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Grain & Feed Milling Technology is published six times a year by Perendale Publishers Ltd of the United Kingdom.All data is published in good faith, based on information received, and while every care is taken to prevent inaccuracies, the publishers accept no liability for any errors or omissions or for the consequences of action taken on the basis of information published. ©Copyright 2010 Perendale Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or by any means without prior permission of the copyright owner. Printed by Perendale Publishers Ltd. ISSN: 1466-3872

Digital Re-print - May | June 2011 Energy-efficient and cost-saving innovations for cereal processing

www.gfmt.co.uk

Research and development for cereal and pulse prepara-tion and processing are

elementary building blocks ensuring the success of the German company vibronet® Gräf GmbH & Co KG.

With its patented vibration damping sys-tem, vibronet® has been a pioneer in the field of research for dramatically reduced temper times and simpler production processes since 1990.

Water management in cereal and grain conditioning has long been a neglected proc-ess, which has not seen a lot of innovation during the past decades.

Moisture control though is a critical ele-ment as water is money in fluid form. To manufacture perfect end products there is just one optimum moisture level. Varying

the optimum moisture content in the raw material by as little as one percent results in a less optimal product and higher manufac-turing cost.

For example, optimising starch gelati-nisation during heat processing is difficult without the accurate moisture content. Therefore, precise moisture management is required to maximise operation profit-ability, end product quality and thus eco-nomic return.

Thinking out of the box and looking into the production process is what made MSc Engineer and Master Miller Dieter Otto Graef invent the vibronet® vibration dampener in 1986 in his own flour mill in Germany.

It was the first system to revolutionise how fluids can be added faster and more economic to cereals and pulses. The sys-tem accelerates water absorption and leads to a full cereal or pulse kernel damp-ening in two to 10 hours compared to the six to 48 hours required with conventional systems.

The developmentIt all started with the question: How

can water penetrate quicker into a kernel so that the long temper time and the large amount of space such as temper bins, can be reduced?

Speeding up the process of conditioning grain is especially important in countries with very dry grain, where a high percentage of water has to be added prior to the grinding process.

This search brought up the idea of removing the surface tension of tempering water.

Water could then surround the entire kernel as a water film and penetrate equally into the cereal through the hull and not only through the germ, as with conventional dampening systems. When observing a drop of water on a glass plate, the water particle forms a round ball due to surface tension. It is generally known that the surface tension of water can be eliminated with, for example, dishwashing detergent. However, for the purposes of producing food and feed this method cannot be used.

During first experiments, a mixture of grain and water which were stirred lightly by hand, were dropped on a baffle plate from a height of about 30 meters. The results proved that water penetrates faster if the surface tension is eliminated through the application of a high accelerating force.

Energy-efficient and cost-saving innovations for cereal processing Vibronet

®

- The Revolution for all tempering processes

“How can water penetrate quicker into a kernel so that the long temper time and the large amount of space such as temper bins, can be reduced?”

Grain&feed millinG technoloGy22 | may - June 2011

FEATURE

However, to eliminate the water surface tension with energy, a multiple of the accel-eration of gravity (‘g’) is needed.

Therefore, experiments continued and trials were made with a standard concrete vibrator as used in the construction industry. After inserting this vibrator several times into a grain-water mixture, there was no more free water on the surface after 30 minutes. A concrete vibrator runs with about 10,000rpm, which means that the energy input corresponds to a multiple of the gravity ‘g’.

Finally the right solution was found. The first vibration dampener was developed and tested in daily operation in a 120 tonnes per day flour mill. With this patented dampening process temper time could be reduced to two to 10 hours only.

ResearchThere are various explanations as to why

vibration dampening reduces tempering time:Vibration energy changes the molecular

structure of water. It eliminates the surface tension of the water. A water film surrounds the entire kernel and penetrates evenly through the entire hull into the endosperm.

For the first time tempering water can enter also through the crease of the cereal kernel. The cereal crease roughly covers 1/6 of the entire kernel surface.

Vibration energy opens up and cleans all capillaries, tube cells and openings which are otherwise closed by dust, so that the water can penetrate easily.

As the tube and the longitudinal cells of the kernel are filled with air, they work like a membrane pump, through which the water is pumped in during vibration.

Vibration energy activates the minerals situated in the grain hull so that they trans-port the dampening water faster in direction of the endosperm.

After final studies, the Federal Institute of

Grain Research in Detmold, Germany, has come to the following conclusions:

>>… Based on theoretical findings and practical investigations, vibration treatment can be regarded as a process with the help of which homo-geneous and accelerated water absorption and penetration in cereal grain can be achieved. The vibration effect can be compared with an intensive agitating effect in the initial phase of hydration, which results in changed per-meability, transport and reaction conditions

Grain&feed millinG technoloGy may - June 2011 | 23

ALL TYPES OF SILOS INSTALLATIONS TO COVER THE MARKET NEEDS

Silos for seeds, cereals, malts, oil seeds (soya, sunflower, rape, ...), pellets, meals, rices, and ingeneral, products for agriculture, agrifood industry, biofuels, and biomass (wood pellets, ...)

