Adams Food Ingredients commissioned the mixer from Cheshire-based processing equipment manufacturer JR Boone in order to mix milk powders with a 35 per cent fat content together with minor additives.
According to Adams, the new equipment will allow it to increase its processing volume from 1,200 litres to 1,500 litres - or approximately one tonne of ingredients, depending on their density.
Currently the company, based in Staffordshire, supplies a range of specialist ingredients to the dairy industry, including milk proteins, bulk dairy ingredients (such as milk powders and cheeses) and also functional ingredients.
Adams' production engineer John Vernon told DairyReporter.com that, "the real issue behind the installation was that of mixing time. Our previous mixer took over ten minutes to process each batch of ingredient - but the new equipment has halved that, as well as providing a higher-quality finished product."
"The mixing equipment had to be specially commissioned in order to fit into an area of certain size within the plant. The new equipment retains its U-shaped trough and is smaller in height than the old mixer, although will be able to hold a larger volume of material due to its extended width," he added.
"We supply ingredients to a number of firms for various applications across the food industry, including our parent company Kerry Gold," commented Vernon, suggesting that the most likely use for the ingredients was in the production of cheeses.
According to Chris Boone, JR Boone's managing director, Adams had experienced a number of problems with its previous mixing equipment: "We fitted air-purged, packed gland seals and wear sleeves to give long life and easy maintenance. Furthermore, the mixer can be subjected to over-pressure and full load starts without any problems or leaks."
"We took a standard 1,250 litre model, then redesigned it into a U-trough, which increased its capacity to 1,500 litres," he said. Boone also added that the new equipment was compliant with stringent EU safety directives concerning the use of small particles in the manufacture of food ingredients.
JR Boone provides mixing solutions for a range of products used in the food industry, including powders, pastes and slurries.