Common problems we see in the field – and how KMH can help fix them:
🔹Collapsed ducting
We often find ductwork that has collapsed under pressure, restricting airflow and killing system performance.
How KMH helps: We redesign and install ducting with the correct material strength and pressure rating to keep systems running efficiently.
🔹Wrong material selection
Using the wrong materials in harsh or corrosive environments leads to early failure, leaks, and contamination risks.
How KMH helps: We specify and install the right materials — including stainless options — to suit the process and ensure long-term reliability.
🔹Grease or powder build-up
Poorly designed systems allow product to accumulate, reducing efficiency and creating safety risks.
How KMH helps: We optimise duct layouts, improve airflow, and incorporate cleanability to reduce build-up and keep systems safe.
🔹Poorly supported ductwork
Unsupported or badly installed ducting can sag, leak, and fail over time.
How KMH helps: We design proper support structures and ensure installations are robust, secure, and compliant.
🔹Sharp bends causing pressure loss
Tight bends and poor routing create unnecessary resistance and reduce extraction performance.
How KMH helps: We re-engineer systems with smooth, efficient routing to minimise pressure loss and maximise airflow.
🔹Flexible ducting is used where rigid ducting is needed
Flexible ducting in the wrong applications leads to turbulence, wear, and blockages.
How KMH helps: We replace unsuitable flexible sections with correctly specified rigid ducting for durability and performance.
💡The bottom line?
If your airflow system isn’t performing, the issue is often in the ductwork. KMH identifies the problem – and delivers the right solution.
Need help with your airflow system? Get in touch with ITS, we can help identify and fix the root cause: 📞01675 465191 | 📧sales@industrialtradingsolutions.com
Today marks the start of England’s FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign, and like millions of fans across the country, we’ll be cheering on the Three Lions as they take to the world stage.
As a proud British company, we know a thing or two about teamwork, preparation, consistency, and performing when it matters most. Whether it’s a World Cup football match or a complex hygienic processing operation, success rarely happens by accident. It comes from having the right people, the right strategy, and the right equipment in place.
At ITS, we’re proud to be the UK Master Distributor for some of the world’s leading hygienic fluid handling and processing brands, including Alfa Laval. Every day, we work with manufacturers across the food, beverage, brewery, dairy, pharmaceutical and personal care sectors to ensure they have the correct technical solutions to produce safe, high-quality and consistent products at scale.
While England’s goal is to bring home World Cup glory and strive for excellence on the pitch, ours is to help manufacturers deliver world-class products at scale, ensuring quality, consistency and excellence reach consumers across the globe; every single day. From pumps and valves to heat exchangers and complete hygienic processing solutions, we help businesses achieve reliability, efficiency and consistency in every batch.
Just like football, success in manufacturing is built on precision, performance and teamwork.🥅
🥳 So today, we’ll be watching with pride, flying the flag for British industry and supporting the England team as they begin their World Cup journey.
Good luck England! Bring home the results, and we’ll keep helping our customers deliver theirs. 🇬🇧⚽🏆👏☄️
When consumers pour a glass of wine, clarity is often the first indicator of quality. Long before aroma and taste come into play, a bright, clear appearance sets expectations.
For one California winery, maintaining that level of consistency while optimising production efficiency was a challenge. Traditional visual inspections and time-based process checks left room for variability and required significant manual effort.
By implementing the Anderson-Negele ITM-4 turbidity meter, the winery transformed its clarification process through continuous, automated turbidity monitoring.
The results:
✅ More consistent product quality through automated process control
✅ Reduced labour requirements by eliminating manual visual inspections
✅ Improved centrifuge reliability with automatic purge control
✅ Lower operating costs through reduced downtime and product loss
Two key applications delivered these improvements:
🔹 Centrifuge Drum Purge Control
As solids accumulate inside the centrifuge drum, turbidity levels begin to rise. The ITM-4 continuously monitors these changes and triggers purging at the optimal moment. This prevents quality issues caused by delayed purging while minimising unnecessary product loss from premature purging.
🔹 Filtration Monitoring
Real-time turbidity measurement provides continuous visibility into filtration performance, helping wineries consistently achieve clarity targets below 1.0 NTU for ready-to-drink products. Automated monitoring also reduces manual testing and helps prevent filter blockages before they impact production.
With a measurement range of 0–5000 NTU, the ITM-4 delivers the real-time process insight wineries need to protect product quality, improve efficiency, and maintain consistent production standards.
