Weighing up quality and quantity

Short batch runs and strict hygiene can hinder high manufacturing efficiency. In a conventional pharmaceutical plant, for example, one batch per shift is typical.

However, at its dry powder blending and packing facility in Suzhou, China, Stern Ingredients is able to change recipes in less than an hour - without any hygienic compromise. This results in very low processing cost per kilogram.

Stern achieves these results by harnessing smart design features combined with the ‘parallel processing’ concept. Matcon assisted Stern with an initial concept design for its facility, as well as providing all handling and processing equipment.

The Matcon IBC Blender.

In China, demand is growing for flour standardisation and fortification as the downstream market, such as bakeries and biscuit producers, is evolving from artisanal towards industrial ventures, where reliable and predictable behaviour of raw materials is a necessity. Consumers are also increasing their demands for increased safety and transparency, especially staple foods like noodles and bread.

Stern opted to establish a local operation in China, as importing ingredients and compounds from Germany was not viable and a local production facility was considered essential. With this, Stern Ingredients (Suzhou) Co., Ltd was born.

Stern wanted to assure the highest possible quality by installing state-of-the-art equipment and solutions for operations at the Suzhou facility. It was, however, a tough compromise between quality and investment, since initial production volumes were forecast to be low.

Close-up of the Matcon powder packer.

Local and global equipment suppliers were evaluated, with the final decision in favour of UK-based Matcon, which has a local team in Shanghai. Matcon’s powder handling system had a higher capital cost than local alternatives but its ‘lean manufacturing’ philosophy not only meant that plant efficiency would be high, it also allowed Stern to begin with a moderate initial investment and add further process modules as demands increased.

Stern offers a variety of proprietary compounds as well as contract manufacturing, involving an almost endless number of ingredients. Strict operator procedures combined with accurate weighing equipment assure a ‘right first time’ approach. The formulated ingredients are placed on a batch pallet and taken to a dedicated tipping room. The batch is transferred into an intermediate bulk container (IBC) which is check-weighed to confirm that all ingredients are present. For quality assurance purposes, all ingredients are sieved and passed through a metal detector during the IBC Filling operation.

The facility uses the IBC Blending concept, which ensures the powder stays inside the IBC during the blending cycle - no transfer is required. Once the 360° tumble mixing operation is complete, the IBC is unloaded from the mixing cage and moved to the packing area in its entirety. There is nothing to clean in relation to the mixer, which is immediately ready to process the next batch - even if it contains a totally different batch recipe. Matcon says this can be done with absolutely no risk of cross-contamination from the mixer.

Sack Tip arrangement with sieve and magnet.

The building design, combined with equipment choice and operator procedures, results in a plant that meets stringent food and pharmaceutical production legislation. Stern was amongst the first to receive the highest credits in China’s new and demanding hygiene audits.

Still in the first year of operation, Stern has started production with a focus on specific key accounts, as well as emphasis on product quality over quantity. Hence, production volumes will stay below 1000 MT pa. Due to rapid growth, capacity utilisation is increasing fast. Fortunately, the nature of the IBC Blending concept and parallel processing philosophy means that the system is easy and cost-effective to scale up.

Additional packing suites may be employed, while still using the existing IBC Blender to produce up to four batches per hour. Stern is therefore well prepared to fulfil orders from the most demanding Chinese customers, as well as international companies aiming to ease their way into the market using contract manufacturing.

Matcon has supplied numerous systems of varying sizes to different manufacturing industries in China in recent years. Armed with these references and a local qualified and dedicated team, Matcon expects China will become its largest market in the coming years.