One Piece Peace of Mind

One Piece Peace of Mind The benefits of conveyor systems ensure the integrity of delicate food products, increase safety and enhance energy efficiency. Sponsored by:Produced by: A closer look at systems that move materials gently while maximizing yield and minimizing costs. 2For food processors who produce and work with delicate products – think breakfast cereals, whole coffee beans and various types of nuts to name a few – keeping those valuable commodities in one piece is a top priority. That requires moving products as gently as possible along the conveyor line during the production process in order to prevent breakage. When that is achieved, companies are able to both maximize yield and minimize costs, resulting in a significant victory for both the end consumer and the company’s bottom line. Pecans, which are often displayed in Trader Joe’s, are a good example. The pecan halves command twice the price of the broken pieces. Clearly, when a conveyor breaks a nut, 50% of its value is lost. There are anecdotes of nut plants upgrading to tubular drag conveyors and realizing a $1,000 per day yield increase! Cablevey – Tubular Drag Cable Conveyor One Piece Peace of Mind The benefits of conveyor systems ensure the integrity of delicate food products, increase safety and enhance energy efficiency. 3Flat-belt conveyors, bucket elevators, pneumatic conveyors, auger conveyors, aeromechanical conveyors and tubular drag conveyors are all popular options for moving delicate food product. Tubular drag conveyors, though, have proven to be especially effective for transporting these delicate materials through the various stages of food production. Tubular drag systems can provide higher through- put (up to 45,000 pounds per hour, according to Cablevey Conveyors), increased safety and potential energy savings. After years of testing various conveyors, the biggest breakfast cereal, whole bean coffee, almond, pistachio and peanut processors in the world have replaced legacy systems with the gentler enclosed tube, cable and disc conveyors. Recent research conducted by Food Manufacturing provides some perspective on the use and scope of conveying systems in the food manufacturing industry. Food Manufacturing surveyed its reader- ship about conveyor use in their respective facilities. Results from this survey offer insights on the types of conveyors used, the types of products those conveyor systems move, satisfaction levels with existing conveyor systems and more. Survey respondents were plant operations personnel at food manu- facturing facilities throughout the United States. Of those surveyed, more than two-thirds (67%) indicated their facilities currently use conveyor systems to handle food products. Cablevey – Tubular Drag Cable Conveyor 4Conveyor Type, Product Type: When it comes to the specific types of conveyors used at their respective facilities, survey respondents mentioned: • Enclosed Cable or Chain Conveyors (28.7%) • Bucket Elevators (19.1%) • Pneumatic (19.1%) • Screw Augers (17.4% • Aeromechanical (15.7%) As for the types of products their conveyor systems move, more than half of survey respon- dents (54%) indicated food products (includ- ing nuts, coffee, cereal, etc.) Other categories mentioned included: Specialty products (28.3%), powders (28.3%), flakes (8.8%) and pellets (7.9%). Keeping the Product in One Piece The vast majority of those surveyed indicated that minimizing product breakage is a significant priority. • 74.2% of respondents indicated minimizing product breakage was important. • 8.6% said minimizing product breakage was not important. • 17.2% indicated product breakage was not a concern. Q4 Q2 Q6 Q9 15.7% 28.7% 19.1%19.1% 17.4% 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 17.2% 8.6% 74.2% 5Concerning Safety Dust, heat and explosions were all cited as safety concerns for the survey respondents: More than 78% cited dust as a chief safety con- cern, and more than 52% indicated heat was a significant concern. More than 31% said explosions were a safety concern. Timothy Cox PE, R&D Engineer at Cablevey, said, “Enclosed tube cable and disc conveyors inherently detain dusts so they are not released into the plant.” We asked survey respondents about their level of satisfaction with their existing conveyor systems: • 62.2% indicated they were satisfied with the current conveyor system in their facility. • 25.8% indicated they were very satisfied with existing systems. • 10.3% said they were not satisfied with the current conveyor system in their facility. • 1.7% said their facility’s conveyor system was due for an upgrade. How old is your conveyor system? More than 30% of those surveyed said their facility’s conveyor system had been installed 4-6 years ago. A quarter (25.2% of respondents indicated their conveyor system was installed more than 10 years ago. Slightly more than 20% reported their conveyor system installation took place between 7-10 years ago. Nearly 14% said their facility’s conveyor system was installed in the last 1-3 years, with 9.5% reporting it has been less than a year since a conveyor system was installed at their facility. A new system on the way? More than 34% of those surveyed indi- cated that their company was looking install a new conveyor system or overhaul existing systems within the next 1-2 years. 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 62.2% 25.8% 10.3% 1.7% 6Our Conveyor System Operating Costs Are... • More than 56% of those surveyed said their conveyor system operating costs are about what they would expect. • More than 16% said their conveyor system operating cost is higher than they would expect. • Slightly more than 5% said conveyor oper- ating costs were considerably higher than they would expect. • Slightly less than 7% said conveyor oper- ating costs were lower than they would expect. • Only 2.5% of respondents indicated that conveyor operating costs were considerably lower than they would expect. The majority would like to lower operating costs by increasing energy efficiency/lowering energy consumption. More than half of those surveyed (54.7%) would like to decrease operating costs and im- prove energy efficiency. Just more than 38% said reducing operating costs was not a concern at their facility. 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 7% 2.5% 5% 16% 56% 7About This Report The information presented in this report was researched and produced by Food Manufacturing in conjunction with Cablevey Conveyors. Statistical data was researched and compiled by Advantage Business Media in April 2016. About Food Manufacturing Food Manufacturing (www.foodmanufacturing.com) is a leading news source covering the food and beverage manufacturing in- dustry. Food Manufacturing is part of Advantage Business Media’s Manufacturing Group, with sister properties that include Chem.Info, Industrial Distribution, Industrial Maintenance & Plant Operations, Manufacturing.net, Manufacturing Business Technology and Pharmaceutical Processing. About Cablevey Conveyors With more than 40 years of cable and disc technology conveying experience, Cablevey Conveyors (www.cablevey.com) is a leading manufacturer of enclosed tubular drag conveying systems. The company is located in Oskaloosa, Iowa and has installed its systems worldwide.