Today the new era is focused on higher productivity in industrial processes. In today’s competitive environment, innovation increases your chances to react to changes and discover new opportunities. It allows you to develop intelligent and optimized systems with the implementation of digital technologies into milling processes.

Innovation develops the fundamentals of a new generation of industrial technologies. It provides solutions to minimize operational costs, lowering production losses, energy efficient systems, flexibility in operations, enhanced sanitation, and to build better products and services. It allows you to develop intelligent and optimized systems with the implementation of digital technologies into milling processes.

Virtually overnight last spring world went from normal to lockdown as leaders sought to stem the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19). But as a part of an essential industry, millers across the globe MUST report for work because people HAVE to eat, even during the challenges posed by the pandemic. Everything may be lost, money may be wasted, and life may be turned upside down, but if there is flour in the house, there is still hope. The significance of flour milling was never more apparent. Demand for flour skyrocketed as people stock-piled, panic purchased and hoarded in response to the disruption of normal life. Flour manufacturing plants were running around the clock to keep the supply chain moving considering unprecedented demand. But as the pandemic has stretched from weeks to months, practices have been adapted, added, and expanded to not only provide sanitation and safety but help ease the stress of working during this pandemic. This pandemic teaches as a lesson to stay up-to-date, plan for unforeseen events, and be informed on business continuity planning which creates an urge of new technologies in the industry.

As has been the case throughout the history in times of crisis, inexpensive and durable grain-based foods such as flour have been in high demand. Throughout this crisis, equipment suppliers who serve the milling industry have continued to introduce new technologies that makes grain, flour, and other milling products more efficient, advances the quality, hygiene, and safety of the product. The milling industry is evolving rapidly, some of the new technologies introduced are as follows:

AUTOMATIC LEVELLING SYSTEM (ROBOT)

Metalmont Robots are one of the most efficient systems for handling cereals in flat storage warehouses, with the maximum exploitation of the entire surface area by utilizing the volume of the storage facility and representing a great, and sometimes even necessary, alternative to the silos storage system. In designing its Robot, Metalmont has duly applied the latest and most stringent international standards regarding: • People safety • System reliability • Product preservation • Working flexibility • Construction quality • Operation cost optimization

The Robot is basically a reclaimer, used mainly for the automatic filling, levelling, and emptying of flat warehouses, assuring continuous high flow rates. It is perfectly adapted to work with bulk materials such as cereals, seeds, legumes, compound feed but it can also deal with hard flowing materials such as soybean or rapeseed meals. In nutshell, the main features are: • Efficiency: Operating workflow in automated 24/7 program. • Safety: No need to have people inside the warehouse. • Effectiveness: Complete filling of the available volume. • Customization: Operating logic based on user needs. • Unique solution: For management of non-free flowing bulk materials. • Versatility: Shed divided in sections for multiple product storage. The Robot works perfectly with different products stored in the same warehouse, moving automatically from one section of the shed to another. • A structure designed to meet the specific needs of the user in compliance with international standards and requirements. • Specific software developed for full automation of the working modes. • Thermometry is a crucial and sometimes legal requirement in the storage of cereals and other agricultural bulk materials. Measure and monitor temperature automatically of the product in any point of the warehouse. • Reports temperature continuously to react quickly in case of any potential degradation. • It is available in several models and, with combined solutions, can reach a capacity flow rate of up to 500 t/h.

GRAIN IMPROVES SMART

Grain Improvers is a completely new type of processing aid based on 100% natural Enzymes developed by IZU GLOBAL. Grain Improvers is a patented complex of Enzymes. It is used in flour mills to improve the quality while preparing wheat for grinding and is applied directly to Grain prior to grinding at Tempering stage and helps in providing unprecedented benefits during Flour production. It is designed for lower quality wheat processing to improve Flour quality. The Cellulose of grain kernel is the substrate for Enzymes’ action. It is applied in dry form by a simple in-line dispenser on wet grain at the stage of Tempering. Grain Improvers soften and disintegrate Grain kernels making them much more flexible than with standard way of Grain preparation for grinding with only water.

It improves the hydration of grain at the stage of tempering to achieve significant softening of grain kernels to increase the efficiency while milling. Functional benefits of the improver are: • Tempering efficiency increases 7 times compared to standard tempering. • Grain shells separation from Endosperm efficiency increases. • Sifting effectiveness increases by 30%. • Rheological properties of Flour improves. • Starch deformation rate optimization. • Taste and aroma of bakery products improves. • Increased amount of premium flour. • Improving the baking properties of flour: water absorption, shape stability, bread volume, and crumb whiteness. • Improving the stability and elasticity of the dough, reducing stickiness. • Optimizing granulation of flour and degree of damaged starch. • Increases machine maintenance interval. • Saving electricity at the roller mill. • Lower roll temperature and product temperature.

