Balaji Wafers began as a family-owned micro business selling snacks to movie-goers in the Indian city of Raijkot. Forty years on, the Virani family employ more than 1,800 people in multiple production plants that process up to 100,000 kg of potato wafers and 500,000 kg of assorted savoury snacks every day. In 2014 Balaji needed to upgrade their Rajkot production plant and conveying system.
Moving a high volume of potato flakes at multiple production plants
Snack foods are more complex than they look. Balaji Wafers use a huge number of potato flake, powders and a range of granulated ingredients of various sizes. These ingredients also present a number of challenging material characteristics both individually and in blends.
As the product range expanded, Balaji’s existing food conveyor was simply not up the job. Faced with moving multiple complex blends it generated dust and proofed to be unreliable and expensive to run.
Balaji needed a safe, fast, fully enclosed conveying system capable of conveying potato flake and blended products without damage or separation.
Floveyor modular design and adaptability the right conveying system
Balaji consulted Floveyor’s local partner in India – Kiron Group’s Food Processing Technologies (FPT). As a highly skilled and experienced Floveyor partner, FPT were confident that Floveyor’s aero-mechanical conveyor would provide the energy efficient, high-volume and versatile conveying system that Balaji required for moving potato flakes and other blended products.
FPT tested Balaji’s various materials using the Floveyor demonstration unit at their Mumbai headquarters. These trials demonstrated to Balaji that they had found the right food conveying system for their needs.
In June 2014, FPT received an order to the supply and install a Floveyor F3 equipped with 3.3 m centres (3” diameter tubes) driven by a 1.1 kW motor.
FPT also fitted a small inlet hopper to the blender outlet allowing for seamless processing. Mounting the motor at floor level ensured fast and accessible maintenance.
The Floveyor’s economical running costs and modular design enable easy integration into existing plants. This made it a matchless conveying solution where potential upgrades and plant expansions are likely.
After a year of flawless, energy-efficient conveying with their original Floveyor F3, Balaji installed two additional Elementa F3s in their manufacturing facilities in Valsad and Indore in 2015.
With dry cleanability as standard, Balaji was able to run multiple product potato flake blends with minimal downtime, and handle various materials – each with distinct material handling characteristics.
The latest food conveyor installation for Balaji Wafers
Fast forward to 2024 and Floveyor are currently producing a subsequent four Elementa F4 conveyors to handle potato flakes and blended products. The new food conveyors will transfer at various lengths and angles from process to process.
Balaji’s relationship with Floveyor now spans a decade. The latest installation is a testament to the success of Floveyor’s conveying systems to date and Balaji’s trust in the durability and performance of Floveyor’s aero-mechanical conveyors.
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.
