Infré chooses Lindor tea mixer
For quite some time Infré SA in Switzerland had been searching for a suitable mixer forblending different types of tea. The 'gentle touch' required for tea, they found at Lindor inDordrecht, the Netherlands. The decision was made to purchase the Lindor L4000 mixer;gentle on fragile tea leaves and highly energy-efficient. This blender has increased flexibilityfor Infré and consequently also their market potential.
Blending and decaffeinating tea
As with wine, the quality of tea can vary enormously. Its taste and composition depends on the countryin which the tea is harvested, the weather conditions during growth, the location (height) of the teaplantation and the composition and quality of the soil. Tea is blended in order to achieve a consistentquality of tea and the Lindor mixer is ideal for this purpose. The fragile tea leaves are mixed very gentlyin the drum to form a homogeneous blend.
Tea naturally contains caffeine, also known as theine. Decaffeinating tea is what the Swiss firm Infré isspecialised in. The decaffeination process takes place after the tea has been blended, using methylenechloride. This solvent is widely used in the food industry and among other things is suitable for theextraction of caffeine from coffee and tea.
The decision to purchase the "gentle touch" L4000 will enable Infré to offer a fully integrated service tocustomers. As Mr Gert ter Voorde, CEO at Infré SA, remarks: "Our customers prefer to buy their teaready to use, which means already blended and decaffeinated. This blender allows us to purchasedifferent types of tea from all over the world and blend it to obtain the required quality. The Lindor mixerincreases our flexibility and as a result we can appeal to a much larger market. What settled it for uswas the mixing principle, the quality and sustainability. This mixer is an important tool towards furthergrow for Infré.”
Technical specifications of mixer with ‘gentle touch’
The L4000 version enables a net product volume of 4,000 litres. The rotary drum of the mixer containssix fixed scoops and on both sides of the drum there is a special seal that integrates seamlessly with thestatic inlet and outlet structure. The geometry of the paddles and their position in the drum ensures thatthe drum is completely emptied (> 99.8 %) after opening the pneumatically controlled discharge valve.In one batch process the mixer can process 4m³. Cleaning and maintenance is facilitated by three largeaccess panels. All metal parts of the mixer that come into contact with the product, are manufacturedfrom stainless steel 316. The machine complies with all hygiene and health and safety requirements asset by the food industry for this type of equipment, including the FDA standards. With dimensions of fiveby two-and-a-half metres and a height of two-and-a-half metres, the mixer weighs approximately 3,000kg (excluding lower frame).
Why an orange frame?
At the request of Infré, the standard frame has not been finishedin RAL1013 (pearl white) but in bright orange! Mr ter Voordelaughed when he saw the 
frame, according to him "This is atypical joke you could expect from the Swiss owner of Infré. Hethinks that a mixer for the Netherlands should be given thenational colours of the country, which in this case is orange. Eventhough I am a Dutchman, I am not particularly fond of thiscolour. But I must admit, orange does not look bad at all in ourfactory in Semsales in Switzerland!"
Infré SA specialists in the decaffeination of all kinds of tea
For more than half a century Infré SA from Switzerland have beenspecialists in the decaffeination of all kinds of tea. Many leading teabrands from Europe find their way to Infré to have their teadecaffeinated. In addition, Infré has introduced many differentdecaffeinated teas on the market under the INFRE brand name. Thisproprietary brand has made them market leaders in Italy andSwitzerland.
As a result of the growing demand for decaffeinated tea, in 2004 Infrédecided to build a new high-tech tea plant in Semsales, Switzerland. After two years of construction,their more than 60 years of experience in decaffeinating tea combined with a specialist knowledge ofprocess technology, has resulted in a state-of-the-art plant. Annually around 5,000 tonnes of highquality decaffeinated tea is produced by Infré in their brand new factory.
