Leading materials handling companies, Spiroflow and Cablevey Conveyors, operating as part of Automated Handling Solutions (AHS), have recently collaborated to provide Scottish oats producer, Oat Co., with a bespoke conveyor system. The solution has not only helped increased productivity, but has also allowed Oat Co. to minimise hazardous dusting, maintain product integrity and meet strict hygienic requirements for food handling.
Oat Co. Scotland has specialised in growing oats for eight generations. Using a state-of-the-art oat mill and specialising in gluten-free operations, Oat Co. needed to replace their existing bucket elevator for rolled oats with a new conveyor system. To meet stringent food safety standards, the solution needed to be fully enclosed to ensure that the oat-based products were not contaminated with external foreign particles during the conveying process – it also needed to eliminate ‘dead areas’ where the product could accumulate and degrade. Furthermore, it had to be designed to fit their existing setup and integrate with their current oat mill.
The bespoke solution consisted of a Cablevey tubular drag conveyor system and a Spiroflow low-loading bulk bag filler with an integrated holding hopper. The tubular drag conveyor system gently delivers the rolled oats to the filler in a totally-enclosed environment, minimising both degradation and dusting. Incorporating an inspection camera monitoring system and clear inspection ports to ensure proper maintenance, the hygienic conveyor can be quickly cleaned using the dry wiper disc system to wipe away accumulating fine particles.
The bulk bag filler contains a special low-loading ramp and low-profile pallet base to enable the unloading of filled bulk bags by pallet truck when a forklift is not available. The filler also minimises dust with a reverse jet filter and accurately fills by weight with its low-level weighing platform to minimise overfilling and product giveaways.
Commenting on the new system, Oat Co.’s Ray Marquardt said: “We selected the Cablevey conveyor because it offered gentle conveying of our product within a totally enclosed conveying solution, thereby eliminating any chance of contamination by an external foreign body. The conveyor offered a much more hygienic solution than a bucket elevator, with little or no dust being generated internally or externally. The system certainly delivers on its promise!
‘Overall, the design of the system ensured perfect integration with the rest of our existing purpose-built plant. The commissioning process was the best I have experienced in 20 years in the industry and ensured fault-free running from start-up.”
