Driving Process Quality, Efficiency, Safety with Inline Powder Induction and Dispersion

A U.S. beverage manufacturer approached Admix to improve its batching processes. The company’s existing protocol required workers to carry and dump hundreds of pounds of powders from 50-lb bags. These ingredients were being dumped into a conventional “premix” in a tank batch mixer on an elevated batch deck.
    
The client needed to produce product faster, use less energy, and improve operator ergonomics, while maintaining the same quality of products. The client also wanted to reduce product loss resulting from the need to produce a diverse portfolio of products in batch sizes varying from 100 to 30,000 gal. Ingredients ran the gamut and included: gums, stabilizers, plant proteins, vitamins, minerals, sweeteners, energy drink components, nutraceuticals, preservatives, acids, whey and milk protein isolates, whey and milk protein concentrates, milk powders, and assorted flavorings.  
    
Admix representatives conducted a thorough batching audit and offered recommendations to address the client’s concerns. The batching improvements were centered around the Admix Fastfeed inline powder induction and dispersion system. The Fastfeed is a fully integrated system featuring a two-stage rotor/stator high-speed disperser and a powerful powder suction pump. This combination of high liquid flow and controlled vacuum induction instantly and completely wets and disperses powders inline at the particulate level. This results in no unmixed ingredients ever reaching the downstream blend tank. Emulsions in the 3-5 micron range are routinely produced with Fastfeed.
    
After the Fastfeed was installed and commissioned, batching operators were able to induct, wet, disperse, and hydrate all powdered ingredients in a single pass at induction rates in excess of 450 lb/min. Highly used powders are now inducted from bulk sacks while the balance of powders are added from 50-lb bags, both from the safety of floor level. The operators also recognized the benefit of inducting liquid flavor concentrates and purees from pails, drums, and totes, without the need for an additional pump.
    
The results were even farther reaching: Fastfeed reduced batch times by 50%, utilized 70% less energy, eliminated dusting that resulted from dumping powders into open top mix tanks, and made any size batch the client needed. Since all mixing is now accomplished inline without the need for time-consuming recirculation loops, product air entrainment was drastically reduced.
    
Today downstream strainers and filters are no longer required as smooth, lump-free product is delivered with every batch run. Batch-to-batch inconsistencies that resulted from different operators dumping powders into mix tanks at varying rates are also eliminated. In addition, the Fastfeed met the client’s goal of achieving a return on investment quickly – in less than one year.

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