Introduction

The grinding of wheat into flour is mankind’s oldest continuously practiced industry and the parent of all modern industry; all modern particle breakage operations have wheat milling in their history. This followed by the need for efficient and availability of milling wheat everywhere, so millers developed a practical mastery of several of the fundamental engineering disciplines such as: fluid dynamics and aerodynamics for power generation from water wheels and windmills, mechanical engineering for the transmission of power via gearing and control mechanisms and particle handling, breakage and separation operations. The first thoroughgoing plant engineer- Oliver Evans, American designer of the original highly automated flour mills, has been described as the father of milling engineering, while Professor Friedrich Kick author of the first scientific material written on flour milling in 1871 also furnished comminution science with one of its most beloved laws (1). 

Securing the grain supply motivated the construction of ancient empires and triggered the more recent development of national and international transport infrastructures and global trading systems. Meanwhile, the anatomical difference between the structures of the wheat kernel and the rice kernel, that the former features a crease while the latter does not require different approaches to milling that fundamentally altered the respective technological evolution of Western and Eastern civilizations. 

Through direct consumption and indirectly via animal feed, cereals supply more than half of our global food consumption. Billions of tonnes of cereals are produced annually, Rice is mostly eaten directly by humans, while wheat and maize are also used as animal feed and increasingly as a feedstock for the production of non-food products. Wheat is the most widely grown cereal and the most extensively traded internationally and has had the greatest impact on the history of humans, both in ancient times and nowadays. The milling of cereal kernels, especially wheat kernels, to release their multifunctional potential is an industrial activity that supports all human society. 

Automation is defined as a process of automation streamlines a system by removing human inputs, which decreases errors, increases the speed of delivery, boosts quality, minimizes costs, and simplifies the business process. It incorporates software tools, people, and processes to create a completely automated workflow. Rationalization, the fourth principle of automation, means the application of reason to the solution of problems or to the search for knowledge.  In a production system, it means that the entire process from the raw material to the final product is carefully analyzed so that every operation can be designed to contribute in the most efficient way to the achievement of clearly enunciated goals of the enterprise.  

Rationalistic philosophy is nothing new, having become an important force in the world with the Renaissance. However, the scientific, rationalist philosophy takes on numerous new implications when it can be implemented by modern electronic machinery. The rise of electronic computers has led to a fascination with the possibility that super rationalism in the business and scientific spheres might spill over and transform society into an exact mechanism in which all elements of chance, risk, capriciousness and free will, as well as all spiritual values, would be eliminated. Although this kind of speculation is highly dubious nevertheless it is one logical extension of this fourth principle of automation. 

 

Following these four principles — mechanization, feedback, continuous process and rationalization - automation can be given a definition precise enough to be useful for flour milling industries. It can be said to be any continuous and integrated operation of a rationalized production system that uses electronic or other equipment to regulate and coordinate the quality and quantity of production.

For the purpose of determining the extent to which automation can be applied to productive processes, industries can be divided into three groups. The first includes those industries in which production can be produced into a continuous flow process. Flour milling and chemical production are illustrations of industries in which automation has made, and should continue to make, significant progress. In other industries, it is possible to revamp the productive mechanism in such a way as to convert it from a series of unit operations into a single endless process. While some industries utilize processes, which are not conducive to automation, new methods of production may be conceived which are more acceptable. 

A second class includes industries in which some automation is possible, but full or nearly complete automation is not likely. Indeed, some industries may have automatic machines applied to 75 percent of their operations, yet the cost of making the plant completely automatic would more than offset the savings achieved from the use of partial application of automatic machines. In this category would be found industries which require substantial information - handling and accounting functions but in which the method of production or the nature of the product is not adaptable to continuous flow techniques. Such industries would include transportation, large - scale retailing, and the manufacture of certain non-standardized consumer products like furniture. The third group into which all industries may be classified includes those in which no significant application of automation seems likely because of the highly individualistic nature of the product, the need. 

Generally, automation provides consistency and minimized variability in flour mills, it is enables continuous monitoring of mills production streams, for different production rates and qualities of grain. The regular flow rates adjusted by machinery and motors speeds, the accurate electronic scales and flow balancers and level sensors can be controlled, monitored and in some cases, corrected upstream automatically during wheat cleaning, wheat tempering and even milling and packing. Automation also offers trending and historical data to help management find the most efficient production methods. Equipment condition monitoring can provide an early indication of imminent machinery failure, providing the opportunity for planned maintenance, improved machinery readiness and reduce breakdown.

On the other hand, mill automation helps to produced constant quality of products, which enable the customers afterwards to have stable baking process, better yield and good quality. The suitable technique has clear advantages. These include ease of use and the simplicity of the system; higher concentrations of macroelements, microelements, and polyphenols in flour; increased wheat bread volume; and popularity with consumers. This roller milling, advantages. Always famous of greater efficiency and flexibility; less heat generation; and better dough rheological performance as compared with traditional stone non-automated flour milling.

