Top-of-the-line Storage and Material Handling

One of the leading brands in beverages required a high volume storage with seamless production process. The processing of raw material from plantation to the final despatch involves various stages such as storage, sorting, blending, and roasting.

Manual execution of each of these stages results in low productivity as well as sub-optimal quality – both of which needed to be addressed by our client.

Project Scope

The client wanted to create a single-line and neatly-aligned process flow to upgrade their existing layout. The existing storage was in gunny bags. There was a need to create a system to increase storage and production efficiency while at the same time to ensure the same taste in high quality final product. Modern Sheller Industries proposed a system for a totally online system from the time the raw materials are unloaded from the trucks till the time the processed raw materials are passed on to the next operation.

Solution

Our solution comprises a 250-ton storage capacity hopper with inlet and outlet bucket elevators for quick movement of beans from trucks. The hopper is partitioned into compartments so that different raw materials can be filled in the respective compartments and it can be transferred for processing based on the requirement. Screw conveyors transfer the raw material at the top of the hopper for the discharge of material into the respective compartment. Each compartment of the hopper is fitted with a level sensor to detect the filling of material in the hopper and control the inlet feed.

The materials are transferred to equally sized silos fitted with small weighment hoppers at the bottom with high precision load cells, to discharge the beans in the right composition before the critical process of blending. After the discharged material is blended and roasted in the processing equipment, it is then transferred to another silo with partitions for the grinding process. The ground material is then moved for final despatch using Z-elevator and belt conveyor.

Bucket elevators and Z elevators are used for conveying the material to other processes. The material of construction used in all the equipment is of the highest grade matching the client’s requirement.

Benefits

The entire process was implemented in such a way that their daily production flow was not disturbed at any point in time.

The scientific method of bulk storage in hoppers and silos eliminated the need for gunny bags and saved 50% of godown space. Mechanised handling with automation minimised handling cost. Impeccable storage and movement of material ensured zero spillage and wastage. The client was able to minimise considerable manpower, and there was a perceptible increase in productivity.