INDUSTRIES

Equipment for Beverages & Powdered Drink Mix Manufacturing

Matcon is an expert in designing and supplying efficient manufacturing systems using stainless steel IBCs for manufacturers of Powdered Beverages and Drink Mixes.

Matcon systems are modular in design and can be adapted to suit production goals.

DESIGNING MATERIALS HANDLING SYSTEMS

Powdered Beverages Processing and Blending Equipment

A Matcon IBC system that is designed for powder handling and mixing system is all you need for the efficient production of powder-based beverages and drinks. By decoupling the processing steps, we enable companies to achieve a flexible manufacturing system.

Matcon delivers manufacturing solutions that enable flexibility in production, compliance to food regulation standards and scale up as the business grows.

With a growing demand from consumers for more varied beverage and drink flavours as well as dietary trends including lactose-free and veganism, we see beverage manufacturers having to change how they produce their products - from the processes they use to the industrial powder handling and mixing equipment they choose.

Increasingly large recipe portfolios mean many changeovers which significantly impacts production time with traditional coupled, fixed mixer arrangements.

Powder mix segregation is a risk, particularly with 3 in 1 coffee mixes, due to the different particle characteristics, which resulting in a loss of Blend Uniformity and poor product quality.

Problems with dust create cross-contamination risks, putting both employees and customers at risk.

Matcon designs IBC solutions to optimize your production line and make it more flexible. By employing parallel processing, each manufacturing process step can take place independently to allow manufacturers to produce more than one batch or different recipe batches at any given time.

The system remains closed at all times as all powders are contained within the IBC, eliminating any risk for cross-contamination and offering dust containment for a cleaner environment and operator safety. As ingredients are fully contained within the IBC tumble blender, cleaning between batches is reduced.

With a wide range of IBC sizes available, different batch sizes are easily accommodated and pilot scale testing aids seamless scale up.

The unique Cone Valve Technology located within each Matcon IBC protects blended powders against segregation during the discharge process, maintaining their integrity and quality. It offers automatic and controlled powder discharge, overcoming the traditional powder handling issues of bridging, rat-holing, segregation and degradation.

Matcon has years of experience from working within the food, drink and beverage sector giving us an understanding of the importance of complying with strict food safety, hygiene and nutritional regulatory standards such as FDA Food Safety Modernisation Act (FSMA), Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) and European Hygienic Engineering & Design Group (EHEDG).

We have supplied flexible and efficient production systems to numerous companies around the world who make a wide variety of instant beverage mixes including 3 in 1 coffee, tea blends and powdered drink mixes. Our IBC systems have enabled our customers to increase productivity, reduce costs and improve product quality.

If you are mixing beverages for the sports nutrition industry, visit our page for sports supplement manufacturers.

Equipment used for powder transfer in beverage factories includes pneumatic & screw conveyors, bulk bags, and IBCs.

In beverage factories, powder transfer equipment moves dry ingredients - such as sugar, milk powder, cocoa, coffee, flavours & vitamins - through the manufacturing process steps. The choice of equipment depends on powder properties (flowability, hygiene sensitivity), production scale, and automation level.

Pneumatic Conveying using enclosed pipelines and moving powders with air or inert gas is common. Dilute-phase is used for free-flowing ingredients such as sugar & salt. Dense-phase is for the gentler transfer of fragile or abrasive powders such as milk or cocoa powder.

Screw conveyors using a rotating screw inside a tube or trough are used for short-distance transfers and work well with cohesive or poorly flowing powders.

Bulk bags (FIBC) are often used for the bulk ingredient handling at the formulation part of the process. They are commonly integrated with other conveying systems to move powders through the processing steps.

Intermediate Bulk Containers (IBCs) in stainless steel, offer flexibility in capacity from 200L to 3,000L+ and hygienic, contained handling of powders. A well designed solution ensures batch & recipe control, enables make-to-order on high SKU portfolios, reduces cleaning down-time and ensures safe handling of allergens.

Preventing clumping requires controlled powder addition to liquid.

Powder clumping is a classic beverage industry challenge without a single solution. The best method is a combination of careful formulation, powder handling and mixing. A slow, even addition into liquid with shear at the point of wetting beats a later downstream fix.

Adding liquids is the most common cause of clumping. If the powder hydrates too fast it will form a skin trapping dry material inside. Using IBCs or screw feeders with a controlled feed rate delivers controlled dosing, slowly and evenly, and avoids dumping in large quantities.

Premixing of difficult powders, such as cocoa, with free-flowing carriers can help to improve powders before the wetting stage.

Manage moisture & storage and prevent the powders picking up moisture before they enter the manufacturing processes. A sealed IBC will keep powders contained and moisture out.

SYSTEM MODULES

Powder Handling Systems for Beverage Manufacturers

This simple system is all you need to get started the right way. By decoupling the processing steps we enable companies to achieve a flexible manufacturing system.

The Matcon system is based on using Intermediate Bulk Containers (IBCs) to transport powders between manufacturing steps and as a blending vessel. Because everything is contained within the IBC, there is no clean-down of the blender between recipe changes, which gives you the ultimate flexibility of operation.