In Arapoti, Paraná in Brazil, Van Aarsen International built a new factory for Capal. Capal is a farmers cooperative with 2400 members, of whom 700 are dairy farmers. Each new factory is visited and rated by the Ministry of Agriculture on health, good practice, contamination, cleaning, and other criteria. This factory was rated at an extraordinarily high score of ninety-seven point five out of a hundred. For Capal, it was important that both the intake and loading of a large variety of feeds would be extremely flexible. The layout and internal transport of the factory are designed accordingly.
Intake
Two tip bridges are available for the intake of raw materials, one in the new plant and one at the existing concrete silos. The raw materials pass through a drum cleaner and a magnet cleaner. The concrete silos are connected with the new factory by a 70-meter-long bridge equipped with multiple chain conveyors. Thus, the concrete silos can be filled with raw materials from both intake pits. It is also possible to transport the raw materials directly to the dosing silos.
Mineral Handling & Weighing
Minerals come in big bags. The correct mineral silo is selected by using a turn-pipe distributor. From the dosing silos, each product is weighed accurately. The weighing scales are equipped with platform steps for precise calibration. Minerals are dosed in smaller scales with a capacity of 500 kilos. The minerals are transported to the weighing scales by screw conveyors, which are also used to transport raw materials with limited flow properties to the weighing scales. All the silos are equipped with a beater to not lose the last remnants out of the silo.
Micro Ingredient Dosing
Micro ingredients come in small bags and are emptied manually into the micro-ingredient dosing silos. The SID, The small ingredient dosing system is used for the dosing of quantities up to two hundred kilos. The MID, the micro ingredient dosing system, is used for quantities up to fifty kilos. The MID is protected with acrylic walls to prevent vibrations and guarantee precise dosing. Additional micro ingredients can be dosed manually when needed. Micro ingredients are fed directly to the mixer and do not pass through the hammer mill.
Raw Material Processing
The raw materials are ground in the hammer mill. The air used for the grinding process is filtered. In the mixer all the ingredients are blended into a homogenous mixture. Liquid dosage also takes place in the mixer. In this configuration, three liquids can be administerd.
Pellet Production
steam treatment in the steam conditioner and long-term vessel is applied to optimize the pelleting process and pellet quality and minimize energy consumption. In the pellet mill the meal is compressed into pellets of the desired thickness and size. In the counterflow cooler, the pellets are cooled to 5 degrees above ambient temperature. The air is sucked in through a slit at the bottom of the cooler. The air used for cooling the pellets is filtered in a cyclone. The filtered dust is returned to the pellet mill or discharged. If required the pellets can be crumbled. Next, the pellets or crumbs are sieved to free them of dust.
Finished Feed Silos
The meal, pellets, and crumbs are stored in the finished feed silos with a capacity of 70 tonnes. The end product can be supplied in bulk or small bags.
Bulk Loading & Robot Weigher
Bulk loading takes place with the help of a robot wheigher. Each wheel of the robot wheigher is driven independently for perfect alignment. The robot can load any type of truck. With the help of a laser that determines the position of each fill hole. This is set once for each type of truck. The system remembers the settings and facilitates the loading. For maximum flexibility eight silos are used for loading in bags, while bulk loading can take place from all silos.
Automation
For total control of the feed mill, the Van Aarsen automation system is used. With the help of cameras installed on each floor, all machines and process steps can be observed in the control room. All sensors, motors, and valves are identified with a unique number. In case of any disturbance, the location of the item is immediately indicated in the system. To ensure optimal hygiene, the dust in all internal transport systems is continuously sucked away.
This new factory of Kappa is another proof of an investment that provides maximum added value.
For Capal, Van Aarsen is the vital link in building this Factory!