FLOTTWEG

AC-SEPARATORS

Engineered For Your Success

TABLE
TABLE OF
OF
CONTENTS
CONTENTS
Applications page 02

How the Clarifier Works page 04

How the Purifier Works page 05

The Flottweg Soft Shot® System page 06

Features – the Heart of the Centrifuge page 07

Features – the Drive System page 09

Inert Gas Purging page 11

Experts in Process Engineering page 12

Flottweg Quality and Service page 13

Technical Data page 15

® = registered trademark in various countries.

1
 APPLICATIONS
Flottweg AC-Separators for Highly Efficient Clarification
and Separation

Disc stack centrifuges are high-speed centrifuges for the

mechanical separation and clarification of mixtures comprising
solids and liquids.

Due to their special design, disc stack centrifuges work at a very

high rotation speed. As a result, the centrifugal acceleration
(g-force) generated by a disc stack centrifuge is extremely
powerful. Moreover, the discs included provide a large clarifying
area. Thus, it is possible to separate ultrafine solid particles from
a liquid and to separate liquid mixtures in an efficient way.

Therefore Flottweg

Due to the high acceleration forces and the resulting high

mechanical strain, disc stack centrifuges generally require
regular maintenance intervals. This is where the Flottweg disc
stack centrifuge plays out its strengths in full. Thanks to its
compact and robust design, the bowl can quickly and easily be
dismantled and re-assembled for maintenance work. Thanks to
a reduced number of wear parts and seals, operation costs are
reduced, maintenance is simplified, and the availability of the
machine is increased.

An outstanding feature of our AC (automatic cleaning)

separators is the Soft Shot® discharge system. Compared to
other systems, the Soft Shot® makes hardly any noise. The
separated solids are ejected silently and in a material-friendly
manner. This hydraulic system also offers a large number of
options for adjustment to allow the machine to be adapted
optimally to your process, increasing your product yields.
® = registered trademark in various countries.

Our Flottweg separators are developed and manufactured

entirely at our production facility in Vilsbiburg, Germany.
Our disc stack centrifuges win customers all over the world
with excellent quality, feature highest standards of
workmanship, and are extremely maintenance-friendly.
Thanks to our wide product portfolio consisting of disc stack
centrifuges, decanter centrifuges, and belt presses, we can offer
the right separation equipment for any application and process.

2
 Applications
∙ Beverages
∙ Fats
∙ Oils
∙ Biofuels
∙ Chemistry
∙ Biotechnology
∙ Industry/Mineral Oils

3
 HOW THE
CLARIFIER WORKS
Clarification: Two-Phase Separation (Solid-Liquid)

Flottweg Clarifiers separate solids from liquids thus enabling high efficient clarification.

01 The product to be clarified enters the interior of the bowl

through a stationary inlet pipe and is gently accelerated by the
02 distributor to the bowl speed. Big solid particles are immediately
separated in the centrifugal field.

03 The disc stack in the bowl causes the product stream to be divid-
ed up into many thin layers, creating a large clarifying area. The
solids are separated from the liquid within the disc stack.

04 The high centrifugal force makes the solids that are separated
out collect in the solids chamber of the bowl.

05 A hydraulic system operates the sliding piston and

06 periodically ejects the separated solids at full speed.

07 The clarified liquid flows out of the disc pack to a centripetal

08 pump which discharges the liquid under pressure.
1
8

4 3 2

5 6
® = registered trademark in various countries.

4
HOW THE
PURIFIER WORKS
Purification: Three-Phase Separation (Liquid-Liquid-Solid)

A purifier enables the separation of liquid mixtures with different densities and solids
at the same time.

01 In a purifier (three-phase disc stack centrifuge), the product to

be separated enters the inside of the bowl through a stationary
02 feed pipe and is gently accelerated by the distributor to the bowl
speed.

