Tecniplas supplies composites silos to Cargill
About to be inaugurated in the Brazilian city of Bebedouro, Cargill’s pectin factory has composites silos manufactured by Tecniplas. Pectin is a texturizing agent based on citrus fruits, and the silos supplied by Tecniplas will receive the orange peels that will be part of the production process of this raw material in the food industry.
Of the four largest silos supplied to Cargill, details Luís Gustavo Rossi, director of Tecniplas, two have a diameter of 4,500 mm and two of 5,000 mm. “The manufacture of the rectangular bottom was unprecedented for Tecniplas and the biggest challenge of this project. As it is a unique piece, we developed all the molds from scratch”, he explains. Altogether, Tecniplas produced 18 different special equipment for this project.
At other Cargill plants around the world, silos of this type are made of duplex steel, a type of noble metal alloy. “We proved to the customer the adequacy of composites, not only in terms of design versatility but also the high levels of chemical and mechanical resistance”.
On average, special equipment such as silos account for 35% of Tecniplas’ revenues, the Brazilian leader in composites tanks. However, there are exceptions, like last year, when “specialties” accounted for more than 60% of the company’s turnover.
“There is a certain stability in the demand for special equipment. The demand increases, however, when projects based on very complex industrial processes emerge, a field in which Brazil stands out compared to other countries in the region”, concludes the director of Tecniplas.