Looking to improve clarity, consistency, and efficiency? Let’s talk about the right monitoring solution for your process: 📞01675 465191 | 📧sales@industrialtradingsolutions.com
When it comes to effective Clean-in-Place (CIP), agitator design plays a critical role. It’s not just about achieving the right mix – poorly designed agitators can create dead zones, uneven flow patterns, and areas where product residues can build up, all of which make cleaning more difficult and less reliable.
Vak Kimsa agitators are specifically engineered with hygiene and efficiency in mind. Their designs promote optimal fluid dynamics within the tank, ensuring full coverage during CIP and eliminating areas where contaminants could remain. With high-quality surface finishes, sanitary construction, and carefully optimised blade geometry, Vak Kimsa agitators help maintain strict hygiene standards across food, beverage, and pharmaceutical applications.
The result is faster and more efficient cleaning cycles, reduced water and chemical usage, and improved process reliability. By minimising residue build-up and supporting consistent flow during CIP, Vak Kimsa solutions help reduce downtime and ensure repeatable, validated cleaning performance.
Choosing Vak Kimsa means investing in agitators that not only deliver excellent mixing but also support efficient, cost-effective cleaning and long-term operational reliability.
👏Less Residue. Less Downtime. Better Results.
🔹Want to improve both mixing performance and CIP efficiency? Contact the ITS sales team to discuss the right Vak Kimsa agitator solution for your application. 📞01675 465191 | 📧sales@industrialtradingsolutions.com
We’re excited to announce that we’re going live with SAP Business One this week – a major milestone that will strengthen our operations, visibility, and future growth.
For our customers, this means better service, improved efficiency, and greater accuracy across everything we do, from faster response times to more reliable order processing and availability.
A huge thank you to Scott Banks, Lee Thompson, and the entire team at Ascarii for their support, expertise, and dedication in getting us to this point. Your guidance has been invaluable throughout the journey.
We’re looking forward to the opportunities this brings and the next phase ahead!
This month, we focus on technical insights and the continued expansion of ITS solutions in hygienic pump and fluid-handling applications, showcasing how our product range supports increasingly complex process requirements.
We also highlight developments across our engineering capabilities and the ongoing growth of the ITS team.
📖Read the latest updates in the latest May edition of our ITS Flow Time Newsletter: https://tinyurl.com/34d6zr84
Alongside this, we highlight ongoing developments in our engineering capabilities and the continued growth and expertise within the ITS team.
Alfa Laval WideGap are engineered for demanding applications where clogging and fouling can slow production and increase downtime. With wide plate gaps, optimised plate patterns, and smooth port design, fibres and particles pass through more freely – helping maximise uptime and reduce maintenance requirements.
✅ Higher heat recovery than traditional shell-and-tube systems
✅ Ideal for thick, fibrous, viscous, or particle‑laden fluids
✅ Up to 80% lighter and requires as little as 20% of the floor space
✅ Longer service intervals, easy CIP, and lower energy consumption
WideGap doesn’t just reduce blockages – it helps improve heat recovery, lower steam consumption, and reduce operating costs across your process.
= A smart solution for demanding heat transfer applications.
Standard liquid filtration solutions may look ideal on paper – but real‑world processes rarely are.
Your liquid, plant layout, and operating conditions are unique. That’s why Auto‑line® automatic self‑cleaning filters can be configured around your process, not the other way around.
✅ Your liquid
✅ Your layout
✅ Your operating conditions
From serial, duplex, or parallel arrangements to heating or cooling jackets and sluice systems for optimised purging, Auto‑line® filters are built to match your exact requirements.
Custom filtration where it matters most – in the real world.
🔹Need to discuss the right solution for your application? Get in touch with our sales team today – we’re here to help: 📞 01675 621014 📧sales@industrialtradingsolutions.com
ITS team members were pleased to attend CHEM UK 2026 at the NEC this week. It was great to connect with new faces, support our partners, and explore the latest innovations and technologies shaping the processing industry.
We also had the chance to catch up with our partners at VAK KIMSA, including Josep Maria Siso – always great to stay connected and see what’s coming next.
Traditionally, hydrostatic level measurement has been the go‑to solution for large liquid tanks.
But with the Anderson‑Negele L3 Neo, that picture has changed.
Thanks to its exceptional accuracy and stability, the L3 Neo delivers reliable level and volume measurement not only in large vessels, but also in smaller process feed tanks – even with frequent temperature changes.
This expands the use of hydrostatic level measurement to:
All types of liquids
Storage and process tanks
Vertical and horizontal vessels
Setting new standards in hydrostatic level control, the L3 Neo features an ultra‑low temperature drift of just 0.016% per 10 °F — several times better than conventional sensors, which can drift by up to 0.2% per 10 °F.