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"Over 20 years of experience in the design, construction and supply of storage solutions, worldwide"

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FEATURE

causing a quicker and better penetration of the water into the cereal. The influence of vibration tempering on the moisture content in flour reaches values after around six hours which are equal to those achieved after standard preparation of approximately 24 hours. Easily milled wheat with softer structure can be milled after only one hour of tempering after vibration dampening.

There was no change seen in mineral content and colour …<<

Statements from various millers around the world confirm these findings.

Not only are lighter coloured flours pro-duced but the vibration dampening increases total flour yield by 0.5 – 1.0 percent. This is due to the fact that vibronet® brings the dampening water also into the crease of each kernel which represents 1/6 of the entire grain surface. Prerequisite is a temper-ing time, which is optimised for the grain variety or grain mixture used.

Through vibration dampening, coarser

bran is obtained during the first grinding proc-ess, which originates from the uniform distri-bution of water on the surface of the grain.

Especially when milling Durum wheat, higher yields in middling and semolina are achieved, as the water enters the wheat kernel over its entire surface and not – as with conventional dampening systems – mostly through the germ.

In summary, it can be said that every pro-duction plant in grain processing has unused potentials for cost savings and increasing profit, hygiene and flexibility. vibronet Gräf’s patented cereal damping system creates such a savings potential. Compared to conventional damping systems:- vibronet® reduces temper time to a

minimum: The vibration dampener drastically reduces temper time by more than half of the time needed by conventional systems.

- vibronet® reduces energy cost: A vibration dampener uses half the energy only of an intensive dampener, that is ≤ 0.2kW/tonne/hour.

- vibronet® reduces operating cost: A vibration dampener cuts service and maintenance cost by 80 percent and has due to few mechanic parts minimum wear and tear.

- vibronet® reduces silo space and machine park: Due to the drastically reduced temper time, a vibration dampener reduces silo bin space as well as the associated transport and conveying elements.

- vibronet® guarantees hygienic end products: The self-cleaning vertical construction of the vibration dampener and the minimal temper times guarantee a drastic reduction of total bacteria count in the cereal and thus in the end product.

Continuing the revolution The patented vibration dampening tech-

nology has now been entirely redesigned for maximum profit and exceptional perform-ance. The reduced built-in height fits even in the smallest spaces.

Available capacities range from one to 40tph. Optimised vibration energy utilisation allows adding up to 12 percent dampening liquid in one single pass. A new redesigned precision water distribution system permits to add even the smallest amount of liquids. The process can be adapted to the cus-tomer’s demand: water, water soluble liquid, chlorine, or dressing agent. The vertical Clean-Design dampener drastically reduces temper time to two to 10 hours making use of 0.2kW/tph only.

The minimum temper time guarantees lowest total bacteria count and maximum production process flexibility.

The system offers energy-efficient prepara-tion of an extensive choice of raw materials:

Wheat, durum, rye, oats, barley, spelt, sorghum, corn, lentils, peas, beans, soybeans, seeds and seed care, cocoa beans, coffee beans, malt

More inforMation:Sylvia-C. Gräf vibronet Gräf GmbH & Co. KGNeumühle 1 - 35633 LahnauGermany

Tel: +49 6441 62031Fax: +49 6441 62715Email: info@vibronet.com Website: www.vibronet.com

Grain&feed millinG technoloGy24 | may - June 2011

FEATURE

Five Agri-Food software b u s i n e s s e s w i t h i n t h e Vo l a r i s G ro u p

ad o p t g l o b a l b r a n d t o

strengthen geographic reach and exper t ise of fered to companies in the agriculture and food industry.

Victam International 2011 saw the launch of Cultura Technologies. The newly named company brings together five leading Agri-Food

software organisations: Cal Software, BMS Computer Solutions and Kinross Software (KSL) of the United Kingdom, AGRIS Inc and ExtendAg of the United States.Bringing together these companies and their strengths further solidifies all that Cultura is. The organisation believes in strong customer relationships and that the strength of its people and their expertise can make the difference in delivering technology solutions that enable Agri-Food businesses to eff iciently produce, process and deliver quality food and bio-products. “With this rebrand to Cultura Technologies, we aim to strengthen collaboration between our global businesses and

our commitment to product innovation creating long-term value for customers, employees, and our owners,” stated Jim Baker, president of Cultura Technologies. Cultura is all about connecting people and processes across the broader Agri-Food supply chain, helping to nurture Agri-Food advancement through technology. Cultura’s name has its roots in the Latin word “agricultura” -- which means agriculture – and “cultivate” – which is to foster growth or development. We are Cultura Technologies. We bring Agri-Food solutions to life.

