Custom industrial fermentation
Energy performance, purity control and optimal integration in your processes
Fermentation is a crucial stage in biotechnology, pharmaceuticals and food processing processes.
It consists in processing organic substrates into products of interest (enzymes, biomass, flavouring, active ingredients, etc.) with the help of living micro-organisms.
To ensure product quality and reproducibility, fermentation requires very precise control over parameters such as temperature, agitation, pH, dissolved oxygen and sterility.
At ZIEMEX, we design and produce complete fermentation solutions, with our fermenters, process skids, exchangers and integrated sterilisation systems. These allow for simple, safe, high-performance operation, in compliance with the strictest of industrial standards.
Industrial fermentation
Definition and requirements
Industrial fermentation relies on the creation of a controlled environment in which the micro-organisms can develop and grow optimally. The main challenges vary depending on the sector:
- Pharmaceuticals & biotechnology: control over sterility, full traceability and GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices) compliance.
- Food processing: stability of fermented products, temperature control and homogenisation to guarantee sensory qualities and health safety.
- Fine chemicals and biofuels: optimisation of fermentation kinetics, reduced energy loss and energy recovery for more sustainable processes.
ZIEMEX fermenters and skids are designed to meet these requirements: keeping the process reproducible, limiting energy consumption and providing microbiological safety at each stage.
ZIEMEX
technology and know-how
ZIEMEX intègre son expertise thermique, mécanique et procédés pour offrir des solutions de fermentation sur mesure :
- High-performance fermenters: hygienic design with surface conditions up to Ra < 0.4µm, possibly with electropolishing, and addition of further internal surfaces to improve heat transfer.
- Optimised homogenisation: geometries researched via CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) to guarantee homogeneous circulation and controlled aeration.
- Integrated systems: sterilisation of substrates in line, automatic cleaning in place (CIP), continuous control of pH, temperature, and dissolved oxygen.
- Energy efficiency: integration of economisers and heat exchangers Z-compact® to recover heat and reduce the consumption of steam and utilities.
- Automation and traceability: complete process supervision, management of fermentation cycles and recording of data for regulatory approval.
benefits
for your processes
ZIEMEX fermentation solutions provide significant advantages:
- Guaranteed sterility: hygienic design and automated cleaning.
- Process reproducibility: rigorous control of critical parameters.
- Energy performance: recovery and reuse of heat, reduction of utilities.
- Consistent product quality: homogenisation and control of fermen
- Conformité et traçabilité : respect des standards pharmaceutiques et biotechnologiques.
- Simplicity of operation: automation, ergonomics and optimised maintenance.
Associated
services
ZIEMEX supports its customers throughout the life cycle of their equipment and processes:
Custom preliminary design and design
Integration of process, thermal and mechanical requirements from the quotation stage. The studies take into account the need for concentration, decarbonising and energy efficiency.
Factory design and manufacturing
3D design using Inventor, mechanical and thermal calculations, PIDs, definition of equipment and monitoring of manufacturing. Compliance with design codes (ASME, CODAP, EN 13445, AD 2000) and the PED.
Testing and validation
Factory Acceptance Test (FAT) at our production facilities and Site Acceptance Test (SAT) at the customer’s site. Process validation and adjustment of parameters before entry into production.
R&D and pilot station
Possibility to test the process on our test station: fermentation, distillation, evaporation, crystallisation etc. These tests validate the thermal balance and product behaviour before transfer to the industrial scale.
Maintenance and long-term monitoring
Technical support, periodic inspection, thermal or mechanical audit, adaptation of equipment to process changes.
Get in touch with our teams
Control over industrial fermentation relies on finding the right balance between sterility, energy efficiency and process reproducibility. ZIEMEX’s skills in heat transfer, hygienic design and process skid integration have established us as a standard-setters for your fermentation processes. Get in touch with our experts to design a solution tailored to your production requirements and energy efficiency goals.
