For companies in the food and pharmaceutical industries that produce under strict hygiene guidelines, round screening machines are often the first choice.

Round screening machines are considered to be very hygienic and easy to clean thanks to their low dead space design. However, models with square screening troughs can also be used in plants with sensitive hygiene requirements. If they are constructed according to the basic principles of hygienic design, they even offer interesting advantages in comparison to their round counterparts.

With the development of a hygienic version of the classic JEL Konti vibration screening machine, Engelsmann is responding to the increased demand for high-quality screening technology in the production of pharmaceutical products and foodstuffs.

With the JEL Konti II, we have combined our proven vibration screening concept and the requirements of hygienic design. For example, with enlarged radii and a minimum of dead space inside the machine which comes in contact with the product. Or with compliant materials and high-quality surface treatments. The JEL Konti II thus meets even the highest hygiene requirements. And this is in addition to the already given advantages such as separation-sharp sieving and easy operation.

explains Christian Kretzu, technical director of J. Engelsmann AG

The new JEL Konti II is designed for plant operators who need a reliable, powerful and versatile screening machine – and who make no compromises when it comes to hygiene and conformity. During development, the Engelsmann developers were guided by relevant guidelines such as GMP/GAMP, FDA, BfR and EU 1935/2004.

The heart of the vibration screening machine is the screening trough with the screen inserters. It is easily accessible after loosening the quick-release clamps. Depending on the size of the machine, the cover can be removed as a whole or – on larger models – in two segments. This makes it much easier for the user to handle the machine, especially when changeover and cleaning work for batch or product changes are required more frequently per shift.

When the cover is removed, all parts of the screening trough are easily accessible. The inner sieve trough is equipped with enlarged radii. Compared to angular edges, this has the advantage that product residues do not find room to stick. The plug-in seals, which enable the low-emission operation of the screening machine, can be conveniently removed, cleaned, disinfected and then plugged back in. All without tools and with minimal time expenditure.

For applications where the screen is to be cleaned directly at the point of use without disassembly, the JEL Konti II can also be equipped with CiP cleaning.

The JEL Konti II from above and below: high-quality surfaces, low surface roughness, rounded corners. Hygienic design is created through the interaction of many details.

Hygienic design elements are also consistently implemented outside the sieve trough, in the parts that are not in contact with the product. The entire sieve housing is kept minimalistic and equipped with smooth, easy-to-wipe surfaces. For JEL Konti II models with a base frame round tubes are used. They offer less storage space for impurities and product deposits than angular profiles.

Like its predecessor, the JEL Konti II is available with various surface treatments and surface roughnesses to suit the product and screening task. The corresponding certificates and declarations of conformity are supplied for all components that come into contact with the product.

Sieve inserter change made easy

With regard to a quick change of the sieve inserts, the JEL Konti II offers clear advantages in comparison to round sieves

Loosen the quick release clamps, pull out the sieve insert, push in the new insert and lock it in place. That’s it. The square vibration screening machine is changed over in minutes.

After the quick-release clamps have been loosened and the front machine cover is removed, the sieve inserts can be pulled out – just like a drawer. For this, the sieve does not have to be disconnected from the product supply. This not only saves the operator valuable time when changing the screen, but the inspection of the screen inserters can also be done in just a few steps.

Round screening machines usually have to be disconnected from the product supply first. Then the machine cover can be removed. Then the stacked screen decks can be dismantled one by one. The additional manual handling – compared to the drawer system of the square vibrating screen machine – then also occurs again during reassembly. Over time, this adds up to significant downtimes – which can be reduced to a minimum with the JEL Konti II.

Easy handling included: The quick-clamping system allows the sieve inserter to be changed in the twinkling of an eye. Without disconnecting from the product flow.

The sieve inserts are simply pulled out like a drawer at the front of the vibration screening machine and can be easily replaced.

High versatility thanks to adjustable parameters

Almost all types of solids can be screened with the JEL Konti vibration screening machine.

If pharmaceutical raw materials or components of formulations for the food industry are particularly fine and dusty, the demands on the machine technology used increase.

Especially very fine products, with a particle size of <100 μm, often cause dust formation. If the particles escape from the machines, this can cause cross-contamination and damage the health of the operator. Pharmaceutical substances or allergens processed in food pose a particular danger. The tightness of the production equipment is therefore a top priority.

Thanks to the new sealing mechanism of the JEL Konti II, the machine achieves a dust and gas tightness of 50 mbar. Fine powders, but also fatty or compacting substances, also tend to clog the screen mesh. The JEL Konti II can therefore be additionally equipped with a cleaning system. Depending on the product-specific properties of the product, a choice can be made between cleaning with a triangular cleaning system or – for the finest particle sizes – ultrasonic cleaning. The sieve inserts can also be covered with additional mesh sizes in order to sieve coarse-grained or granular products with the JEL Konti II.

Triangular cleaning

Ultrasonic cleaning

The different properties of products – especially with regard to flowability – have a great influence on the screening result. In order to achieve a specified throughput even for materials with unfavourable screening behaviour, the JEL Konti II can be quickly adapted to the respective product by regulating the screen inclination, vibration amplitude and the adjustment angle of the vibration motors. Engelsmann is also flexible when it comes to positioning the inlets and outlets of the screening machine – the vibration screening machine is customised to fit into the respective plant environment.

Numerous parameters are adjustable and make the JEL konti II the ideal screening machine, even for the most demanding screening tasks in hygiene-sensitive environments – regardless of whether it is used for classifying screens, for coarse and fine separation or as a protective or control screen.

Thanks to the consistent implementation of hygienic design features in the JEL Konti II, such as improved cleanability or the use of compliant materials and surfaces, customers with highly hygiene-sensitive production environments now also benefit from the advantages offered by this vibration screening machine. And the new variant is also convincing for applications in the chemical and plastics sectors with its easy handling and quick screen insert change.

Available as single and double deckers with screening surfaces from 0.18m² to 4m², the JEL Konti II is suitable for both small and large product quantities. It achieves throughputs of up to 30 t/m².