28/08/2008

Spiroflow Ltd report yet another successful installation of a ‘Spiroflow’ Flexible Spiral Conveyor - a key component in the new chocolate pre-blending plant at Thomas Tunnock Ltd; the company renowned for their famous Caramel Wafers, Snowballs, Caramel Logs and Tea Cakes.
 
The system at Tunnocks is an excellent example of the capability and versatility of flexible spiral conveyors. It will deliver three different ingredients from three separate feed points, to a pre-blender. Currently, the three ingredients are introduced through two feed points - pending the next stage of the chocolate production facility’s relocation from the second to the ground floor to increase capacity.
 
Tunnock’s own engineers suggested a ‘Spiroflow’ Flexible Spiral Conveyor to load the dry ingredients into the pre-mixer as several are successfully used on other applications around the factory.
 
Samples of sugar and the two proprietary brands of chocolate used to produce Tunnock’s special chocolate flavour were sent to Spiroflow for trials in their test facility. One brand of chocolate was supplied as crumb and the other as traditional slab. Although Spiroflow’s standard spiral with a round cross-section coped admirably with sugar and chocolate crumb, the required rate could not be achieved with the slab chocolate. It tended to smear and build-up on the spiral.
 
However, Spiroflow have a spiral with a bevelled cross-section. This was specifically developed for difficult products and has proven its worth on materials that readily smear or which are cohesive. Needless to say, the bevelled spiral solved the problem! It works by offering more surface area to the product for greater propulsion whilst preventing build-up on the active surface.
 
Following these trials, Spiroflow loaned a conveyor to Tunnocks to be put thorough its paces in the production environment. Again, it performed admirably achieving a rate of 4,000 kg/hr. The conveyor runs for 30 minutes, delivering 2,000 kg of dry ingredients into the pre-mixer, at least 6 times a day over a two shift period. The system has been in operation since March 2004, meeting all the company’s requirements and giving trouble free operation.
 
Asked why they chose ‘Spiroflow’ Flexible Spiral Conveyors; Keith Rodmell, Head of Electrical Engineering and Maintenance confirms, “We’ve got a selection of both fixed and mobile ‘Spiroflow’ Flexible Spiral Conveyors around the factory. They are operating in a multiplicity of applications and are ideal for our needs in terms of performance and hygiene. So, we had no hesitation in turning to what we know works. As always, we did consider other manufacturers but none were as willing or able to meet our special requirements”.
 
Spiroflow represented in Ireland by Powder Process Systems Ltd, are specialists in the conveying and weighing of dry bulk solids and are. This includes the safe and efficient filling and discharging of bulk bags too.

For full details visit Powder Process Systems web site at www.powderprocess.com  or to discuss a specific application call Pat Leamy on 00353-67-32926