On-site expertise keeps Kiwi food plants running
Brown Brothers Engineers Flow Technology supports sites across New Zealand with a team of 11 service technicians providing a 24hour nationwide response. Most callouts involve plate heat exchangers, valves, homogenisers, separators and pumps.
“Plate heat exchangers are at the top of the list for us,” says Nigel Webber, branch manager at Brown Brothers Engineers Flow Technology. “Where we can, we keep the customer running by repairing equipment on site.”
For many breakdowns, technicians can complete the work at the plant, minimising disruption to production. According to Webber, “equipment is only taken back to the workshop when more extensive work is required, such as cleaning or crack testing”. Behind the scenes, the workshop provides cleaning facilities, supported by stock holdings of plates and gaskets for most brands.
If a plate heat exchanger is deemed beyond repair, the company can assemble a replacement unit locally rather than waiting on an overseas factory. This local capability can help reduce downtime and simplify planning for major repairs or replacements.
Technicians work across the whole site, from outdoor process areas through to full hygienic “red line” zones. “It really comes down to the tools and equipment we take on site being clean and appropriate for use in food and dairy processing areas,” Webber says. “We follow each plant’s hygiene and safety procedures including hair nets, protective clothing and sitespecific entry requirements where applicable”.
By combining onsite repair capability, workshop support and local assembly options, Webber says the service team helps “New Zealand food and dairy processors keep critical heat transfer and process equipment in reliable operation”.
Sponsored content: For more information phone 07 850 6250, email info@bbeflowtech.co.nz or visit https://bbeflowtech.co.nz/.
