Cereal flake production upgraded

Baker Perkins has increased the throughput and durability of its Flake Master range of flaking mills that process a wide range of ready-to-eat flaked cereals. Easier operation and maintenance are additional benefits of an upgraded design. Flake Master machines process a wide range of flakes including corn, bran and multigrain. They are an essential part of complete cereal systems and are fed either with grains from a traditional steam cooker, or extruded pellets. The new flaking mill is available in two widths of 975mm and 1,275mm (previously 780mm and 1,070mm). This has allowed throughputs to be increased by 20% - in the case of the wider machine from 1,450 to 1,750kg/hr of cornflakes. Roll speed remains the same as the previous generation to ensure quality is not compromised and the risk of producing ‘doubles’ is avoided. The increase in width means that new machines match the widths of Baker Perkins’ 1,000 and 1,300mm Thermoglide toasters. This allows the units to be close-coupled with no need to redistribute the product between the two. This provides a more evenly distributed feed of flakes to the toaster while simplifying the line and reducing floor space. Roll construction has been developed to double operational life – rolls can now be reground up to 20 times, compared with 10 for the previous design. Rolls are now made from spun and chilled cast iron, rather than steel with a stainless weld layer. The manufacturing process ensures optimum iron crystal structure for strength, plus a highly durable surface (56HRC) with good friction properties. This material is widely used for rolls in the flour and grain processing industry. A significant advantage of the previous Baker Perkins flaking mill was the unique oscillating scraper blades. Slowly moving the blades back and forth across the roll surface reduces uneven roll wear and ensures even heat distribution. Other successful features that have been retained include high coolant flow for efficient heat transfer and fast-response dynamic gap control to 5 microns Operational and maintenance safety and convenience were fundamental design considerations. This is a fully enclosed machine, with simple, rapid access and minimum dust and noise. Noteworthy new features include greatly improved scraper blade access for rapid and accurate replacement; dust extraction with the product; herring bone style belt drives reducing noise levels; and an isolation frame helping prevent vibration transfer and noise. Baker Perkins provides equipment to make virtually every kind of breakfast cereal. A series of unit machines, combined with the process knowledge and engineering expertise to integrate them into reliable and flexible high-output systems, covers products from traditional corn flakes, to modern filled pillows, kibbled granola cereal and baked granola bars. The range includes extruders, cereal cookers, flaking rolls, shredders, toasters and syrup coating units that can be used to form versatile plants. Each machine is specified to match the customer’s product and output needs.

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