July 2024

Spice Maker Adds Paddle Mixer to Quadruple Production

Application Notes & Case Studies /

A typical batch consists of 10 to 12 ingredients, including liquid additions. The ingredients, mostly spices and salt, are received in 50 lb (22.7 kg) bags or boxes, which are moved by forklift onto a mezzanine and manually loaded into the mixer below. When a batch is completed it is discharged into 1,500 lb (680 kg) bulk bags, from which the product is packaged in 50 lb (22.7 kg) or 75 lb (34 kg) boxes, or 125 lb (56.7 kg) drums.

Formerly, packaging was a manual operation in which each bag was lifted by a hoist and emptied into the packages. In the new system, each bag is moved by forklift to a bulk-bag discharger, from which it is emptied into a hopper that serves two packaging lines via vibratory feed troughs. Each trough feeds product directly into a package that is set on a scale, and the flow is automatically controlled by a gain-in-weight system.

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Cinnamon Plant Employs Screen Classifying Cutter and Rotary Mixer

Application Notes & Case Studies /

From the conveyor line the quills are discharged into a rotary knife cutter and rough-cut to a maximum length of 6 in. (15 cm). The quills are then fed via a pneumatic conveyor into a high-speed, screen classifying cutter (Munson model SCC-15-MS). The unit’s horizontal rotor contains dozens of cutter blades, attached to a helical array of staggered holders called “interconnected parallelograms.” The blades are chisel-shaped, with replaceable carbon tips.

Driven by a 20-hp (15-kW) motor, the blades rotate at 2,200 rpm and continuously shear the quills against twin, stationary bed knives, cutting them into 2 in. (5 cm) lengths. Despite the high rotation speed, there is little to no heat generation and minimum fines

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Switch to Rotary Batch Mixer Cuts Costs, Boosts Output at Food Ingredient Processor

Application Notes & Case Studies /

“When we decided to increase our capacity we specified a Munson Model 700 stainless steel rotary batch mixer with a 140 cu ft (3.96 cu m) capacity. It accommodates our batch weights of 5500 lb (2,500 kg), in excess of what a cone blender can handle. Because the drum rotates on external trunnion rings, there is no internal shaft with seals immersed in the material, eliminating a maintenance and cross-contamination problem. In addition, the mixer evacuates upon discharge with little or no residual, allowing rapid, thorough cleaning.”

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Product Saver Reclaim System and Bulk Bag Filler For Granulated, Powdered and Brown Sugar

Application Notes & Case Studies /

The system was designed to automatically open and separate various types of sugar from 1 – 50 pound bags. A Rigid screw conveyor would convey the sugars into a bulk bag filler to fill supersacks by weight. The system included a dust collection system with various dust pick-up locations for a dust tight design.

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Major Ingredient Transfer and Weighing for Snack Food Processing

Application Notes & Case Studies /

The manufacture of baked snack foods generally requires various ingredients to be transferred to mixing and extrusion processes. Depending on the percentage of each ingredient in the blend, materials are usually categorized as majors, minors and micros. In many cases, the transfer and weighing of these majors, minors, and micros can be a manual and tedious process. When increased production demand and lack of overall process efficiency caused a manufacturer of baked snack foods to switch from a manual to a more automated process, they approached the Coperion K-Tron Process Group for help.

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Stainless Steel Bulk Bag Discharger and Flexible Screw Conveyor for Granulated Sugar

Application Notes & Case Studies /

The customer needed an efficient way to discharge granulated sugar from bulk bags. Features for the bulk bag discharger were chosen based on overhead height restrictions and product characteristics. NBE’s low-profile frame design and low-profile bag hanger were needed to provide the necessary clearances. On occasion, the customer needed to break up larger chunks of sugar that were evident in some of the bags received from suppliers. NBE added a pinch valve to prevent these chunks from lodging in the spout and a crumbler to break down the hard chunks for proper conveyance with the take away flexible screw conveyor. The flexible screw conveyor provided a means of transport for the sugar to the customer’s existing process. A dust collector was provided for an integral system and complete controls were to run the system. Other aspects of this project included Class II, Div. 2, Group G controls, washdown capabilities, and food-grade construction.

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Demo of Kason’s Vibroscreen Scalping & De-Dusting Sugar with Kleen Screen Anti-Blinding Device

Application Notes & Case Studies /

Watch as our Kason Vibroscreen, equipped with a Kleen Screen Anti-Blinding Device, scalps and de-dusts sugar. The 12 mesh top screen and a 50 mesh bottom screen contain a set of our Kleen Screen Rings which move continuously and, because they are hollow, promote product flow over the entire screen surface, maximizing screening efficiency.

Demo of Kason’s Vibroscreen Scalping & De-Dusting Sugar with Kleen Screen Anti-Blinding Device Read More »

Dry Bulk Filling System for Specialty Salt and Flour Blends

Application Notes & Case Studies /

An important customer is constructing a new facility to keep up with increased demand of their specialty salt products. The goal is to increase the plant’s production capacity through increased automation, efficiency, and technology improvements. One of the key items in their process is a new bulk packaging line that will provide them with flexibility to handle a wide range of product grades as well as providing flexibility to handle a variety of bag sizes. The system needs to be easily adaptable through recipe driven automation and must be designed to operate in a production environment that is both fast paced and demanding in terms of the environment. The system features an empty pallet dispenser, slip sheet dispenser, powered roller conveyors, gravity drop metal detector, and a cantilevered filler with a wide range of ergonomic and automation features. The system features epoxy painted construction along with bellows to protect exposed cylinder rods in the demanding environment. A heat sealer at the end of the line is used to seal off the finished, lined, bags.

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Metering Dextrose from Super-Sacks with Screw Conveyor

Application Notes & Case Studies /

KWS replaced the existing screw feeder with a 6-inch diameter variable pitch screw feeder. The variable pitch design provides a controlled feed of dextrose to the slurry. The flights of the screw were continuously welded on both sides of the center pipe for extra strength and durability. The inclined screw feeder utilized a split tubular housing to contain the free-flowing dextrose and provide the most efficient design. A purgeable shaft seal was used on the tail end to prevent leakage of dextrose. KWS selected an integral-motor Dodge Quantis drive due to space constraints and to provide lower energy consumption.
The screw feeder design included a KWS torque arm trough end to permit the drive unit to “float” on the drive shaft, eliminating any overhung load and stress on the rigidly welded screw. A pillow block roller bearing is located on the drive end to support the screw and function as a thrust bearing.

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