SOLIDS HANDLING/PROCESSING FEATURE


SOWING THE SEEDS FOR HIGH SPEED CONTAMINANT REJECTION


Levantine specialises in the baking, caramelising and seasoning of edible nuts and seeds. A second Stealth Gravity System from Fortress Technology is ensuring all contaminants are removed


W


hen edible nut and seed processor Levantine wanted to be sure of


installing precise and reliable gravity metal detection on a bulk bagging line, with a particular focus on its high-speed reject capabilities, it opted for the latest version of a system it had installed five years earlier – the Stealth Gravity system from Fortress Technology. Levantine first acquired a Stealth


Gravity metal detector for its products in 2013. “We installed a further line, and wanted to obtain the same level of reliability and accuracy,” said managing director David Danil. “We are BRC (British Retail Consortium)


certified,” he explained. “As a part of that, we have HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point) assessments, with metal contaminant detection high up on the list of control points. Sensitivity levels are also hugely important, and the Fortress equipment exceeded those requirements too.” While different varieties of nut still


account for the majority of Levantine’s volume, seeds are becoming an increasingly important part of the business. The company caters for retail portion


packs, including own-label products for many of the major multiples. Yet, the


Levantine recently installed its second Stealth Gravity Metal Detector on a new bulk nuts and seed production line


pressure-reducing valve, depending on the weight and speed of the product.” One concern for Levantine before


installation was that vibration in such a busy manufacturing environment, with product pouring vertically through the aperture, might adversely affect the accuracy of the machine. “The fixing needs to be solid, since anything that shakes the metal detector affects the reading and its accuracy,” he said. Kevin Shackell, sales manager at


Fortress, adds: “The reject mechanism, in particular, is powerful and precise, so the metal detector needs to be securely held in place to avoid physical interference. But it also needs to be effectively isolated to avoid electrical interference.” The need to factor in ‘product effect’ is


majority of its business involves the bulk supply of nuts and seeds to other food processors, including snack brands, chocolatiers and ice cream manufacturers. Bulk bags are filled in weights of 12.5kg, 15kg, 25kg and even 1 tonne. A key question for Levantine was the


speed and precision of the reject system, which is clearly a critical issue with valuable free-flowing product in freefall. It is vital that any contaminant is accurately targeted and removed, but this needs to happen without removing excessive amounts of uncontaminated product with it. “In terms of the reject mechanism, we


knew that this system did the job for us,” said Danil. “The speed is adjustable via a


DUST-FREE MIXING OF BULK MATERIALS IN LARGE VOLUMES


A new sanitary Model RCM36X9SS Rotary Continuous Mixer from Munson Machinery blends dry bulk solids with or without liquid additions, in-line at low cost over long production runs. Intended for dust-free mixing of bulk materials in large volumes,


it blends primary bulk ingredients, minor ingredients, and/or liquid additions and coatings uniformly with little or no degradation. It features a stationary inlet, a stationary outlet, a rotating drum with smooth interior surfaces and proprietary mixing flights that impart a gentle tumbling action, distributing particles with each degree of drum rotation, imparting no shear or energy into the material. The rotary continuous design has no internal moving parts and lower power requirements than mixers with agitators that are forced through stationary material. Optional stainless steel piping with nozzles allows uniform spraying of liquid additives onto a wide


expanse of cascading material, minimising the time required to coat all particles uniformly. A weir (dam) at the discharge end of the drum creates a build-up of blended material that overflows the


weir and discharges the mixer at rates determined by the residence volume of the rotating cylinder and the rate of material inflow. A reversing discharge weir is available to fully evacuate material at the end of production runs, allowing cleaning or sanitising. Other models are offered in diameters from 40 to 180 cm, in lengths from 120 to 730 cm. Munson Machinery


www.munsonmachinery.com 


important in many food categories, including nuts and seeds, especially where salt, oils and other seasonings can mimic the presence of metal contaminants. “The impact of this ‘wet’ product effect has been minimal for us with the Stealth Gravity detector,” said Danil. “The machine settings can be adjusted to read the product accurately.” He added: “Typically, we’re only likely


to get a false reject where there’s a clump of product, salt or herbs, for example. It’s not a big issue for us.” Levantine operates a busy


manufacturing site in Hayes, West London, and produces in excess of 10 tonnes of edible nuts and seeds daily. To save on space, the Stealth metal


detector is located midway between the first floor of the Levantine factory and a mezzanine. It is controlled from a remote panel at operator level, with product falling from a hopper to the weighing and bagging station below. Stealth offers the high sensitivity which


comes with Digital Signal Processing technology, allowing the detection of ferrous, non-ferrous and stainless steel contaminants, even down to the smallest dimensions. Data collection is integral to the system, with Contact Reporter Software helping to ensure HACCP compliance. “A number of features set us apart at


Fortress,” said Shackell. “One of these is our ‘Never Obsolete’ guarantee. It means we will always be there with support and upgrades wherever necessary. A second is our readiness to customise systems and configure them to fit in with specific needs and plant layouts. Of course, if we can plan them from an earlier stage, as was the case with the second Stealth system at Levantine, that makes the project easier to manage and to optimise.”


Fortress Technology www.fortresstechnology.co.uk


PROCESS & CONTROL | FEBRUARY 2020 29


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