03 Big solid particles are immediately separated in the centrifugal

field. The disc pack in the bowl causes the product stream to
be divided up into many thin layers, creating a large clarifying
area. The liquid mixture is separated in a light and heavy liquid
phase within the disc stack. At the same time, the fine solids
are separated.

04 The high centrifugal force makes the solids that are separated
out collect in the solids chamber of the bowl.

05 A hydraulic system operates the sliding piston and periodically

06 ejects the separated solids at full speed.
8 1
07 A double centripetal pump discharges the liquid phases 8
08 separated with centrifugal force under pressure out of
the bowl of the disc stack centrifuge. 7

4 3 2

5 6

5
THE
THE FLOTTWEG
FLOTTWEG
SOFT
SOFT SHOT®
SHOT®
SYSTEM
SYSTEM
Precise, Silent and Economic

Flottweg AC disc stack centrifuges are equipped as a standard with the hydraulic
Soft Shot® discharge system. This bowl valve system offers various advantages for
the customer:

The heart of the Soft Shot® discharge system consists of two bowl valves. The mass of
these valves has deliberately been kept low. Thus system inertia is reduced and the
system is triggered almost exclusively by the operation water pressure inside the
bowl.

In contrast to other systems, these valves work at a very high speed. This
permits flexible and very precise adjustment of the bowl opening times,
which are between a hundredth and several tenths of a second. This
short opening time minimizes the product content in the ejected solids,
reducing product loss.

Due to the design characteristics of the Soft Shot® System, part of the
control water always remains under the sliding piston. Therefore,
during discharge, the sliding piston does not hit the bottom part of
the bowl. Solids are discharged softly and silently.

Moreover, the Soft Shot® discharge system allows any

combination of partial and total discharges. Depending
on the products to be processed and the
consistency of the solids, adjusting the
discharge method ensures optimum
operation. ® = registered trademark in various countries.

6
THE FEATURES
AT A GLANCE
The Heart of the Centrifuge

Flottweg Hydrohermetic

(optional, e.g. series 420 for the brewing industry)

∙ Formation of a sealing water ring with deaerated water
∙ Oxygen pick-up is efficiently avoided
∙ No additional CO2 blanketing required
∙ No mechanical wear (compared to mechanical seals)

Discharge of the Clarified Liquid Using an Impeller

∙ Clarifier: Discharge of the clarified liquid under pressure;

foaming is avoided
∙ Purifier: Discharge of the liquid phases with a double centripetal pump;
optional combination of single centripetal pump and free discharge

Material of the Bowl

∙ All product wetted parts are CIP capable

∙ High quality surfaces of the product-wetted parts
for efficient CIP
∙ Automatic flushing programs for efficient CIP
∙ Seals available with FDA certification and
conformity
∙ Industry super duplex stainless steel for more
resistance against chlorides

7
 The Flottweg Soft Shot® System

∙  ccurate partial or total discharges in any combination for

A
maximum product yield
∙ Material-friendly, silent, nearly inaudible solids discharge
∙ Discharge times can be precisely adjusted, thus highest yields

The Bowl of the Disc Stack Centrifuge

∙  aintenance friendly thanks to the compact and

M
robust design
∙ Easy mounting and dismantling; complete modules
∙ Reduced operating costs due to a reduced number of
components and seals
∙ Quality “Made in Germany”
∙ Efficient separation of the solids and maximum separation
efficiency when separating two liquids thanks to the
optimized flow conditions within the bowl
® = registered trademark in various countries.

