discharged. This relieves some of
the bottleneck, but tends to transfer
the problem elsewhere in the
process.
Due to the open transfers and
open-mouthed discharge points of
totes and big bags, excessive dust
is generated within the working
environment. This now means that
large-scale cleaning from ‘ceiling to
floor’ needs to be done, resulting
in unnecessary utility usage as
well as risking the fabric of the
building itself, and still, the critical
contamination points may not be
cleaned. In a bid to overcome this,
dust extraction has been employed
but is often overused, which has
then led to poor product yields and
moving the problem on further down
the line.
When Brothers Illong decided
to make a capital investment
to increase their production,
they decided to buy high quality
equipment, and chose a system
that was already being used by
many international infant formula
producers. After a reference visit
and full-scale testing using their
own ingredients, the contract
was granted to Matcon. The final
solution involved creating four
discrete ‘process modules’:
• FILLING: the sack-tipping unit
with sieving is designed to enable
dust-tight filling of the Matcon
IBC (Intermediate Bulk Container),
ensuring a fully contained transfer
of material into the container
without spilt material. Thus, high
hygiene standards are met and
contamination risk is reduced.
• MIXING: Using an IBC system
means that the product is mixed
directly within the container itself,
so there is no product contact with
the blender and no risk of crosscontamination
when new containers
are mounted on the blender.
• PACKING: The packing system
comprises a high-accuracy auger
filler fed from an IBC on the floor
above. Level probes in the Auger
hopper automatically ‘call’ for
product from upstairs. Cone Valve
technology within each of the IBCs
means that the blended material
is protected against segregation
during discharge. This ensures a
quality product every time. Dustfree
transfers maintain the safety
element of the system.
• CLEANING: IBC Cleaning
provides a quick and safe cleanout
at recipe changeover. IBCs are
washed off-line from the main
manufacturing line so it does not
contribute to production down-time.
Because all these manufacturing
steps are separated/decoupled,
each processing step is
independent and can take place
simultaneously, resulting in a lean,
efficient manufacturing system with
high OEE rates.
Brothers Illong found that by using
a Matcon IBC Blender, batch sizes
of up to 1600 kg can be processed
much more quickly than before.
Because the product stays within
the container and there is no
product contact with the blender
itself, changeovers are virtually
instantaneous. Brothers Illong
have the capacity to run 3 to 4
batches per hour off the one single
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