 Automation is helping to increase flour mill yield where the systems can respond faster to the variable changes without the requirement of manual interventions. Also, the data will be available, manageable, and easily presented to millers, maintenance team members, and production manager to review and do the required controls and actions.

Nowadays mill operators are not required to be everywhere in the mill to do the adjustment and control the points. This overall helps to meet regulatory compliance as well as quality and food safety.

It is always better to use new technology, new equipment, and advanced software in order to get the best results and higher yield. The milling technology has a special automation system that is now well-known and tested. Examples of that “Wincos” system from Buhler has various levels of control that can be applied to any area of a plant from intake, through wheat blending and cleaning, milling and finished product, Alapala as famous company also has their own intelligent software. These systems provide SCADA or SAP capabilities, which incorporate extraction monitoring, mill start-up and shut down sequencing and the usual automatic suspend and report procedures when alarm conditions arise. This is providing an excellent mechanism, which can be applied in almost any environment, even where labour skills are low and where mills manpower is less.

Automation in a raw material reception is more to control financial losses than labour savings that most millers focus on. Raw materials are the most expensive of all mill inputs and proper control of blending, monitoring of protein levels and controlled, accurate addition of gluten and other additives are all areas that can impact the bottom line significantly and quickly and all affecting the profit and overall yield.

When raw materials prices increase, the importance of extraction is more than ever prominent. The ash content increases or colour changes towards darkness can be tolerated if extraction can be increased to the targeted level. The importance of thoroughly cleaning wheat and removing all broken grains is tending to diminish in many mills. Trieur or cockle cylinders and separators or are often being bypassed and screen rooms now comprise just a separator or combi cleaner, dry stoner and scourer prior to the tempering equipment. Tempering stations are fully automated in almost every mill and the accuracy of tempering, invariably tied to moisture monitoring equipment, is as reliable and accurate than before.

The flour mills technology had dramatically changed, during the last 100 years. Advances technologies that have taken place couldn’t have been forecast a century ago, it’s not easy to imagine the level of the milling industry over the next 100 years.  Techniques like PLC system, colour sorting machine for wheat cleaning, online water addition control “MYF E” online protein, ash and moisture monitoring “MYRA “and others became normal available technology in most of the mills today. Another thing that certainly will continue to be an advance is data collection related to every aspect of the milling operation.

Our imaginations and vision lead us to expect and predict that a milling industry where the data collection and management will be increasing more relevant, making it easy, so that all decisions will be based on data collection and subsequent processing. Information and data will be processed through milling data management and compliance with parameters on automatic way. Today, it is possible to change the settings of the roller mills or redirect the products inside the line and control the flow, automatically, based on information received and data processing through the software.

The data will be allowing us to decide what raw materials to buy based on what finished products needed to be produced. All with the possibility of integrating this information with accurately updated market prices. Initially, the data will guide us to make the best choice based on the situation that has developed, all in real-time, because that will be another crucial aspect. These aspects are then linked to the use of new design techniques, of both machines and plants, to optimize costs as well as production times, always guaranteeing the maximum quality over time which we call it nowadays “Grist Optimization”, which is managed automatically. 

Since the mill operation will be very much dependent on data availability and data management, traceability and sustainability will be high priorities in the global milling industry and the solutions will continue to be developed to address mill performance.

Environmentally friendly and clean operation free from CO2 will become a key sustainability indicator of milling companies. This will put pressure on the whole grain value chain process including grain handlers, millers, bakers and the solutions providers to make their processes as efficient as possible. Digitalization will play a major role in this transit periods of time.

In this atmosphere of data, digitalization and information technology, the transparency will be very much demanded by customers. When it comes to the requirement of knowing details about every step in the flour production process, from the farm to the fork, with the right technology, we will be able to provide the same traceability and the same ability of knowing exactly where that kernel of wheat was grown, whether it comes to us directly from the farmer, from a terminal or a country elevator.

With the current changes and utilization of technology in the flour milling industry. I think the trend toward increasing specialty milling products will continue to gain momentum. the industry will be shifting toward organics, which has become more demanded. also shift to the milling of ancient grains, legumes and composite flour in general. and other alternative proteins and multi-seed flour will be popular. But wheat will always be a core and fundamental aspect of the flour industry. However, we have to continue to look at other products that are nutritious and provide a good alternative protein. The consumer's demand and what consumers want will be the more market-driven factor. Also expected to have more technology solutions for dry milling of various pulses, other cereals like sorghum, millet and legumes.