8
THE FEATURES
AT A GLANCE
The Drive System

The Flottweg Belt Drive

∙  ower is transmitted using a frequency

P
inverter controlled drive motor via a flat belt
∙ Easy and robust construction resulting in
reduced vibrations and smooth running
∙ Easy maintenance, low wear, thus high
availability
∙ Flexible adaptation to product requirements
thanks to easy and variable adjustment of the
bowl speed
∙ Reduced starting current, operation speed is
quickly achieved
∙ Quick and gentle re-acceleration after solids
discharge

9
 The Compact Spindle

∙  he spindle unit can be mounted/dismantled as

T
one complete component.
∙ The bearings are pre-mounted on the spindle.
∙ Easy accessibility, thus easy replacement of the
bushings is possible

The Lubrication System

of the Disc Stack Centrifuge

∙  ubrication of the spindle ball bearing takes place via a

L
closed lubrication circuit.
∙ Accurate and complete lubrication at any time, independent
of the rotational speed for a long lifetime of the bowl bearing
∙ High availability and safety due to automatic control of
lubrication
∙ Reduced quantity of grease
∙ Autonomous system for optimized lubrication

10
INERT GAS PURGING
If centrifuges are used to process products whose Flottweg offers centrifuges including an inert gas
vapors together with oxygen may form a flammable purging concept which is perfectly adapted to the
mixture, there is a risk of explosion. Consequently, requirements of these applications and in compliance
inert gas purging systems are used to prevent the with the highest safety standards.
exit of vapors into the atmosphere (contamination)
as well as to avoid the entry of air into the system
(explosion).

11
EXPERTS
EXPERTS
IN
IN PROCESS
PROCESS
ENGINEERING
ENGINEERING
Every Process Is Different

The various parameters have a significant influence

on separation efficiency. Knowing these parameters
means increasing the efficiency and yield of your
separation process.

We support our customers along the entire process

chain from R&D raw material analyses to approval
tests. Flottweg offers all necessary methods for
analyzing your products and evaluating new
potential. Our worldwide locations and networks
ensure support and service for our customers.

With the help of our experience and testing capability

we develop made-to-measure solutions to meet your
individual requirements.

12
FLOTTWEG
QUALITY AND SERVICE
Guaranteed Flottweg Quality Our Service –
Always Available for You!
Typical “Made in Germany” quality: We have a
very clear idea about quality and do not make any Almost 1100 employees located globally throughout
compromises here. Often, our customers have to our network of more than 60 sales and service points
deal with aggressive substances contained in are ready to assist you.
wastewater. That is why we only use rustproof
and acid-resistant materials for wetted parts. We not only strive to provide excellence when select-
ing and dimensioning our systems, but we are ready
Our optimally equipped machines will withstand your to assist you also afterward, whenever you need us –
demands permanently – in extreme cases 24/7. in more than 100 countries worldwide and 24/7.

Our strict quality controls (DIN ISO 9001:2015) as well

as the ability to track all critical components provide
additional product safety.

Any questions? Then don’t hesitate to contact us!

We will show you how you can save costs and energy when using the Flottweg AC-separator series.
Together with our experts, we’ll discover your precise optimization potential.

For more information, please visit our website: www.flottweg.com.

13
– Headquarters
– Subsidiary
– Representative office

14
 TECHNICAL
DATA
Technical data of the Flottweg AC-separator*

Model AC1000 AC1200 AC1500 AC1700 AC2000 AC2500

max. max. max. max. max. max.

G-force
12,000 x g 11,000 x g 10,400 x g 10,850 x g 9000 x g 9000 x g

max. max. max. max. max. max.

Rotational speed
9300 U/min 7800 U/min 6800 U/min 6800 U/min 5700 U/min 5200 U/min

Motor 5,5 kW 7,5 - 11 kW 15 - 22 kW 18,5 - 22 kW 30 - 37 kW 55 - 75 kW

Hydraulic capacity 10,000 l/h 17,000 l/h 22,000 l/h 28,000 l/h 45,000 l/h 85,000 l/h

*The listed figures are guidelines only. Actual capacity depends on the individual characteristics of the product.
Subject to technical changes

15
Flottweg SE
Industriestraße 6-8
84137 Vilsbiburg
Deutschland (Germany)
Tel.: + 49 8741 301-0
Fax: + 49 8741 301-300
E-V00/07/2022

Contact form
[email protected]
www.flottweg.com