Case study: pump technology helps biscuit firm weigh up a solution
12 Dec 2016
New pump technology makes the mixing and measuring of ingredients a speedy, precise process at a UK biscuit company.
Over five generations, family-owned company S Moores has become well-known for its manufacture of traditional biscuits.
Based at its current factory near Bridport, Dorset for more than 10 years, the company had always used batch-manufacturing techniques for its granola requirements. This involved the weighing of ingredients such as vegetable oil and golden syrup into a mixer.
However, in order to improve productivity, the manufacturer decided to replace this set up with continuous mixer technology.
With granola production fully automated, there has been no need for dedicated weighing in assembly
A solution was found in the form of three MasoSine SPS200 pumps from Watson-Marlow Fluid Technology Group, which now allow S Moores to produce up to 80 tonnes of granola a week.
With granola production fully automated, there has been no need for dedicated weighing in assembly. Instead, the introduction of ingredients into the blending and mixing process is precisely controlled by counting the revolutions of the pump shaft.
“The MasoSine SPS200 that was previously deployed on our batch mixer was transferred to the new continuous mixer with the addition of a speed control for accurate blending,” explains S Moores’ senior partner, David Winship.
“This allowed us to dose the warm oil-syrup blend into the mixer at the right rate. In effect, every revolution of the pump produces an identical volume of material. Hence, by controlling the speed, we can inject the precise amount of blend required.”
The two further MasoSine SPS200 pumps were acquired to serve a pair of heated (50°C) vessels, one for syrup and one for oil.
Our original blend pump has been in place for five years and I think we’ve replaced the plastic gate once – and only as a preventative measure,” says Winship.
David Winship, senior partner at S Moores
Both pumps are operated on a countdown timer that, in conjunction with the speed control, gives the precise volumes required.
“For example, if we need 30 litres of oil for a particular granola recipe, then we know that 170 revolutions of the pump shaft will deliver that quantity, and similarly with the syrup,” says Winship.
“The oil and syrup travel a distance of eight metres [including two metres of vertical lift] into a blender, which is then activated to mix a blend that is dispensed using our original MasoSine pump into the continuous mixer at a given rate. This means that we now have a fully automated process without any of the buckets, weighing scales and ladders associated with manual operations.”
The mixture of vegetable oil and golden syrup at S Moores produces a substance with a viscosity in the region of 1,000-2,000 Cp. This blend is pumped into the continuous mixer at around 750 l/h, or 50 litres every two minutes.
The sinusoidal rotor design of the pumps delivers a low shear, gentle pumping action that safely transfers products without risk of degradation, says the company.
SPS pumps are suitable for food, sanitary and industrial applications up to 15 bar pressure, at flows up to 99,000 l/hr. Products with viscosities from 1 cP to 8 million cP can be transferred with suction up to 0.85 bar.
“Our original blend pump has been in place for five years and I think we’ve replaced the plastic gate once – and only as a preventative measure,” says Winship.