The mill design, equipment’s and manufacturing consequences, will be different. Expect to see more compact milling systems with violative efficient plant design, combined functions of machines, and simplified processes, which will develop smaller plants with optimal usage of the area, and lower energy consumption. So, the new mills being shorter in height than many before. Today’s 7floors buildings is already applied that make it possible to eliminate at least two floors in comparison to old mills.

1. Large-scale flour mills equipment: With the advancement of science and technology, the advantages of large-scale production equipment are becoming more and more clear. The development of mechanical structure design and processing technology has provided a solid technical guarantee for the large-scale operation of flour mills.

2. Compact structure flour mill: The structure design of the flour machine is more reasonable, more compact and more ergonomic, which reduces manufacturing costs, reduces floor space and improves labour efficiency.

3. Diversification of functions: Flour milling as a powder processing engineering is a systematic project involving many units of multi-disciplinary and multi-category operations. It is required to select the flour machine to reduce the intermediate process to save investment. At the same time, the market demand for products is also manufacturers are required to offer a variety of products.

4. Efficiency: With the improvement of people's awareness of energy conservation, higher requirements are put forward for the efficiency of powder granulation equipment. This type of equipment must not only meet the functional requirements but also save energy, durability, use, maintenance and repair. Low cost to reduce product costs.

5. Control system automation: With the advancement of science and technology and the development of self-control technology, whether to adopt assembly line operation and automatic control has become an important indicator to measure the advanced or not of powder processing technology. The control system adopts automatic control, which not only guarantees the production process. Flowing operations reduce the labour intensity of operators, and more importantly, ensure the accuracy and real-time feedback of the production process, improve product quality, and reduce the equipment failure rate.

6. The processing technology is highly technical: With the expansion of the application of grinding machine equipment, the traditional mechanical processing methods can no longer meet the needs of powder design technology. The processing technology of powder equipment will develop in the direction of high technology.

 

Although milling may be one of the oldest industry’s in the world, which dramatically developed recently, but there’s still many of new technology being introduced to improve the production process. And the equipment is designed to improve quality, efficiency, safety and cost of production. In my opinion flour mills still needs to implement some of the innovative solutions, which can accelerate and improve production. Henry Simon introduced its in-line flow meter, which can measure the flow rate of gravity-fed stock in a downspout. It can be added to various points in the mill flow to allow the miller to monitor what’s happening at a particular point in the process (2). It’s relatively low cost and can be connected as many as possible into the mill flow, depending on what passages you think are critical to monitor.

I think one of the areas in which flour mills need more innovation is the design and construction of buildings and machines to help both the environmental and food safety requirement. In most of the countries the flour mill is located in the ports where temperatures and humidity are high, this put more efforts on cleaning and pest control. Buhler provides products, including the MKZK sieving machine, which features a hygienic design and easy control. It features stainless steel and a cleaning opening that can be unlocked with a single twist. A tray underneath the sieve area can catch anything that might fall out during maintenance, preventing it from falling into the product stream.

Buhler also highlighted its Multimpact Fine Hammer Mill, which can produce finer particles from products that are more difficult to grind. This is designed to push the product more to the centre to make sure that it’s engaged with the hammers, so nothing is trapped on the outside.

New generation mills give advantages on three efficiency levels: space, time, and energy. The mills might be 30% smaller in volume than a traditional mill of the same size. The construction of building showed less capital and completed more quickly. That is means more quickly and start generating revenues faster. It significantly reduces infrastructure cost, construction time and complexity.

The food processing industry sectors have been influenced by innovation and digitalization. It is necessary for the flour milling sector to keep pace with this transformation similar like every sector. The innovation will meet the needs of the dramatic growth of the world population with digital investments sustainably. Innovations technology have great potential to bring greater advantage to all sectors of the supply chain, bringing greater efficiency to production processes. The companies which recognized this are making investments to adapt to the changing market conditions and to the digital age in order to meet the demand. Companies are working on innovative technologies to produce solutions that include a controlled production system, develop systems that conduct comprehensive data analysis, improve process efficiency, ensure easy and fast machine maintenance, and make a long working life possible.

The milling industry, where the digital revolution shows its effect, still has a long way to go in this context. For the moment we are at the very beginning of the road, yet the direction is clear. With the development of technology, the era of self-determining and self-assessing production facilities, in which all components of machinery communicate with each other, is starting. More efficient facilities will be built in which inputs, particularly energy consumption, and resources and maintenance costs and periods are reduced.

