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Jigger Tubes

By Bevan | Published: November 12, 2010

Jigger Tubes in the Global Sugar Industry -  surprise new applications

We at ActionLaser have enjoyed an excellent relationship with Sugar Research International (SRI) dating back many years.  Our knowledge of stainless steel laser drilling coupled with SRI’s expertise in the sugar processing industry have lead to the invention of the SRI Jigger Tubes.

The concept behind the SRI Jigger Tube is of improving circulation in batch and continuous vacuum pans thereby improving heat transfer and process efficiency.  This has been a clear success.  Today ActionLaser manufactures SRI Jigger Tubes at our Sydney factory and sells these to sugar mills, worldwide.

The consequences of SRI Jigger Tube’s improved circulation and heat transfer in batch pans are improved cycle times; less fine grain production; and lower balance water and defoaming chemical requirements. For continuous vacuum pans improved circulation and heat transfer has seen markedly reduced fouling, resulting in substantially extended operating time between boil-outs, as well as the actual cleaning time being faster.  Improved exhaustion is an alternative benefit, if Mills are not chasing better cycle times or throughputs.

SRI Jigger Tubes “work” because of the very small hole size made possible due to ActionLaser’s laser drilling process.  When operating inside the vacuum pan, the surface tension of the massecuite means that it cannot flow backwards through these very small holes to solidify and block the tubes.  This has been a constant problem with previous jigger tube designs.

SRI and ActionLaser had believed that the SRI Jigger Tubes would only work in natural circulation vacuum pans. However, our customers have proved us wrong!!.

We have been surprised by the excellent results achieved when customers operating old, mechanically agitated vacuum pans have removed the troublesome leaking stirrers and installed SRI Jigger Tubes.

“Trial Brazilian Vacuum Pan”

One factory took the step of replacing a stirrer with SRI Jigger Tubes for energy saving reasons.  Data was gathered on the operation of identical batch vacuum pans in three operating modes:

Mode  1.  Stirrer Only.

Mode  2.  No Stirrer.  No Jigger Tube.

Mode  3.  Jigger Tube Only.

SRI’s financial analysis (below) shows an impressive Net Present Value of $98k and Internal Rate of Return (55%) for the SRI Jigger Tube installation.   This compares very favourably to -$5k NPV and 14% IRR for the Stirrer Only installation in the same pan.

Click here to download – Financial analysis – SRI Jigger Tubes vs Stirrer

“Prof Ross Broadfoot, inventor of the SRI Jigger Tube, delivering a technical paper at Fenasucro Brazil. Author of the above analysis”

Based on dimensional data of your vacuum pan, ActionLaser with SRI can propose an SRI Jigger Tube system to improve the operation of your factory.  Please contact us at admin@actionlaser.com.au

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ASSCT Conference

By Rochfort | Published: July 7, 2010

Our CEO Bevan Rashford enjoyed catching up with many of ActionLaser’s customers during the ASSCT Conference in Bundaberg 11 – 14 May.

Besides manufacturing our own “LaserScreen” products, ActionLaser represents some important international sugar industry suppliers for sale of their materials and equipment in Australia. Amongst these is BMA, the world-renowned Gerrman supplier of advanced and reliable process equipment for the cane and beet industries.

Bevan introduced BMA’s new generation continuous centrifugal machine – the BMA K3300. This replaces the K2300 model, which dominated centrifugal machine sales over the past fifteen years. The K3300 machine has a very small footprint, has been designed for high efficiency, easy access and reduced maintenance requirements.

Due to its new design features and improved manufacturing techniques this new machine represents excellent value for money.

K3300 machines are already operating and delivering excellent results in several countries. BMA and ActionLaser are keen to see the first of these new machines established in Australia. In the Australian context, for any factory considering major maintenance – e.g. replacement of a cracked basket in an aging machine – the keen pricing of the new BMA K3300 machine makes it a very attractive alternative.

For more information speak to me, Steve Morris, at +61 (0)2 9476 3790 or visit BMA at www.bma-de.com and click the Union Jack for English.

Photo: BMA’s compact new K3300 continuous centrifugal machine

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“New Materials”

By Rochfort | Published: April 6, 2010

Laser Perforating Carbon Fibre Composite Materials.

My last blog reflected on our history. This blog looks into new materials and the wonders we have yet to explore.

I recently read an interesting article in the Australian Manufactures’ Monthly on the steady growth of composite materials.

The author was Dr. Paul Falzon, the Program Manager for Manufacturing & Test at the Cooperative Research Centre for Advanced Composite Structures.  Paul noted, “As demand for high performance, reduced weight and better corrosion resistance material grows, the move towards composite material grows”.  From Paul’s article came the challenge to us at Action Laser – could we use our Nd-YAG lasers to perforate carbon fibre composite materials??   Paul was very kind to forward us two pieces of carbon fibre composite material.

The first sample did not have any obvious carbon fibre weave.  This material displayed all the perforation characteristics that we see when laser drilling stainless steel. We see in the images below, excellent 100 micron holes.

The second sample contained a carbon fibre cross weave which is evident in the photo images.  You can see the areas where the Nd-YAG laser perforation has dislodged the epoxy outer coating on the weave.  There appears to be heat transference through the weave which we believe can be mitigated by varying the drilling parameters.

Material Thickness was 1mm.

We are encouraged by these initial results, which suggest that our Nd-YAG laser process may be used to perforate carbon fibre composite materials.  Should you have an interest in this specialized area, we look forward to your comments.

Bevan Rashford
CEO ActionLaser
bevan@actionlaser.com.au

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History is indeed a wonderful thing.

By Bevan | Published: January 14, 2010

We are very excited about the launch of our new website and hope you find it a vast improvement on our previous site. The goal of our website is to articulate how our laser perforating capabilities can assist you and your engineering projects, answer any questions you may have or just explain a little about what we do.

I recently ran across a treasure trove of beautiful slides taken in the “start-up” phase of our company. This discovery and the fact that our new website allows us to “blog”, may be an appropriate time to pause and reflect on our past 21 years.

Whilst we accept that laser devices are commonplace today and found in many domestic and industrial applications, this was not the case in the 1980’s.  Dr. Ken Crane, a physicist with CSIRO is acknowledged as a world leader in laser technology.  He and his CSIRO team discovered a process using low wattage lasers to drill [or as we say “perforate”] small holes or slots into very thin metal.  The process was patented by CSIRO who then auctioned the commercialisation rights to the market.   Dr. Crane together with a group of investors was successful in securing the commercialisation rights and so began our company, ActionLaser.

Ken-Crane

From the early days of the company Dr. Crane built a strong relationship with the Australian sugar industry who sought his advice on how to make a superior sugar centrifugal screen that would improve sugar recovery whilst providing long screen life.  ActionLaser stainless steel LaserScreens were the answer and today we have over 90% share of the Australian sugar centrifugal market. However, what we are really proud about is that the increased sugar yields from LaserScreens increase the profitability of the Australian sugar mills by approximately two million dollars per annum.

Dave-Kells

Dave Kells, a former technical colleague of Dr. Crane at CSIRO joined ActionLaser as the company’s first employee.   One of the first challenges he faced was to work out a scientific methodology to measure the OPEN AREA of a LaserScreen.  Seen in this photograph is a very young Dave building a new open area light tower.  This has proven so successful and effective that it is still in operation today.

We have seen many other process innovations over the past 21 years, however none have been captured so elegantly as by the CSIRO staff photographer as noted above.

Thank you for your continued support.

Bevan Rashford
CEO

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