More inforMation:Meaghan Wilkinson,Cultura Technologies, 5800 Explorer Drive, 5th Floor, Mississauga, ON, L4W 5K9, Canada

Tel: +1 647 8012945Email: meaghan.wilkin-son@culturatech.comWebsite: www.culturatech.com

Satake Corporation is pleased to announce the merger of its vision systems business

trading as ESM (UK) Ltd and its cereal milling engineering business trading as Satake Europe Ltd into a single company.

The name of ESM (UK) Ltd is now redundant and the newly combined businesses will trade under the name of Satake Europe Ltd.Satake Europe Ltd is a division of Satake USA Inc, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Satake Corporation, Japan.

We are pleased to announce t h i s merger to a l l our customers in Europe, Africa and the Middle East as it will facilitate greater efficiencies within our business and as such will allow us to reflect such benef its when dealing with your requirements.S h o u l d y o u h a v e a n y questions or require further clarif ication, please contact a member of the Sat ake management team or refer to the website www.satake-europe.com

Merger of ESM (UK) Ltd and Satake Europe Ltd

Cal-BMS-KSL to be renamed Cultura Technologies

News May - June 2011 NEWS

Grain&feed millinG technoloGy may - June 2011 | 5

Expanding capability to serve customers, adding New Little Rock jobs, increasing

production

Novus International, Inc cut the ribbon commemorating the opening of its newly expanded Novus Arkansas facility in Little Rock. The Novus Arkansas site was developed in the Little Rock Riverport Industrial Park in 2006 to manufacture MHA® feed supplement, a dry, granular powder that provides an effective and environmentally friendly source of methionine, an essential amino acid in premixes and farm feed mills. MHA provides benefits to laying hens and other livestock and companion animals. The new expansion features a 45,000 square foot manufacturing facility for MINTREX®, a unique line of chelated trace mineral products for aquaculture, poultry, pork, beef, dairy and pet nutrition.

Chelated trace mineral technology enables farmers to reduce their levels of mineral inclusion, thus saving money and reducing waste to the environment.The Novus Arkansas facility has received numerous safety and health certifications, including:FAMI-QS, an industry standard for hygiene and feed safety;Safe Feed-Safe Food from the American Feed Industry Association;ISO 9002 certif ication, the international standard for quality management systems; and,European HACCP.Additionally, the expanded facility earned Silver LEED Certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. LEED Certification is the internationally recognized standard for green building certification. Environmentally conscious features of the facility include: water re -use , renewable energy sources, use of recycled

materials, management of construction waste, indoor environmental quality and a number of other factors which reduce the environmental impact and enhance the human health environment.“Novus’s vision is to ‘help feed the world affordable, wholesome food and achieve a higher quality of life,” said Thad Simons, president and CEO, Novus International, Inc during the ceremony. “We believe that a culture that emphasizes sustainability will help us achieve our global vision.“Our decision to invest in a facility that is geared towards reducing our environmental footprint underscores Novus’ commitment to creating environmental, social and economic sustainability in Arkansas and the communities we serve around the world,” Simons said.Arkansas Governor Mike Beebe, who addressed an audience of about 300 attendees at the event,

said Arkansas is one of a handful of states whose economy has remained strong. “We have succeeded because the state has focused its efforts on attracting jobs like these we are announcing today,'' Beebe said.The new facility, located on a 53-acre parcel in the Little Rock Riverport industrial park, will employ more than 40 workers -- an increase of over 30 new employees. Novus has nearly 1,000 employees worldwide serving more than 3,000 customers across 100 countries. The products from Novus Arkansas will ship to more than 60 countries around the world.

More inforMation:Tricia BealNovus International, Inc20 Research Park DriveSt Charles, MO 63304USA

Tel: +1 314 6200024Email: tricia.beal@novusint.com

Novus commemorates the expansion of its LEED Silver Certified Manufacturing Facility

News May - June 2011 NEWS

Grain&feed millinG technoloGy may - June 2011 | 7

www.hydronix.comenquiries@hydronix.com

The Hydro-Probe II digital microwave moisture sensor provides accurate and cost effective moisture control in feed meals and pellets, grain, cereal and pulses:

• Monitor and adjust moisture levels in real time• Reduce energy costs during the drying process• Reduce waste and improve quality• Suitable for bins, silos, conveyors and chutes• Not affected by dust or colour

The Hydro-Probe II digital microwave moisture sensor provides The Hydro-Probe II digital microwave moisture sensor provides

The Hydro-Probe II Moisture SensorMeasures Moisture & Reduces Cost

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In this issue:

• Synthesis of animal feed formulation techniques:

Linear and Non-Linear model

• Pellet production

to save energy,

improve feed efficiency

and safety

May 2011

• Choosing the right Hazard Monitoring System

• Pelleting: The link between practice and engineering

• Conditioning as part of the pelleting process

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