Engineered-to-Application Filler System Accelerates Growth & Innovation
Snack pellets are a key ingredient fueling growth in healthy snacks. But these innovative ingredients – which can be converted into ready-to-eat snacks in countless flavors, shapes, textures and nutrition profiles – also come with new challenges. For example, how can food manufacturers handle high volume production to meet demand without contamination?
To ensure contaminant-free bulk bag filling, one global snack pellet producer needed a system that could detect and remove metal from the material flow.
The company turned to Material Transfer to help solve their challenge.
Industry-Leading Durability and Hygienic Design
Leveraging decades of experience in designing filler systems for food applications, the MTS team got to work on a custom solution that met the following criteria:
- High-volume throughput
- Ability to divert contaminated products seamlessly
- Consistent, accurate bulk bag filling
- Stainless steel construction
- FDA/USDA approval for direct and indirect dry food contact
The MTS customization experts designed and engineered an automated Bulk Bag Power-Fill® Filler System including:
- An 80 cubic ft., 304 stainless steel surge hopper with a material level inspection window for a quick visual inside the bin.
- A diverter valve with a metal detector to reliably control and redirect contaminated material from the feeding point.
- A rejected material collection container at floor level for easy operator access.
Ramping Up Material Output
The Power-Fill® system first runs through the bulk bag connection and automated inflation processes. The system then fills the bag by weight to a programmed set point using a gain-in-weight scale system with NTEP-certified load cells. After filling, the system releases the bag inlet spout and lifting straps and raises the fill head. Finally, the Power-Fill® indexes the filled bag onto an accumulation conveyor for transport to the next handling station.
Combining innovative design and automation integration, the Power-Fill® system provided the reliability and control the customer needed to ramp up snack-pellet production while removing contaminated materials.
The customer is very satisfied with the engineered-to-application Power-Fill® Bulk Bag Filler System’s ability to increase production efficiency, ease operator use and improve product throughput. All while ensuring the on-time delivery of consistently high-quality, non-contaminated snack pellet products.