Chemical Engineering May 2013 - 40

Feature Report
product if the viscosity (and hence the
color) are too light.
In printing applications, constant
maintenance of proper ink viscosity
ensures the quality of the printing,
which reduces rejects and waste, while
also keeping ink costs to a minimum.
To assure the uniform application of
inks on a variety of substrates (boxes,
newspapers, cartons) it is necessary
to control viscosity. Continuous monitoring
and control of the ink reservoir
viscosity using an inline viscometer
(Figure 6) can provide viscosity measurement
and control at multiple stations
and save money by using less
ink. Similar controls are needed in the
coating of, and the printing on soda
and other beverage cans.
Dip-coating thickness control. The
thickness or consistency of a fluid is
controlled to provide a dependable and
uniformly coated item when dipped,
then removed, from a coating tank. In
this application, the thickness or consistency
of a fluid is controlled so that
when something is dipped in it and
pulled out, it is uniformly and consistently
coated.
Dipping applications are designed in
automated systems whereby an item
is brought over a tank or pan, dipped
into the bath, removed and allowed
to drip dry before proceeding through
the process. The main problem with
the open tank or pan is with the evaporation
of fluids to the environment.
Viscosity control is used for addition
of water, solvents or other modifiers
as needed to control viscosity to a set
point. In pharmaceutical capsule manufacturing,
for example, if the fluid is
too thin, the capsule will break during
filling, or dissolve too soon when swallowed,
which would release medicine
in the throat instead of the stomach. If
it is too thick, then there is raw material
waste on millions of capsules that
will raise product costs, and it may not
dissolve properly when swallowed.
For food batter applications, too thin
a batter will mean improper coating
and product quality. Too thick a batter
will mean bad product quality, longer
cook and dry times, and raw material
waste. You can easily imagine a
chicken nugget with too much batter.
This can be from too viscous a batter
during the coating process.
■
Edited by Dorothy Lozowski
Author
Steve Cicchese is the general
manager of process sales
and marketing for Brookfield
Engineering Laboratories
(11 Commerce Blvd., Middleboro,
MA, 02346; Email:
s_cicchese@brookfieldengi
neering.com; Phone: 508-9466200)
where he has worked
for the past 12 years. Prior to
that, he spent 15 years with
Bird/Baker Process, a manufacturer
of liquid-solid separation equipment.
Cicchese holds a B.S.Ch.E. from Northeastern
University, an MBA from Babson College and a
certificate in business administration from Harvard
University. He is a member of the AIChE
and Society of Petroleum Engineers, and has
written numerous articles on process viscosity
measurement in various industries, including
food, printing, asphalt and oil and gas.
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Chemical Engineering May 2013

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