The Challenge
Downtime during a crushing campaign is enormously costly, and repairs must hold up in an environment that attacks equipment from every direction. Sugar refining is unrelenting on machinery — abrasive raw cane and beet material, elevated processing temperatures, and acidic or alkaline process liquids attack conveyors, diffusers, condensers, pumps, shafts, and tanks continuously, through the abrasion, erosion-corrosion, and chemical attack that ordinary materials cannot withstand.
The sugar refining process involving the extraction of sugar from either sugar beet or sugar canes, makes for an aggressive environment where moisture, abrasion and temperature are all present and damaging to the machinery and equipment involved in the process.
Belzona’s cold-curing composite repair materials and industrial coatings have been proven to meet the challenges of this environment and actively increase the longevity of key sugar refinery assets.
Belzona Solutions for the Sugar Industry
Abrasion Protection for Conveyor Systems
Screw conveyor troughs and flights, along with conveyor belts transporting sugar beet before and after cleaning and slicing, suffer severe abrasion, wear, and tearing from the solid materials they process, requiring abrasion-resistant sacrificial linings and flexible 2-part polyurethane rubber repair materials that restore original profiles and extend equipment life.
Erosion-Corrosion Protection for Pumps, Diffusers & Condensers
Pumps, diffusers, and condensers operating at elevated temperatures and in immersed environments suffer erosion-corrosion, abrasion from entrained solids, and chemical and microbiological attack, requiring high-temperature protective coatings and 2-part epoxy paste systems that rebuild damaged profiles and protect against future deterioration, avoiding the Heat Affected Zones caused by welding repairs.
External Repair and Protection of Glass Fused Steel (GFS) Tanks
GFS tanks suffer external corrosion and leaking welds from physical damage and condensation, requiring cold plate bonding solutions and epoxy repair composite systems that can be applied to the tank exterior while the tank remains online, avoiding the costly downtime of conventional bolt-on plate repairs.
Shaft Repair with Epoxy Metal Repair Systems
Shafts suffer damage from vibration, friction, abrasive contaminants, and corrosion, requiring in-situ epoxy metal repair systems applied using formers to avoid workshop downtime, along with microporous materials that trap and hold lubricating oil to minimize start-up friction and improve efficiency.
Common Asset Areas
+Solids Handling Machinery
Screw conveyor troughs, flights, and conveyor belts suffer severe abrasion, wear, and tearing from the solid materials they process, requiring abrasion-resistant sacrificial linings and flexible rubber repair materials that extend equipment life. Learn More →
+Heat Exchangers
Diffusers and condensers operating at elevated temperatures and in immersed environments suffer erosion-corrosion, abrasion from entrained solids, and chemical and microbiological attack, requiring high-temperature protective coatings that provide long-term protection. Learn More →
+Pumps
Pumps sustain damage from erosion-corrosion and chemical and microbiological attack from acidic or alkaline process liquids, requiring 2-part epoxy paste systems to rebuild pump profiles and anti-corrosion coatings to protect against future damage. Learn More →
+Tanks & Chemical Containment
Glass Fused Steel (GFS) tanks suffer external corrosion and leaking welds from physical damage and condensation, requiring cold plate bonding solutions and epoxy repair composite systems that can be applied while the tank remains online. Learn More →
+Mechanical Power Transmission
Shafts suffer damage from vibration, friction, abrasive contaminants, and corrosion, requiring in-situ epoxy metal repair systems and microporous materials that trap lubricating oil to reduce start-up friction. Learn More →
+Valves, Pipes, & Fittings
Process piping carrying juice, syrup, and process liquids through extraction, evaporation, and crystallization stages suffers corrosion and wear from continuous exposure to acidic and alkaline liquids, requiring cold-applied repair materials that restore integrity without hot work. Learn More →
+Gaskets, Seals and Shims
Pumps, pipework, and rotating equipment throughout the refining process require reliable sealing to prevent leaks, requiring seal repair materials and precise alignment solutions for mechanical equipment. Learn More →
+Floors
Facility floors face constant exposure to spilled syrup, moisture, and process chemicals, requiring chemical-resistant, slip-resistant coatings for lasting protection in wet processing areas. Learn More →
+Walls
Interior walls in sugar processing areas require long-term hygienic protection appropriate for food-grade production, requiring coatings that resist physical, chemical, and bacterial attack while remaining easy to clean. Learn More →
+Fans, Blowers, & Compressors
Drying and air handling systems used in sugar granulation and processing suffer wear and corrosion from continuous operation in humid, sugar-laden environments, requiring protective coatings and repair composites that maintain efficiency. Learn More →
+Engines & Casings
Casings on crushers, mills, centrifuges, and other heavy processing equipment suffer wear and corrosion from continuous operation, requiring in-situ metal repair composites that avoid costly disassembly and replacement. Learn More →
Sugar Industry Equipment We Repair & Protect
Specific assets we service across sugar processing and refining.
Equipment We Service
- Cane and beet unloading and handling equipment
- Beet washers
- Beet slicers (cossette cutters)
- Cane crushing mills
- Crusher rollers
- Bagasse conveyors
- Bagasse-fired boilers
- Diffusers
- Juice screens
- Juice heaters
- Clarifiers
- Mud filters (rotary vacuum filters)
- Evaporators
- Condensers
- Vacuum pans (crystallizers)
- Centrifuges
- Sugar dryers and granulators
- Sugar storage silos
- Molasses storage tanks
- Glass Fused Steel (GFS) tanks
- Screw conveyors
- Conveyor belts
- Bucket elevators
- Pumps
- Process pipework
- Valves
- Shafts
- Bearings
- Gearboxes
- Lime kilns
- Filter presses
- Steam pipework
- Flash tanks
- Cooling towers
- Facility floors
- Facility walls
- Facility roofs
Proven Track Record
Case Histories
In-depth case histories coming soon
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