Feeding everyone will be a global challenge, requiring contribution throughout the complex food value chain. Consumers also want to know where their food has come from and how it has been grown, harvested and processed. They are also interested in its environmental impact and whether its’ growers were paid fairly. Today, the industry has only been able to dream of solutions for providing consumers with food that they can trust. But now, with the opportunities opened by digitalization and automation systems, we are closer to capturing sustainably the food system’s full value. Technical concepts should be to develop innovative technologies to improve process efficiency, sustainable usage of resources like energy, water, land and water in crop cultivation, continually monitor the level of bacteria, mycotoxins and pesticides that is being reduced during the milling process, gathering information about temperature and humidity in silos to safeguard from unwanted bacterial growth, mould infection and mycotoxin contamination, compensate for wear, ensure the dust-free environment, require minimal spare parts, provide easy-in-line maintenance, establish long term reliability, maintain a longer service life.

For healthy and nutritious food to be available to billions of consumers around the world each day, these commodities must be transported in bulk, stored, traded, processed, and distributed through various channels. And while the commodities are in-transit, they can be exposed to various conditions like extreme weather, poor storage facility, physical, chemical or biological contaminations. However, digitalization is inspiring exciting new solutions that can address these issues, enabling processes to be adjusted to optimize yield, save energy, prevent wastage or contamination and remove defective produce.

Digitalization has enabled in the creation of numerous applications and software which can be used on various terminal devices. It offers various opportunities to improve processes, increase value, reduce food wastage, better usage of resources, quicker decision making and transparent communication throughout the value chain.

Besides, businesses that produce appropriate innovative solutions by observing emerging needs and demands during this tough time because of the pandemic, will have important opportunities. In the agri-food sector, food safety and food accessibility have come to the fore. In this respect, food industrialists will focus on technology and digitalization investments as much as possible, which will increase efficiency and reduce food losses. By creating a blockchain infrastructure in the supply chain, flour mills can track and traceback information such as the origin of the raw materials, the level of moisture, mycotoxin, protein, pesticides and other important parameters of used, transportation and storage conditions for each party of the wheat and they can make all these data available to the consumers. The transparent tracking of the chain will not only provide food safety but also reduce intermediaries and product losses within the chain. 

SEGMENT OVERVIEW

The global flour market is segmented based on raw material, application, technology, and geography. Based on the raw material, it is divided into wheat (including durum flour), rice, maize (including corn flour), and others (including oat flour and rye flour). Based on application, it is categorized into bread & bakery products, noodles & pasta, animal feed (including pet food), wafers, crackers & biscuits, non-food application (including bio-plastics, biomaterials, glue), and others (including roux, baby food). Based on technology, it is bifurcated into dry technology and wet technology. (3).

An increase in health concerns for high-protein flour gives rise to the demand for flour millers to make product innovations by using gluten-free flour alternatives such as maize flour, rice flour, soya flour, and corn flour. Private flour millers in Asia-Pacific have initiated the private players to increase their production capacity and innovative product offerings owing to less stringent regulations of government control on the flour industry. An increase in the average selling price for flour in most of the countries has positively impacted the growth of the market.

Flour milling is a highly competitive industry. Specialty products have created a new opportunity, but the opportunity costs must also be considered. Determining what new products to develop, where to manufacture them, and whether to create new capacity or convert existing capacity are difficult decisions that must be made. Now more than ever, consumers can choose foods that align with their individual values, whether that’s personal health, planetary health, supporting farmers, or digging into food for pure joy. These are all part of drivers of innovation and they influence the demand for ingredients like specialty flours, and many of the ingredients. Specialty flours are extremely versatile, add unique taste and texture in a seemingly endless number of applications, and hit on multiple consumer trends and demands mentioned above. All of these in combination are what’s driving demand for specialty flours in the future.

The change in consumer taste and preferences and rising dietary concerns have increased the demand for gluten-free products. This demand coupled with changing trends in milling technology and Consumer awareness of the potential health benefits offered by functional flours has increased the demand of these products in recent years. In addition to enhanced nutritive value, these flours offer improved moisture retention, versatility, flavor, texture, and mouthfeel, which are usually associated with premium products. The increased demand for such products has been identified by manufacturers and has intensified the trade of functional flours across the globe. 

Additionally, governments and associations in a few areas around the world are promoting the usage of nutrient-enriched ingredients to tackle with nutritional deficiency. This segment may face challenges, while the increased demand for grain milling products has seen a rise in competitiveness in the milling sector. But due to a lack of industrial efficiency and declining profitability, operators in the milling sector are seeking options to reduce their operating expenses and improve margins. Business consolidation and increasing the scale of production have been identified as solutions and are being employed by grain millers across the globe to gain a comfortable position over the competition. For instance, the number of flour mills in the European Union has steadily come down from 3,000 to around 2,000 over the past ten years. (4)

REFERENCES 

1. J. Stock, W.D. Teague, Flour for Man’s Bread, University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis, USA, 1952, p. 163

2. world grain .com 

3. www.alliedmarketresearch.com

4. www.businesswire.com