✅The result? Accurate measurement even with:
Changing media and densities
Fluctuating process conditions
Demanding hygienic applications
🔹Easy to install, low maintenance, and built for precision – the L3 Neo is redefining hydrostatic level measurement.
Curious how the L3 Neo performs in demanding process conditions? Let’s talk about your application requirements: 📞 01675 621014 |📧sales@industrialtradingsolutions.com
Consistent quality starts with reliable sampling. 🍺
Servinox Sampling Valves are designed specifically for breweries, allowing safe, hygienic, and representative sampling at every stage of the brewing process – from fermentation to final product.
With robust stainless-steel construction and easy operation, Servinox valves help brewers monitor quality with confidence, without compromising hygiene or flow.
When you’re specifying motors for pumps in hygienic fluid handling, the IE rating is not just a technical detail. It directly affects energy consumption, operating cost, heat generation, and long-term reliability. It is also something you can physically check, as the IE rating is typically engraved on the motor nameplate, making it easy to identify exactly what is installed on site.
What do IE ratings actually mean?
IE stands for “International Efficiency;” a classification defined under IEC 60034-30-1. It groups electric motors based on how efficiently they convert electrical energy into mechanical power.
IE1 – Standard Efficiency IE2 – High Efficiency IE3 – Premium Efficiency IE4 – Super Premium Efficiency
As you move up each level, motors waste less energy as heat and operate more efficiently.
⚙️IE1 Motors Standard Efficiency (Now largely phased out)
IE1 motors were once the baseline but are now largely obsolete across the UK and EU due to tightening efficiency regulations.
In hygienic pump applications, IE1 motors tend to:
Run hotter
Consume more energy
Require more frequent maintenance due to thermal stress.
They are rarely specified today unless supporting legacy systems or exports to less-regulated markets.
⚙️IE2 Motors High Efficiency (Entry-level compliance)
IE2 motors marked the first step toward improved efficiency and are still found in some existing installations.
For hygienic pumping systems:
They offer better efficiency than IE1 but are no longer best practice
They may still be used in non-critical or intermittent-duty applications
Increasingly restricted under regulations like the EU Eco Design Directive
In most modern hygienic environments, IE2 is being replaced by IE3 as a minimum standard.
⚙️IE3 Motors Premium Efficiency (Current industry standard)
IE3 motors are now the standard choice for most hygienic pump systems.
Key advantages:
Significantly lower energy consumption
Reduced heat generation (important for product integrity and washdown environments)
Better long-term reliability and lower total cost of ownership
In sectors such as food, beverage, and pharmaceutical processing, where pumps often run continuously, IE3 motors provide the best balance between cost and long-term efficiency. You’ll commonly see IE3 motors paired with hygienic pump types such as:
Twin screw pumps
Lobe pumps
Centrifugal pumps
⚙️IE4 Motors Super Premium Efficiency (High-performance option)
IE4 motors represent the highest level of efficiency currently available for most industrial applications.
Benefits include:
Maximum energy savings over long duty cycles
Lower operating temperatures
Reduced carbon footprint
However, there are trade-offs:
Higher upfront cost
Often paired with variable speed drives (VSDs) to fully realise efficiency gains
For large-scale food production or pharmaceutical plants running 24/7, IE4 motors can deliver meaningful savings over time.
❔Why motor efficiency matters in hygienic fluid handling
In hygienic environments, motor efficiency influences more than just power usage.
Lower heat generation helps protect product quality and reduces stress on components. Improved efficiency supports longer equipment life and more stable operation. It also contributes to sustainability targets by reducing overall energy demand.
Because the IE rating is clearly engraved on the motor nameplate, it also allows engineers and operators to quickly verify system compliance during inspections or maintenance.
✅Choosing the right IE rating
For most hygienic pump applications today, IE3 is the practical minimum and standard choice. IE4 is ideal for high usage systems where energy savings are a priority.
IE2 and IE1 should generally be avoided unless there is a specific operational requirement.
The key is to consider the total cost of ownership, not just the initial purchase price.
💡Final thought
Motor efficiency might sit in the background of a pump specification, but its impact is front and centre over the life of your system. In hygienic processing environments, where uptime, cleanliness, and consistency are critical, stepping up from IE2 to IE3 – or even IE4 – is often a decision that pays for itself faster than expected.
