We evaluated energy management and saving subject with Carlos M. Larocca, Marketing Colsultant of Company, who combines their experiments with technology. Larocca who is emphasized that energy management involved in this matter not only for flour mills, but for industry around the world, is stated always seeks to suggest the best options to its customers, aiming at the greatest possible energy savings and the best cost / benefit ratio through in-depth studies for its industrial projects.

Carlos M. Larocca explained the approaching of Sangati Berga S.A about Energy Management and Recycling.

Mr. Larocca, as one of the leading companies in the industry, what can you say about the Importance of energy management and recycling in flour plants? We know the enormous concern involved in this matter not only for flour mills, but for industry around the world. The aim of energy management is not only to conserve the resources of the companies involved, but specially to ensure environmental sustainability. The VDI - Association of German Engineers issued a clear and consistent definition: “Energy management is the proactive, organized and systematic coordination of procurement, conversion, distribution and use of energy to meet the requirements, taking into account environmental and economic objectives.”

Controlling and measuring energy consumption at each stage of the milling diagram is the first step towards efficient energy use. Through in-depth studies for its industrial projects, Sangati Berga always seeks to suggest the best options to its customers, aiming at the greatest possible energy savings and the best cost / benefit ratio. Additionally, our company has always been structured to control all stages of the production process of our machines and equipment and this has been an important differential compared to many of our competitors, many of whom use outsourced production processes. As a part of this strategy, we believe that a modern and efficient automation system represents the true guarantee to conserve energy and that’s why Sangati Berga has prepared to provide complete automation systems to its customers.

What is the ideal level for energy requirement-consumption in flour plants regarding the process? Studies indicate that at least 50% of the energy consumption of a wheat mill is consumed in the milling process, leaving the remaining 50% to receive the raw material, feeding of silos, cleaning, mixing, processing of by-products, packaging, shipping, etc. We also know that the energy consumption in grinding depends partially on the type of wheat that is used, where the kernel hardness directly affects this indicator. Should also be considered the feed rate, the moisture, time of tempering, among other data.

As a manufacturer of equipment and supplier of complete systems in turnkey projects, Sangati Berga takes care of all the factors capable of improving productivity, as energy efficiency results from this relationship between energy consumption and production of the mill. Part of our responsibility is also to assist our customers in technical and after-sales service. The use of old or deregulated machines should be avoided and operators should be properly trained as they contribute to good energy conservation practices.

Could you give us information about the monitoring and measurement systems and methods for energy consumption (periodic analysis of energy consumption in the plants)? At this point, we can mention the advantages of our automation system, where the measurement and monitoring of energy consumption are key parts:

• High productivity;

• Reduction of unwanted stops;

• Easy replacement of components;

• Intuitive interface for monitoring and control;

• Total control and monitoring of the process;

• Improved traceability of the product;

• Efficient energy management;

• Accessibility by mobile devices like tablets and

smart phones;

• Scalability;

• Safety.

What are the effects of plant design and process positioning on energy consumption? What can you say about the proper plant design for minimum energy consumption? The energy consumption of a mill begins to be defined when it is designed. At SANGATI BERGA, we are firmly convinced that the definition of lay out demarcates the future indicators of energy efficiency. Therefore, we carefully study each case and always defend some priority premises:

• Simplicity in defining the flow of materials, avoiding excessive distances of transport.

• Sophistication of equipment not to repeat processes, increasing productivity and performance.

• Maximum possible use of gravimetric feed, but without sacrificing final product quality.

• Use of frequency converters and variable speed drives to reduce the power consumption of motors.

What are the effects of the machinery used in production (process) on electricity consumption? What are the must-have basic features of production technologies for minimum energy consumption? The use of alternative sources of energy presents itself as the great objective of the contemporary world. For a company like ours, manufacturer of equipment with energy matrix, the search for innovative solutions has been prioritized. Our research department has introduced technical solutions that minimize energy use by increasing the productivity of our machines. In addition, we rely on the external cooperation of engineering companies in Europe that complement us in the task of maintaining our equipment always up to date, completely state of the art. We assume our responsibility and the challenge of addressing the dichotomy between competitive and environmentally friendly operations.

What can you say about the contribution of automation and computerized control systems to energy saving? As already said, we firmly believe that a modern and efficient automation system represents the best guarantee to conserve energy. Computerized process controls ensure savings of human and material inputs, significantly improving working conditions in the plant. In this way it is not only energy saving, the industrial automation that Sangati Berga offers to its customers has numerous operational and economic benefits.

Our partner Siemens announces without ceasing that there are ready-to-use technologies, although it will take time for them to be introduced worldwide. For our part, we have been contributing to the dissemination and installation of automation systems for our customers, ensuring the reduction of energy consumption and cutting costs.

What can you say about the contribution of periodical machinery and mechanical maintenance processes to energy saving? As we said before, operators should be properly trained as they contribute to good energy conservation practices. We also said that maintaining an upgraded equipment or improving the production process generates energy savings, but it is through effective and properly scheduled maintenance that you achieve important and less costly results. Often the maintenance no longer receives the attention, meaning in waste of energy and production breaks. Inevitably the power consumption increases as the machine tool deteriorates.

 ABOUT SANGATI BERGA S.A. Sangati Berga S.A. started out activities in Brazil in July 1978. Fourteen years later, in July 1992, Sangati Berga S.A. was founded in Brazil, in the city of Fortaleza. Incorporating the BERGA name in connection with the purchase in Italy in 1990 of Sangati SpA by Berga SpA, a prestigious Italian company founded in 1952 and focused on the construction of machines for the production of balanced feed for animal nutrition, silos for grain storage, ship load and unloaders for grains and by-products, and mills in a minor scale. The inclusion of Berga SpA technology in Sangati Berga S.A. increased our options to offer solutions for the sectors of animal and loading and unloading of grains and by-products on ships.