Buttermilk, which is highly popular in Ireland for baking scones and pancakes, is particularly sensitive due to its microbiological structure. Tricky conditions for profitable production are no problem thanks to SEEPEX’s pumping solutions for the food industry.

The company, Clóna Fresh Milk, was founded in Cork, Ireland back in 1919. Fresh milk was originally carted by hand from Hurley Farm to the dairy in town. Today Clóna Dairy Products Ltd. is a major supplier of liquid dairy products, including milk, whipped cream and buttermilk.

Clóna Dairy had a clear task for SEEPEX: To provide a new pump solution which would not only avoid damaging the extremely sensitive buttermilk through shear forces but also double the production output.

The dairy had been using gravity to fill the bottling machine from a large tank. But due to the viscosity of buttermilk and the existing pipeline, production capacity was limited to around two cubic meter per hour. Additionally, the flow rate dropped once the fill level in the tank decreased.

SEEPEX recommended a progressive cavity pump from its BCSO range. The pump's minimal shear forces ensures gentle handling as well as a constant flow rate regardless of the tank’s fill level, making it ideal for the application.

The new pump exceeds all requirements. The production flow rate was more than doubled from two to five cubic meters per hour, and the pump runs at less than 200 revolutions per minute, ensuring steady, reliable operation. 

The SEEPEX pump solution has benefited Clóna Dairy in many ways; including substantially productivity, significantly lower maintenance costs and a quick return on investment within less than twelve months.