🔹Speak to ITS about the right pump solution
If you are reviewing your current setup or specifying new equipment, understanding motor efficiency is a simple but important step.
At ITS, we supply a range of hygienic pump solutions designed for efficiency, reliability, and long-term performance across food, beverage, and pharmaceutical applications.
If you want to ensure your system is operating at the right standard, get in touch with the ITS team to discuss the best solution for your process.
In flow‑critical applications involving dry bulk materials or air, maintaining consistent flow, hygiene, and system reliability is essential. Yet one factor that is often underestimated is the ducting layout itself.
Whether conveying powders, granules, flakes, or process air, a poorly designed ducting system can lead to product build‑up, flow disruption, increased dust risks, and unnecessary downtime. In contrast, a well‑engineered hygienic ducting layout, such as those developed by KMH-Kammann Metallbau, plays a key role in ensuring safe, efficient, and repeatable operation within dry processing environments.
As distributors of KMH-Kammann Metallbau, ITS works closely with customers who rely on precision ducting for demanding, flow‑critical dry applications.
Ducting Is an Active Part of the Process
In dry product and air conveying systems, ducting is not simply a connection between machines – it directly influences how material or air behaves in the process.
Ducting layout impacts:
Product flow stability and velocity
Risk of material build‑up or blockages
Dust generation and containment
Ease of cleaning and inspection
Long‑term system reliability
Sharp bends, dead zones, poor transitions, or inconsistent cross‑sections can cause segregation, powder adhesion, or pressure losses – all of which compromise performance and hygiene.
Hygienic Design for Dry Product Flow
Hygienic ducting for dry materials focuses on clean geometry and controlled flow, ensuring that products move as intended and do not remain trapped within the system.
KMH-Kammann Metallbau ducting systems are engineered with smooth internal surfaces, precise fabrication, and flow‑optimised designs that help minimise residue build‑up. This is particularly important in food, dairy powders, nutraceuticals, and other sensitive dry applications.
Key layout principles include:
Smooth transitions and gentle bends to reduce impact zones
Minimised horizontal sections where powders may settle
Consistent internal diameters for predictable air and product flow
Self-draining or fully accessible sections for inspection and cleaning
Designing around the characteristics of the dry product or air stream significantly reduces hygiene risks and improves process repeatability.
Supporting Cleanability in Dry Systems
Although dry processes do not involve liquids, hygiene is no less critical. Fine powders, dust, and airborne particles can accumulate rapidly if ducting is not designed correctly.
KMH-Kammann Metallbau ducting layouts are designed to support:
Easy access for dry cleaning or vacuum systems
Minimal joints and crevices where dust can collect
Quick inspection during product changeovers
Compliance with hygienic design best practices
This results in shorter cleaning times, improved operator safety, and reduced cross‑contamination risk – particularly important in multi‑product facilities.
Reliable Airflow and Reduced Downtime
In air‑based conveying or ventilation systems, duct layout directly affects pressure, velocity, and energy efficiency. Poor design can increase fan loads, encourage blockages, and accelerate wear.
Maintain consistent airflow and conveying efficiency
Reduce abrasion and erosion in high‑velocity zones
Prevent dust accumulation and flow interruptions
Extend system lifetime and reduce unplanned maintenance
For operations running continuously or at high throughput, this reliability is essential to maintaining uptime.
A Complete System Perspective
One of the strengths of KMH-Kammann Metallbau is their system‑oriented approach. Ducting is engineered as part of an integrated dry processing or air handling solution, working seamlessly with feeders, filters, cyclones, separators, and discharge points.
This approach ensures that ducting not only fits physically, but also performs optimally within the overall process – eliminating compromises often introduced by generic or retrofitted systems.
🔹The ITS Advantage
As distributors of KMH-Kammann Metallbau, ITS supports customers in designing and selecting ducting solutions that are hygienic, flow‑optimised, and fit for purpose in dry product and air handling applications.
From concept through to installation, we help ensure ducting layouts are engineered to support performance, cleanliness, and long‑term reliability – not just on day one, but throughout the system’s lifecycle.
In dry processing environments where flow and hygiene are critical, ducting layout is not a minor detail. It is a defining factor in process success.
💻Visit our website to explore the full range of ducting solutions available from ITS: Click here
When it comes to maintaining Alfa Laval equipment, choosing genuine spares over cheaper alternatives is a smart long‑term decision.
Genuine Alfa Laval parts are engineered to precise specifications, ensuring optimal performance, reliability, and hygiene. While non‑genuine alternatives may offer lower upfront costs, they often lead to reduced efficiency, increased wear, and a higher risk of unplanned downtime – costing more over time.
