The winery discovers drainage
Drainage is particularly critical in wineries because of the harmful bacterial agents than can proliferate in drains and become a source of contamination or, in the worst cases, seriously compromise food safety. An inadequate drainage system is also costly to clean and maintain if the level of hygiene and sanitation required by law for food production plants is to be guaranteed.
ACO is committed to supplying products that guarantee maximum hygienic performance and makes the hygienic design of every component a top priority. ACO invests constantly in research and development and collaborates continuously with customers, sector specialists and wine experts to implement best practices and conform to applicable standards.
ACO offers a particularly wide range of advanced technology solutions for wineries.
An improperly designed drainage system, with inadequate hydraulic capacity and poor flow rates can cause floors to flood, endanger health and safety in the workplace and increase the risk of cross contamination.
High thermal and dynamic load can cause cracks in the floor, especially where the drainage channels connect to the floor.
The ability to completely sanitise the entire drainage system practically, efficiently and cheaply has a significant impact on maintenance costs and standards of hygiene in the production area.
The steel used to make drainage systems needs to be particularly resistant to the acids and bases used for cleaning and sanitising rooms and equipment.
Areas of greatest interest:
How to combine high dynamic load with a safe work environment?
It is extremely important, but at the same time very difficult, to ensure safety in a work environment where fork lifts and other vehicles carrying heavy loads transit. Grape reception areas can become hazardous if the grip or load class of the floor and drainage lines is inadequate. Mud brought in by tractors, for example, and spillages of grapes can make the floor slippery and block the drainage system, leading to possible flooding.
Main criticalities
- Heavy loads
- Mud and dirt
- Spillages of grapes
How to sanitise floors quickly without compromising hygiene?
During the cleaning and sanitisation of maceration and fermentation tanks, large volumes of water mixed with lees can be poured on to the floor and this needs to be drained off as quickly and effectively as possible. Otherwise, pools of water and waste from the fermentation process can form, compromising the hygiene and safety of the production area. All this can be avoided. You just need to understand what are the most important factors to consider when planning your drainage system.
Main criticalities
- Large volumes of water and high flow rates
- Risk of contamination
- Fermentation process residues on floors
How to keep the area dry and safe?
This is where the wine matures in preparation for the next stages in the process. The floor surface here must be kept dry and free from spillages of wine and the chemical products used to wash out tanks. Only in this way can accidental slipping and falls be prevented, allowing personnel to move around the area freely, quickly and safely.
It is also extremely important for the joints between floor and drainage channel to be perfectly made in order to prevent bacteria proliferating in gaps and causing contamination risks.
Main criticalities
- Slippery floors
- Risks of floor cracking
- Wine spillages on the floor
How to ensure the bouquet of your wine and the safety of your store?
In the barrel cellar, wine rests and ages, developing its typical nose through contact with the wood of the barrels. But since wood is a breathable material, it can also absorb unwanted odours which can affect the wine and spoil its aroma and flavour.
It is therefore essential to prevent unpleasant odours from penetrating into the barrel cellar. This area and the final warehouse are generally dry and do not require frequent washing or large volumes of water for sanitisation. They are, however, often transited by fork lift trucks carrying heavy weights. A well-designed drainage system must therefore be able to withstand heavy loads and must, at all the drainage points, have devices like siphons or sealed covers to prevent the return of unpleasant odours.
Main criticalities
- Heavy loads
- Odour contamination
How to avoid drain blockages and flooding?
Broken glass, even in large quantities, can fall on to the floor in the bottling area and needs to be removed as quickly and effectively as possible. The easiest way of doing this is to brush and wash the floor. These operations, however, cause fragments of glass to enter the drainage channels, risking blockages and flooding.
Bottle labels can also clog the entrances to the drains.
This area is also transited by wheeled vehicles like fork lifts and pallet trucks that generate mechanical stress at the joints between the drainage channels and the floor.
Main criticalities
- Broken glass
- Slippery floors
- Impact of small wheels
