Application Story

Designer Doughnuts!

Titan control switches give Kerry/DCA custom made doughnut fryer the ‘look’

For food processing equipment manufacturer, Kerry/DCA, not only must its state-of-the-art doughnut fryers work brilliantly, they must also look right.

The company recently received an order to supply a trendy Finnish café chain with at least ten of its advanced F35 fryers. The fryers are prominently on display at the front of the cafés, so it is essential that they look the part to attract fashion conscious customers. To achieve this Kerry/DCA selected Moeller's Titan range of control switches which while providing the high level of performance required also provided the 'look'. Complying with a whole host of safety regulations and offering significant maintenance and reliability advantages, Titan was the perfect choice.

Based in Didcot, Kerry/DCA's wide product range includes fryers, mixers and tailor-made equipment for the baking trade. The custom made F35 doughnut fryer produces perfect yeast-raised, jam-filled cake and ring doughnuts. Its output of 120 doughnuts an hour is enough to satisfy the most voracious of demands. Manufactured out of high quality stainless steel the F35 is fitted with: thermostatic temperature control and safety override, adjustable fry time and low oil indicator – all as standard.

The 30 litre oil kettle is heated by a 5.3kW heater, featuring thermostatic control to an impressive accuracy of ±0.1ºC and relative humidity at ±1.5%. The F35's electrical specification comprises 415V, 50Hz AC, 3-phase supply, with each phase rated at 25A. Its 3.5 litre water tank has sufficient capacity for one shift.

Chris Roper, Kerry/DCA's Electrical Design Engineer said: "We liked the look of Titan, and its LED technology means you don't have to carry spare bulbs; with their 11-year life the LEDs will last the lifetime of the fryer. Titan's low 24V AC operation and IP66 protection are one of the many safety features which impressed us."

Employing LED technology rather than filament bulbs for illumination, the Titan range of pushbuttons and selector switches is available in a wide range of colours and styles. They are not only brighter, more resilient and more pleasing on the eye than previous designs but are also very easy to handle and install.

Part of Moeller's popular RMQ family Titan, which takes its name from the titanium-coloured front ring, is ergonomically designed with actuator elements specifically shaped to the curve of the fingertip. Both illuminated and non-illuminated devices are available. In the illuminated devices, specially designed lenses in the indicator lights ensure optimum brightness. The replacement of filament bulbs with the latest LED technology reduces current consumption and heat dissipation while increasing resistance to vibration and greatly extending lifespan. At over 100,000 hours LEDs have significantly longer working lives than fragile bulbs yet cost no more.

Titan is also very versatile giving designers a huge variety of mounting configurations. Fitting into a standard 22mm mounting hole, up to six contact elements can now be snap-fitted in two layers behind the front panel. Actuating elements are flatter than before thus allowing overall mounting depth to be reduced. Three mounting forms are available: flush mounting, surface mounting and rear mounting.

All button plates, indicator lights and pushbutton legend plates in the Titan range can be laser-inscribed with any text or symbol the customer requires. Being burnt-into the surface these legends are very durable and remain for the lifetime of the device.

Titan is extremely rugged. Its IP66 protection rating and extended operating temperature range mean it can be used in some of the harshest industrial environments. It has been developed for use around the world and complies with a host of international standards and regulations including IEC/EN 60947. It is CE marked and UL compliant.

All of Kerry/DCA's products are fitted with Moeller's circuit protection devices and switches. Components employed range from contactors and control relays to FIP residual circuit protection devices and FAZ circuit protection devices. And with tighter controls concerning electromagnetic noise in today's computer-driven world, Moeller's suppression kits are fitted as standard.

"Moeller's circuit protection and switchgear are compliant with global safety standards, which is particularly important as we are currently expanding into the European market. We work very closely with WGA, one of Moeller's value-added distributors, who provide us with an excellent service," said Roper.

WGA, has considerable experience of industrial control systems and Moeller products in particular. Employing production engineers, WGA understands precisely customer requirements and offers a complete support package from specification through to everyday use. WGA's Engineering Manager, Chris Paterson said: "We offer an "integrated" approach to our clients. By being involved right at the outset of product development we can provide total customer service".

Reliable and low maintenance circuit protectors and switchgear are essential for Kerry/DCA's applications. "If it's switching or protection, we use Moeller's products as we can fit and forget", added Roper.

This page last updated: 18 July 2002