is also keen to invest in state-of-the-art hardware and software systems that can improve the safety, productivity, and overall environmental sustainability of its processes. So we’ve been able to supply and install additional GEA technological and engineering innovation into Yili processes, giving the firm what it believes is a competitive edge in pressing markets, as well as improved quality, productivity and environmental footprint.
GEA DDD® air disperser
The most recent Yili plants and those in progress and in planning incorporate GEA DDD® air disperser technology in the GEA spray drying plants. In comparison with other air dispersers, the GEA DDD® system allows for better control of the drying process, can result in a more uniform product, and may also enable longer production runs between cleaning, further reducing downtime and improving production capacity.
GEA CEE cyclone
The most recent Yili plants have also been configured with GEA cyclone extra efficiency (CEE) cyclone technology, and the most recently commissioned plant will feature the latest, patented SANICIP® II sanitary bag filtration system for food and dairy spray dryers. GEA CEE cyclones have been designed using detailed computer fluid dynamics modelling to minimize the risk of smearing and attrition that can cause the blockages or powder build up that result in costly production shut down. The GEA CEE technology also offers higher powder separation efficiency, which means lower emissions, and is CIP compatible, further reducing down time.
Patented SANICIP® bag filtration
Our patented SANICIP® II technology features an improved reverse jet and shorter filtration bags, resulting in less mechanical wear, and up to 50% longer bag life, which reduces maintenance costs. Installed into a dairy spray drying line, the SANICIP® II technology results in better powder distribution, higher production rates and less down time, as well as longer CIP intervals.
The new fines return system from GEA is a sanitary leap forward, which ensures not only better product quality for the next generation but as well a more profitable operation of our powder facilities.
Mr. Wang
Chief Technical Officer, Yili Group
Potential to install innovative heat pump technology
With our innovations boosting productivity, quality and sustainability at Yili’s facilities, we are also now working with the Yili team on the potential to install GEA’s innovative AddCool® heat pump technology into its spray drying plants. The AddCool® technology captures and amplifies waste heat from the spray dryer exhaust or other processes in the plant, to generate hot water that can then be used to preheat the dryer air. At the same time the AddCool® system generates cooling capacity that can be used to reduce the energy requirements of the plant’s refrigeration system. Retrofit into an existing spray dryer plant, or installed into a new process line, AddCool® technology can reduce the plant’s overall energy consumption and potentially cut carbon footprint by 50%.
A collaborative spirit for productive outcomes
A true collaborative spirit is key to the ongoing partnership between GEA and Yili. Our global and local GEA teams on the ground work hard to understand our customer’s processes and their exacting requirements and expectations. And because we take time to really get to know our clients, when we get together, either remotely, or in person, the discussions are always productive. We look forward to the next 20 years of successful partnership, supporting Yili’s growth and expansion plans, and continuing to innovate for a more productive, efficient, and greener manufacturing future.
From left: Project Manager Eric Xu (GEA), Director Project Execution BingBo Min (GEA) and Director of Yili Jinze factory Dawei Sun.
Yili has a forward-thinking, progressive mindset and is always open to discussions about new innovations that can help to keep the firm efficient, planet friendly, and a step ahead of the competition. This first mover stance, which is perhaps unusual for the industry, is underpinned by a combination of Yili’s technical expertise and flexibility, and its longstanding partnership with GEA, through which the firms evaluate and mitigate risks, ultimately making the best decisions for Yili, its products and its business.
Mr. BingBo Min
Director Project Execution, GEA China
