Electric Heat Tracing for Food and Beverage Processing
Food and Beverage Plants
In food and beverage processing, temperature strongly influences flow, handling and process stability for many products. Electric heat tracing keeps piping, tanks and equipment within the temperature range required by the specific process.
Projektbild / Project image
Bildplatzhalter
Item Title
This is placeholder text. To connect this element to content from your collection, select the element and click Connect to Data.
Item Title
This is placeholder text. To connect this element to content from your collection, select the element and click Connect to Data.
Item Title
This is placeholder text. To connect this element to content from your collection, select the element and click Connect to Data.
Piping and product-related equipment
Pipes, valves, pumps, filters and instruments have different heat losses. The system therefore needs to reflect the real plant layout rather than straight piping alone.
Tank and vessel temperature maintenance
Storage and process vessels can be electrically heated to maintain products within the required temperature range or to provide controlled heat-up. Design distinguishes product mass, initial temperature, permissible surface temperatures and target heat-up time. Compensating steady heat loss alone does not necessarily meet a timed heat-up duty.
Standards reference (checked 14 October 2026): ISO 12241:2022, adopted in Germany as DIN EN ISO 12241:2022-09, provides thermal-insulation calculation rules primarily for steady-state conditions. Heat-up assessment additionally considers stored energy and heat transfer over time.
Temperature control
For temperature-sensitive products, suitable sensor location and control are essential. Excessive temperature can be as problematic as insufficient heating.
Sensor location must suit the fluid, fill level and heat transfer. In vessels with temperature layers, a single wall measurement may not be representative. Residual heat and changed enable conditions after hot cleaning can matter. Heating cable, sensors and controls are selected together for these cycles.
Standards reference (checked 14 October 2026): For industrial platinum resistance sensors such as Pt100 or Pt1000, IEC 60751:2022 defines the resistance relationship and sensor requirements; the German adoption is DIN EN IEC 60751:2023-06. Wiring arrangement, accuracy and installation are selected for the measurement duty. IEC/IEEE 62395-2:2024 addresses system design, installation, maintenance and repair outside hazardous areas. DIN EN 62395-2:2014-12 remains the current German national edition. Record the agreed edition in the project documentation.
Cleaning and operating modes
Cleaning cycles, shutdown, product changes and maximum exposure temperatures need to be considered when selecting heater technology. Cleaning temperature and operating cycles may expose an unpowered heater to heat. Heater, sensor and connection choices need to account for those phases.
Product quality before maximum heat output
Sensitive media require a suitable temperature window and even heat distribution. Higher heating output is not automatically a better solution.
Sensor position, filled or empty equipment and restart after cleaning are considered together. Heat tracing complements the process and hygiene concept; it does not replace a product-specific assessment.