In hygienic and process‑critical industries, genuine spares also protect compliance, product safety, and equipment warranties.
By purchasing directly from ITS, you benefit from guaranteed authentic parts, expert support, and confidence that your equipment will continue to perform as designed.
Short‑term savings can be tempting – but when performance, uptime, and compliance matter, genuine Alfa Laval spares are the safest and most cost‑effective choice.
🔹Keep your operations running at peak performance with genuine Alfa Laval spares from ITS.
Or get in touch with our expert team for advice, support, and help finding the right solution for your equipment:
📞 01675 621014
📧 sales@industrialtradingsolutions.com
Say goodbye to dust, dirt, and contamination risks—the new double-sided Pipetites provide a smarter, more hygienic way to seal pipe penetrations.
Designed for ultimate flexibility, these innovative seals allow movement without compromising hygiene or creating gaps where unwanted particles can enter.
Key Benefits:
✅ Hygienic, dust-tight sealing from both sides
✅ Accommodates pipe movement without damage
✅ Simple installation and long-lasting durability
✅ Ideal for hygienic industries like food, beverage, dairy, and pharma
With double-sided Pipetites, you can maintain higher standards of hygiene while reducing downtime and maintenance.
Want to know more? Get in touch with ITS today to upgrade your site’s sealing solutions 01675 465191 / sales@industrialtradingsolutions.com or visit
At Industrial Trading Solutions Ltd, our dedicated in‑house servicing centre is fully equipped to support your valves and pumps – keeping downtime to a minimum.
Send your equipment directly to us for:
⚙️Fast turnaround
⚙️Detailed investigation and diagnosis
⚙️Professional repair and servicing
Based at our specialist facility in Coleshill, West Midlands, our experienced team ensures your assets are restored efficiently, reliably, and ready for service.
When performance matters and time is critical, trust ITS to keep your operation moving.
This April edition of our ITS Flow Time Newsletter highlights the latest project updates, showcases recent on-site servicing work, and explores new developments across our hygienic pump and fluid handling solutions.
We also take a closer look at the people behind the process and the continued growth across the ITS team.
Some machines don’t just support production; they become part of the story. If your Vak Kimsa agitator has been reliably spinning for years (or even decades), now’s the time to give it the recognition it deserves.
Vak Kimsa has launched the #VVKChallenge, celebrating the longest‑running VK agitators in operation, and the reward is not just bragging rights. 🏆
Share the story of your oldest VK agitator
🎁 Win a brand‑new Vak Kimsa agitator – FREE
It’s a great way to honour equipment that’s delivered consistent performance over time, while taking the opportunity to upgrade.
When choosing a liquid filtration solution, price and performance often steal the spotlight – but maintenance deserves equal attention.
A filter’s value doesn’t stop at how well it performs in production. It should be easy to clean, quick to service, and straightforward to maintain, without specialist support or costly downtime.
What really makes a difference?
• Simple, tool-free access
• Minimal moving parts
• Fast changeovers and reduced downtime
From paint and cheese whey to chocolate and beyond, every application has one thing in common: maintenance is unavoidable.
Choosing a filtration system designed with this in mind can save time, money, and frustration over its lifetime.
Because the best filters don’t just work well – they work with you.
Need to discuss which HiFlux Filtration A/S filtration system is best suited to your process?📞 01675 621014 📧sales@industrialtradingsolutions.com
Are Your Pumps Truly Running at Peak Efficiency Year After Year?
Another busy week on-site for the ITS Servicing & Maintenance team, supporting an annual scheduled maintenance programme for a well-known food manufacturer operating across the bakery and packaged snack sector.
Dan Hinton and Connor Littlewood dedicated the week, onsite, to detailed pump servicing across PDP Pumps, Twin Screw & OptiLobe; alongside Centrifugal SolidC Pumps used in bakery processing.
Each unit was carefully inspected and maintained, including:
🔧 Replacement of elastomers across all wetted ends
🔧 Mechanical seal servicing (including cartridge seals)
🔧 Inspection of screws, rotors, and impellers
🔧 Wear checks for pitting, cracking, and general degradation
After a full programme of preventative maintenance and a final day of commissioning, all equipment was confirmed to be operating as expected, with no major issues identified.
💡 Our approach:
Routine, planned servicing doesn’t just fix problems – it prevents them. Consistent annual maintenance helps ensure long-term reliability, efficiency, and reduced unplanned downtime.
👏 Another system kept in safe hands with the ITS Servicing team.
