Lakeland Bake based in Carlisle UK, are a producer of freshly made traditional and custom shaped crumpets sold and distributed to the likes of Booths, Aldi and M&S among others.
Dangerous manual handling posed workplace health and safety as well as productivity issues. Staff were emptying heavy bags of flour into a mixer from above. They also transferred product from a sieving station directly to the mixer.
Floveyor’s UK partner Gough Engineering worked closely with Lakeland Bake to identify issues in their bulk material handling process and explore alternative options. A mobile conveyor system offered to resolve all issues.
A safe alternative to labour intensive manual bag handling
Lakeland Bake needed to eliminate the manual handling component of their bulk material handling process. Staff had been carrying heavy bulk bags of flour up several steps to tip them into the mixer from above.
A food conveyor was required to transfer various types of flours and other baking ingredients – all dry and free flowing with varying material characteristics. The average feed rate required for the materials was emptying of a 16 kg bag every 20-30 seconds.
Staff also needed to be able to move the food conveyor between multiple process stages. This would address further productivity issues.
Floveyor mobile conveyor a food-safe solution
Gough recommended and implemented a mobile Floveyor aero-mechanical conveyor. The Floveyor F3 elevates material from a ground level bag dump station with an integrated sieve, to a transfer point around 1.9 m in height. It is a clean, food-safe solution with a small equipment footprint.
With the installation of their Floveyor F3, Lakeland Bake are now able to achieve a throughput of 100 m3/hr. The unique gentle conveying method of the aero-mechanical conveyor also reduces product residue during transfer.
The conveying system incorporates BFM spigots with toolless fitted flexible connections to provide efficient material transfer.
Improved bag handling and increased production capability
The Floveyor F3 mobile conveyor was manufactured in Australia to Lakeland Bake’s specifications and shipped to our partner Gough Engineering in the UK who managed the final assembly and testing at their facility.
With the installation of their Floveyor F3, Lakeland Bake eliminated dangerous manual bag handling. Additional outcomes included reduced labour costs, increased production as a result of higher throughput rates, increased process efficiencies and fewer maintenance requirements.
For more information
If you need conveying machinery and bulk material handling equipment for your food and beverage operation, a Floveyor with FloDisc® Technology will optimise your powder handling. Contact us to learn more.
