BMA has always been well-known in Latin America for batch and continuous centrifugals. In Mexico alone, our largest market within the Americas, we have sold more than 400 centrifugals since the 1980s. In 2019, we started a very interesting project together with Grupo Beta San Miguel at the El Potrero cane sugar factory: the replacement of all 34 centrifugals in the refinery as well as on the stations for A, B, and C product.
El Potrero cane sugar factory: BMA to complete the replacement of 34 centrifugals
The project includes a study on efficiency increase and power consumption
Cane sugar factory: BMA to install new centrifugals
This project for Beta San Miguel – with eleven factories America’s largest group of sugar factories – is the first of its kind in Mexico. Realisation on paper is simple, however, the replacement of all machines represents a great challenge for the factory.
All 34 centrifugals were checked by BMA in collaboration with the Mexican partner Equipos para Ingenios. Our analysis report covered:
• the planning specifying how many new centrifugals were needed
• the efficiency analysis
• the calculation of the ROI
• the workflow for replacing the centrifugals based on a timeframe optimised for the factory
State-of-the-art centrifugals
There were several reasons requiring the replacement, including an increase in efficiency of all centrifugal stations in the cane sugar factory. The use of centrifugals with state-of-the-art motors and frequency converters has an enormously positive effect on the power consumption. This applies in particular to the centrifugal stations in the refinery and to the A product station in the cane sugar factory.
Moreover, the new centrifugals allow for reducing the wash water quantity in all stations, since the BMA machines are designed for minimum consumption.
Standard spare parts from BMA
Another benefit is offered by standard spare parts, since only BMA products will be used, instead of different centrifugal types from four different manufacturers. The spare parts are identical for continuous centrifugals for B and C product (BMA’s K3300 machines for both products), as well as for batch centrifugals for A product and refined sugar (E1810 machines from BMA).
Replacement of all centrifugals in the factory until 2022/23
The optimal workflow with its start in 2019 and completion around the end of 2022 is as follows:
• 2019: Replacement of eleven batch centrifugals for A product by three E1810 machines from BMA
• 2020: Replacement of six continuous centrifugals for C product by three K3300 machines from BMA
• 2021: Replacement of twelve batch centrifugals for refined sugar by three E1810 machines from BMA
• 2022: Replacement of five continuous centrifugals for B product by three K3300 machines from BMA.
To date, we have exchanged 26 centrifugals in the cane sugar factory – with an excellent outcome in every respect. We expect to complete the project in the course of 2022.
BMA study on efficiency and power consumption
The project opens up the possibility for BMA to analyse in real time the positive effects of our centrifugal concept on the factories (with regard to efficiency, power consumption, ROI, etc.). We will soon have available all results, so that they can be presented in one of the next conferences in Latin America and on the occasion of future international events.
This project and the very good outcome show, once more, that BMA is able to offer tailor-made solutions to every customer. Thanks to our subsidiaries across the globe, like BMA America for the Americas, BMA MENA in Africa and BMA China in Asia, the customers are offered optimal BMA support and experienced specialists on site.
