In the following case study, discover how Russell Finex overcame processing challenges and production line limitations to improve food powder sieving efficiency for SternMaid by 50 per cent.
SternMaid, a world leading food ingredient company, faced inefficiencies in their production line that were limiting productivity. Specialising in producing blends of micronutrients, confectionaries and bakery products, SternMaid can process up to 5,000 tons of blending annually. Therefore, consistent product quality and efficient processing is essential to meet production demands.
SternMaid’s process starts by dosing ingredients into a blender before discharging the blended product into super sacks. The sacks are transported to a separate filling area, where a crane lifts them to the third floor for sieving, metal detection, and final packaging.
Overcoming processing challenges
Some of SternMaid’s formulations contain three or four ingredients and require batches of up to 400 kg, creating significant demands on production.
However, the facility’s single-sided powder dump station allowed only one operator to dose ingredients into the blender at a time. With raw materials supplied in 25 kg bags, loading ingredients was both labour-intensive and time-consuming. In addition, operators were required to manually transfer super sacks between blending and filling lines, adding unnecessary handling and increasing production time.
From ingredient dosing through to blending, discharge and final filling, each batch took approximately one hour to complete. To meet growing production requirements and increase productivity, SternMaid needed to optimise their process.
A more efficient, integrated solution
To address these challenges, SternMaid installed the Russell Compact Sieve® to screen powders before blending, alongside a magnetic separator to remove potential ferrous contamination. The Russell Compact Sieve® is a high-performance sieving solution designed to remove contamination from powders and liquid slurries.
The solution integrates sieving, blending, and filling into a single streamlined process, allowing materials to be discharged directly into bulk bags ready for shipment. Russell Finex also built a custom double-sided configuration, enabling two operators to load ingredients simultaneously and can now sieve 50 kg rather than 25 kg.
Following implementation, SternMaid have been able to reduce their processing time from 60 minutes to 25 minutes, improving productivity by over 50 per cent.
“Russell Finex’s reputation speaks for itself. They’ve been helpful all along the way. With their support, we’ll cut costs, improve efficiencies and increase throughput.” Stephen Adams, Operations Director.
This project highlights how integrated sieving solutions can help food manufacturers improve operational efficiency while maintaining high product quality standards.
Russell Finex’s ‘Test before you invest’ programme allows you to trial their separation equipment with your product before making a purchase.
