Expansion has been ongoing as part of a five-year capital investment project to improve beet receiving, washing and chip recovery at Michigan Sugar Company's Croswell factory. This project included a new beet washer building and conveyor washing system. The new systems optimize the receiving and wash station of the factory by adding dry handling and replacing a large, tub-style beet washer with a process that sends beets over a high-pressure roller spray table designed to use less water and energy, create fewer beet chips and produce a cleaner beet for slicing in the factory.

Corrosion protection in this very harsh food processing environment was a critical part of the design process. The team also wanted to increase overall production while building a system without interruptions in production. The team decided to hot-dip galvanize the entire washer system and the entire building. This combination will help to protect both structures from the beet washing process and the acidic chemical involved. 

Beyond corrosion protection, the construction team was confronted with a very aggressive schedule for opening the building before the next fall harvest. The steel fabricator consulted with the galvanizer to coordinate quick turnaround service to help meet the schedule. 

Ultimately, hot-dip galvanizing helped save the day on this project allowing for the best in corrosion protection as well as quick delivery to minimize downtime and meet the fall harvest schedule.