Mass-flow metering of bulk materials for food industries presents many challenges. The process needs to be highly accurate and hygienic, with minimal maintenance requirements, all while taking into account on-site production constraints, which are bespoke for each producer.
As a manufacturer of customized, high-quality mass-flow measuring and feeding technologies, the Schenck Process Group, which Kemutec is part of, was proud and expertly placed to work with an industry-leading pet food company with deep expertise in pet food nutrition and health. Renowned as a pioneer of nutritional innovations, the customer produces products to the highest standards.
Profound Knowledge Enables Comprehensive Response to Customer Challenges
Having worked with the client for several years, supplying a variety of turn-key plants, technologies, and systems, Schenck Process was able to offer unique insight into its customer’s requirements and processes. Therefore, when the Group was approached by its pet food client to address material metering and feeding challenges across numerous sites in Europe, its customized technologies provided valuable process benefits. These benefits resulted in being successfully appointed to design, manufacture, deliver, and commission technologies for mass-flow metering, including Screw Feeders and Multicor S40 Continuous Mass-Flow Measuring Units.
Handling a specially formalized dry pet food product, Schenck Process understood the need to ensure that the accuracy of the system would be achieved. Particularly, it needed to control an approximate throughput range of between 3,000-5,000 kg per hour. Moreover, the system design was required to easily integrate with other process equipment within the plant.
The customer advised that product hang-up/contamination points were a concern and that it was imperative Schenck Process was able to incorporate Screw Feeder technologies into the discharge of a mixer outlet assembly, to eliminate any contamination risk. Whilst the client’s needs were complex, Schenck Process was confident that it could rise to the challenges.
Design-led Solution Exceeds Expectations and Ensures Accuracy
The design-led approach Schenck Process adopted enabled it to provide a cost-effective, accurate, and dust-tight mass-flow measuring system. When Schenck Process was advised that accessibility was an issue, it was quickly able to determine a practical solution using 3D software and the development of a prototype, allowing the design to take place off-site and negating any installation problems once installed on-site.
Schenck Process’s combined technical know-how and process design experience guided the customer towards the most efficient and cost-effective raw material distribution and mass-flow measuring solution. The unique design integrated both Screw Feeding and Multicor technologies to give the client an accurate and controllable feed system using Coriolis mass-flow measurement of the product throughput and consumption.
The design benefits of the Schenck Process tailored solution included:
- Reduced areas for potential product build-up and contamination
- High measuring and feeding accuracy
- Easy installation and integration
- Dust-tight housing reduces the risk of airborne materials
- Ease of access for maintenance & troubleshooting
- Low maintenance costs
- Cost-effective design
- Unaffected by external conditions
Combination of Honest Communication and Strong Support Delivers Success
The speed of support from Schenck Process was vital to the pet food customer: From initial pre-sales conversations to fast and smooth service, ensuring the machinery was delivered on time and on budget. Schenck Process aim is always to support the complete life cycle of its products and systems. It understands that its machines’ longevity is significant to its customers. The equipment required very little maintenance, thereby avoiding downtime and costs. The ease of maintenance was reinforced through training presented by Schenck Process to all necessary users and maintenance technicians. The training was delivered virtually due to being in the midst of an ongoing pandemic.
The effective, honest and open communication between Schenck Process and its pet food customer was an excellent example of a partnership approach in action. Listening to the client’s complex needs led to the implementation of further product developments of the Multicor, designed to specifically suit the customer’s individual requirements. Schenck Process’s commitment to precision and quality provided the customer with the confidence that he was working with the best in the industry and afforded Schenck Process with full and accurate control over the material flow rates that he required.
Having overcome its customer’s process challenges and providing an accurate and more effective method of mass-flow metering, Schenck Process has been very proud to witness the benefits now passed onto its client and ultimately his petfood products.
