It’s the eternal question for production managers: How to improve production efficiency and effectiveness.
With more and more product lines being launched, food and pharma manufacturers strive to maintain efficient and effective production practices despite more small batch size requests and tightening allergen regulations.
You might have spent weeks reviewing and tweaking your processes, but it’s difficult to know how to get the best ROI.
By moving from a fixed mixer to in-bin technology like Matcon’s Intermediate Bulk Containers (IBCs), you can create a more agile, adaptable production facility, giving you the edge on your competitors.
Here are just three of the ways the Matcon powder IBCs can give your production lines more flexibility.
Increased Blending Capacity
In traditional fixed mixer lines, mixers and the coupled formulation and packing equipment remain idle while the mixer is being filled or cleaned. We know that downtime is lost production opportunity, and our Matcon in-bin blending helps work around this.
Our powder Intermediate Bulk Containers are designed to be filled off-line and then become the blending vessel itself. This translates into a whole host of additional production benefits:
- Ability to run multiple processes concurrently. One IBC can be blending while the next is being filled. There’s no need for mixing to stop while you’re setting up, filling and emptying as with a fixed mixing system.
- Immediate changeovers. The inside of the IBC is the only product contact point, meaning the only changeover required is replacing the IBC. Time-consuming clean-downs of the mixer after each batch are a thing of the past.
- Better small batch capability. With no more lengthy changeovers, it’s easy to run small batches for your customer to help develop their next great product.
Better Product Quality
Developed to help you make a consistent, quality product, batch after batch, our powder Intermediate Bulk Containers are:
- Designed with smooth internal surfaces which promote good mixing with traditionally difficult ingredients.
- Closed containers which means there is a lower risk of cross-contamination. Single IBCs can easily be dedicated to allergens and cleaned off-line enabling you to comply with regulations without needing to allocate a costly dedicated allergen line.
Cost Savings
Cost savings are the top priority for any manager. Adopting IBC technology can yield savings at all stages of production:
- Less product wastage. The design of our IBCs means product is less likely to be stuck in the container after blending compared to fixed mixers where product hang-up is a regular occurrence.
- Reduced stock levels because you don’t need to run large batches to gain efficiency benefits. The opportunity cost savings from in-bin blending will dwarf any savings you can make by producing large batches on a fixed mixer.
- Lower running costs per product because you no longer need to consider lengthy, expensive changeovers.
Powder Handling Solutions for All Businesses
Adopting our powder IBCs can mean up to a four-fold increase in productivity for businesses of any size. Our trusted solutions range from a partial upgrade of existing lines to decouple fixed mixers and production equipment, right through to full refits and an IBC system with in-bin blending.
We have many suggestions on how to incorporate IBCs into your facility. Click the button below to download our factsheet to find out more.
Topics:
Blending