AlPesa Milling System

Bühler recently introduced AlPesa, a compact and complete milling system for whole wheat atta flour and flour from sorghum. The system has a throughput of up to 18 tons per day, offers a high level of food safety, and produces a wide range of flour qualities. The AlPesa combines different modules — for feeding, grinding, sifting, bagging, pneumatic conveying, and automation. The switch cabinet of the AlPesa contains the power electronics and an integrated touchscreen to operate the system. The AlPesa can be operated and monitored from various devices, including smartphones, tablets, and personal computers. It is a compact version of Bühler’s PesaMill milling system, which has been operating worldwide since 2017. The AlPesa replaces traditional chakki stone mills, producing authentic whole wheat atta flour for flatbreads commonly consumed in Asian sub-continent.

Dante Wheat Scrubbing Technology

Omas’ new Dante wheat scrubbing technology decreases microbial count, toxin levels, chemical residue and tempering time. The system utilizes unique flow placement along with upgrades to traditional scouring / de-branning technologies to increase flour safety, reduce wheat ash, and improve overall performance of the mill while maintaining or improving flour performance. Technical features include: • Internal rotor with eight abrasive elements • Internal body with perforated plate with adjustable reinforces. • Inspection doors • Outlet with electrical control by ammeter • Cooling fan on the machine • Body of welded steel and painted with epoxy for food equipment. • Electric motor with ammeter • Control panel to adjust the parameters of abrasion. • Omas said a decade’s experience has led to the development of “Dante,” with eight machining wheels and an electro-mechanical actuator managed by PLC that allows you to decide how long the product remains in the machine.

Summit Sieve

Great Western’s new Summit Sieve frame and tray combine strength and simplicity with a larger net screen area per stack than previous sieves. The new design features a minimal number of fasteners, each of which has strategically been positioned to eliminate risks of contamination. Removal of gaskets results in interlocking trays and sieves, while retaining stability and preventing leaks. Summit Sieves feature food grade plastic and stainless-steel pan; increased net sieve area; a stronger design with fewer parts; aluminum trays that interlock with sieve below and above to prevent outward bowing; columns that create strength throughout the stack and prevent downward deflections; increased sanitation, and more.

SightTrap

Insects Limited has introduced SightTrap, a pheromone monitoring device that puts cameras on insect traps and provides essential information and data on your computer or smart phone. The device provides detailed reporting in which you can monitor traps, view pre-identified insects, and see trending data. The device automatically records a daily image of the pheromone trap. The ForesightIPM app shows and counts the insects in your trap. This pest management method involves less time and fewer steps, according to Insects Limited. Each kit includes: • A SightTrap camera • Two lithium batteries • A battery charger • A glueboard and pheromone lure • SightTrap hangers • All access to ForesightIPM with unlimited users.

Differential Dosing Scale

As a mass flow controller, the Grano differential dosing scale manufactured by Swisca precisely doses a pre-selected quantity of product and registers the total weight in grams. The differential dosing scale precisely serves as a mass flow meter for the accurate measuring of a given product flow. For a constant and exact measure of grain mixtures, the differential dosing scale is used below silos, raw production bins and tempering bins. For grain processing in a continuously operating setting, accurate measurement and exact regulation are made possible by innovative drive and measurement technology. The differential dosing scale GRANO is suitable for weight-oriented measurement of quantity, performance-oriented process control and recipe-oriented mixtures. The flow quantity of a free-flowing product is precisely determined, the capacity is precisely regulated, and the total weight is accurately recorded. An extraordinarily robust control system with touchscreen along the precise measuring cells used in Swisca dosing scales guarantee the highest quality and reliability.

Roll Measuring Device

Yenar’s latest innovation at its research and development center is the rollCare Profile Measurement Device, which utilizes laser technology to check fluted roll profiles while fluting and also on the roller mills. After measurement, millers can compare stats by automatically overlapping the measured profile and the theoretical one to see if there are deviations. The device measures the sharp angle, dull angle, land, depth, bottom radius and grinding surface area. With rollCare, you can easily and quickly determine the optimal time to change the rolls. The device features a wireless connection, user-friendly interface and there is no limit for the diameter range.

Milling industry giants’ from all over the world like ADM, GWF, Al Ghurair, OLAM, BUA, Dangote and many more, are welcoming such innovations with open arms.

About the author

[box type="shadow" align="" class="" width=""] Karan Singhal, milling technologist professional with accomplished 12.5 years of experience providing proficient, cost-effective, innovative solutions for increasing operational efficiency, improving product quality, maximizing yields, and achieving production goals. Possesses technical and mechanical knowledge of milling equipment, systems, processes, and methods. Refined operations management expert within large-scale multifaceted production environments. With both tertiary and extensive practical experience within the FMCG, wheat flour milling, maize milling, oat milling, legume and pulses milling including related grain processing thermal applications, combined with the relevant, proven expertise, in GMP, OHS, JIT, MRP, food-processing, quality-assurance, food-safety, product traceability, production scheduling, process enhancement, raw material purchasing, packaging operational coordination within related in-house external service industries.[/box]