At EXAIR, a big part of what we do as Application Engineers is help customers solve practical process problems. Sometimes that means cooling a hot control cabinet with a Cabinet Cooler, moving material with compressed air with our Line Vacs, or just generally improving blow-off performance. Sometimes, it means stepping a little outside the “typical EXAIR product” conversation and pulling in the right solution from our sister company BETE.
That was exactly the case with a recent tank-cleaning application at a craft pickle-processing facility.
The Challenge: Cleaning a Small Mixing Tank Between Pickle Batches
The customer was running a small mixing tank used in the preparation of brine and seasoning blends for pickle production. Between batches, the tank needed to be cleaned thoroughly to avoid flavor carryover, ingredient buildup, and general sanitation issues. Like a lot of food processors, they were trying to balance two competing priorities. Changing over as fast as possible but still getting repeatable tank cleaning.
Their existing cleaning method was manual and inconsistent. Operators were spending too much time rinsing the tank by hand, and coverage inside the vessel wasn’t always uniform—especially around the upper walls and internal surfaces where residue could cling after mixing.
From an engineering standpoint, this is where tank washing technology makes a lot of sense. Instead of relying on a static rinse or manual wash down, a properly selected rotary tank cleaning nozzle can deliver complete, repeatable coverage while reducing labor and helping shorten cleanup time.
Why the BETE HydroWhirl Mini Was a Good Fit
In this case, the tank was relatively small, which made the BETE HydroWhirl Mini a strong fit.
The HydroWhirl Mini is a compact, fluid-driven rotary tank cleaning nozzle designed for small tanks and process equipment. In its 316L stainless steel configuration, it is built for hygienic applications and is well suited for food processing environments like this pickle operation. BETE lists it for cleaning small tanks up to roughly 6 feet in diameter, with 360° spray coverage, a self-flushing design, and PEEK slide bearings for long service life and minimal maintenance.
That combination matters in food production. When you’re washing down a tank between batches of brine, spice blends, or pickle seasoning mixtures, you want a nozzle that can do a few things well:
- Reach the entire tank interior with consistent spray coverage.
- Deliver enough impact to remove residue from the walls and top surfaces.
- Hold up to repeated wash cycles without becoming a maintenance burden.
- Use sanitary materials appropriate for food and beverage applications.
The HydroWhirl Mini checks those boxes.
How It Helped the Pickle House
For this application, the nozzle gave the customer a way to move away from manual tank rinsing and toward a more repeatable clean-in-place style process for the mixing vessel.
Because the HydroWhirl Mini is fluid-driven, it uses the cleaning liquid itself to rotate the spray head. As it rotates, it creates a vigorous 360° washing pattern that repeatedly impacts the tank interior. BETE specifically positions the HydroWhirl Mini as a solution for small tanks, drums, barrels, totes, and hygienic equipment cleaning, which made it a natural fit for a food production mixing tank.
At the pickle house, the benefits were straightforward:
1. More consistent tank coverage
2. Less manual cleaning labor.
3. Better batch-to-batch changeover
4. A sanitary material package for food applications
The stainless-version HydroWhirl Mini is made from FDA-compliant 316L stainless steel, which is important in hygienic wash-down environments. For a pickle processor dealing with acidic brines, seasonings, and frequent cleaning cycles, material compatibility and cleanability both matter.
One of the advantages of working with EXAIR is that the conversation doesn’t have to stop in compressed air. If a customer has a process challenge, our job is to help solve it even if the right answer comes from a sister company like BETE. That’s what good application engineering is supposed to look like: understanding the process, identifying the bottleneck, and matching it with a solution that makes the operation run better.
If you’re dealing with tank cleaning challenges in food processing, chemical mixing, tote washing, or other small-vessel applications, the HydroWhirl Mini is worth a look.
Jordan Shouse
Application Engineer
E: [email protected]
O: (513) 671‑3322
F: (513) 671‑3363
A: 11510 Goldcoast Dr, Cincinnati OH 45249
www.exair.com
