For the high hygiene requirements of the food and pet food industry

In many cases, the transfer and weighing of majors, minors, and micros to the blending step can be a manual and labor intensive process. In an effort to improve process efficiency and product quality, the complete batching process can be automated. This includes the automated transfer of the raw ingredients to the batching system, where the ingredients are prepared in the required proportions before being delivered to the mixing process.

Coperion K-Tron’s vacuum receivers and loaders are ideal for the pneumatic transfer of a wide range of bulk materials in the food and pet food industries, from free-flowing granulates to difficult powders. The P100 batch weigh receiver combines a vacuum receiver with a reliable weighing system, which accurately measures the amount of material being drawn into the weigh hopper. This technology allows multiple ingredients to be conveyed and weighed so that accurate batching of ingredients can take place – up to 8 components can be sequentially added to the batch weigher. With this type of scale weighing system, typically weigh accuracies of +/-0.5% of the full scale capacity can be achieved. Once the desired batch has been achieved, the mixer then calls for material, a butterfly valve opens and the material in the scale hopper is discharged. Batch weigh receivers are ideal for delivering higher volumes of major ingredients – such as flour, sugar, starch, etc. – to the process, when precise accuracy of the ingredient is not as critical.

Often smaller amounts of additives must be added to a large batch of main ingredients. Loss-in-weight feeders – such as the KT20 twin screw feeder – are ideal for the accurate dosing of additives such as vitamins or probiotics to the process in small amounts. Coperion K-Tron’s patented SFT digital weighing technology delivers the high accuracy requirements needed for maintaining control of the addition of costly ingredients. Coperion K-Tron offers a wide variety of screw and agitator designs, in order to give best results for a variety of ingredients. The feeders are all designed with ease of cleaning and maintenance in mind and all product contact parts are constructed to conform with strict cGMP standards. All product contact parts are made of stainless steel, with continuous welds and polished walls. Triclover clamps and metal caps allow for quick and easy cleaning or disassembly.

Properly weighing and accurately delivering the ingredients without manual intervention can result in a number of process advantages, including fewer mistakes, better accuracy, lower bulk costs, improved product quality and savings in manufacturing costs. The use of highly accurate weighing and feeding components and systems for handling costly ingredients, such as probiotics or vitamins, can reduce waste and raw material costs.