SLES Mixing & Dilution Unit

Design and materials

Pumps:	Progressive Cavity Pump for 70% SLES solution feed Centrifugal Pump for mixing SLES with water and pumping the solution
Control and automation:	Control Unit including PLC with a touch screen Pressure transmitters Temperature transmitte Frequency inverters Flowmeters Valves with dedicated control system
Piping:	AISI 316 stainless steel
Frame:	AISI 304 stainless steel

SLES or Sodium Laureth Sulfate, is an organic chemical compound, called a surfactant, with excellent cleansing and foaming properties. For this reason, it is an ingredient of various detergents, household products, soaps, and shampoos.

SLES is usually supplied to the producers of the above liquids at a concentration of 70% and due to its physical properties, this concentrated solution is difficult to handle and must be diluted below 27% before using it in the process line. Buying SLES at a 27% concentration can be a huge financial investment for companies, however, with Tapflo’s SLES Mixing and Dilution Unit customers can purchase SLES at 70% concentration and dilute it themselves. Our system allows continuous dilution with maximum efficiency and safety, reducing the cost to the company in the long run.

Features

Precise diluting of SLES or other surfactant to the required concentration and flow rate.
Immediate operation gives homogenous and stable in time liquid.
Brings energy, time, and space savings (compared to other dilution methods).
Continuous or batch supply of SLES solution at a given concentration.
Constant tracing and recording of operation parameters.
Small in size, lightweight, and well-thought-out construction.
Local or remote control over the Unit.
Possible extensions: dosing of additional ingredients, feeding 70% SLES solution directly from a road tanker.

Benefits

Savings of chemicals with exact SLES volume.
High quality of the on-site prepared SLES solution.
Energy-efficient and reduce the total cost of the final product.
Independence from deliveries of diluted SLES.
Flexibility and continuity of production.
Significant cost reduction of SLES purchase, transportation, and storage.
Additional savings on the warehouse space.

Technical data

Flow rate (SLES solution):	Standardized systems: 5 m3/h and 10 m3/h. Custom-built systems: up to 30 m3/h.
Discharge pressure:	up to 6 bar-g
Concentration of obtained SLES solution:	The user can select the value between 0 and 27 %

BROCHURES & MANUALS

WORKING PRINCIPLE

The Tapflo SLES Mixing and Dilution Unit is designed to simplify and streamline the process of preparing SLES or other surfactant solutions. This skid-built device offers immediate and continuous mixing and dilution, eliminating the need for time-consuming manual methods.

Our system gives full control over the process of mixing and dilution of the surfactants. It allows setting the value of the required concentration, the volume of the batch, and the flow rate. Diluted SLES is homogenous and stable in time.

SAVINGS AND EFFICIENCY

The in-line dilution process brings significant savings of energy and time compared to the traditional dilution methods, which require heating up and stirring the liquid. Our system allows for the dilution of SLES stored at room temperature which is much more energy-efficient. In addition, it provides the diluted liquid immediately, which allows for increasing the production capabilities by shortening the time needed to produce a batch of the final product, for example, a detergent.

FINAL PRODUCT

CONTROL SYSTEM

The system is controlled by a programmable logic controller (PLC) and human-machine interface (HMI) built into a cabinet. The HMI allows the operator to monitor and control the system's operation to achieve the desired dilution ratio, flow rate, and other parameters. The control program's features make it easy to operate and maintain, while the system's high process safety and time-saving benefits ensure consistent and reliable operation.

The control program provides the following modes:

1. Setting the Required Concentration: The operator can set the required concentration of the diluted liquid using the HMI. The PLC adjusts the pumping speed of the pumps based on the reading from the flowmeters to achieve the desired concentration.

2. Setting the Required Flowrate: The operator can set the required flow rate of the diluted SLES using the HMI. The PLC adjusts the pumping speed to maintain the desired flow rate.

Main Screen with parameters and status information

3. Charts of Main Parameters: The control program displays charts of the main parameters, including the flow rate and concentration of the liquids as well as the status of the included equipment, like pumps and valves. This allows the operator to monitor the system's performance and adjust the parameters as

4. Counters of the Produced Liquid: The control program includes counters to keep track of the amount of consumed SLES 70%, water, and diluted SLES produced by the system. This provides an easy way to monitor the system's output and ensure that it is meeting the production requirements. There is included one counter that can be manually reset after each batch, and the second one that cannot be reset and gives information about the total performance of the system.

Counters Screen

5. History of Errors: The control program logs any errors or malfunctions that occur during operation, along with the date and time they occurred. This allows for easy troubleshooting and maintenance of the system.

Alarms Screen

6. Remote assistance module: The system is supplied with a remote assistance module that allows for an online start-up and immediate assistance from our engineers. Once the system is installed and connected to the required utilities, our engineers can assist with the initial start-up and ensure that the system is functioning correctly.