Honey Production Centrifuge Fire

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In Mid Jutland, Denmark, a honey production facility experienced a loss when a centrifuge caught fire. As the operator entered the room, the electricity was cut off and the room was filled with smoke that covered the whole area with a sticky soot. The inside carousel of the centrifuge was completely stuck and the bottom side of the tank, the heating element, thermostat and its isolation were completely burned.

The centrifuge in the facility was used to empty a large number of honeycombs simultaneously by centrifuging the golden sweets out of its combs and warming it to 45 degrees Celsius. The liquid would then be drained out of the tank before refining and packing it. This particular centrifuge was specifically built for this supplier and building a new one would have taken months. The owner decided to pursue restoration and AREPA was called in to provide technical restoration.

AREPA specialists had to remove carbon sucrose residue by hammer and chisel, chemicals and grinding. The heating treads and thermostat had to be approached in the same fashion. After the contamination was removed, leakage was revealed in the stainless-steel welding between the walls of the container and the bottom of the machine. It was then determined that leaking honey intruded the heat treads and most likely was the cause of the fire.

Apart from restoring the engine, drive, controller and fixtures, specialists supplied the machine with new heating treads, thermostat and heat resistant insulation. This was all completed at approximately 50 percent of the price a new piece of equipment and the restoration was completed within four weeks, as opposed to a six to eight month lead time for a new centrifuge.

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