BinMaster MultiBob Level Sensor System

BinMaster’s MultiBob inventory management system provides an average bin level from measurements taken by two up to 32 SmartBob2 or SmartBob TS-1 sensors installed on the top of a single bin, tank, silo or flat storage warehouse containing powders, granulars or bulk solid materials. The SmartBob sensors are strategically located in the vessel to monitor critical measuring points and using eBob software, are programmed to measure materials at scheduled time intervals or on demand. The advanced eBob software compiles the measurement data to calculate an average level or headroom and estimated percentage full. 
MultiBob can be used to monitor levels in any storage bin or flat storage warehouse where a single measurement is not adequate to estimate inventory. Each SmartBob sensor precisely and reliably measures in the same location every time, detecting level changes as bins and warehouses are emptied or filled using trucks, loaders or conveyors. Large diameter bins, bins containing materials that tend to pile up, as well as bins with multiple filling and emptying points are common applications for MultiBob. Depending on the number and locations of SmartBob sensors mounted in the bin, the user can use the data to determine conditions such as cone up or cone down, whether there are high and low spots in the bin, and which filling or emptying points they want to target in multiple-fill, multiple-discharge point bins.

In addition to multiple point measurement, the advanced eBob software allows the user to add a strapping table to the bin parameters to further personalize the data for a particular bin. Strapping tables are helpful when the material in the bin tends to compact, which makes the bulk density of the material greater at the bottom of the bin than the top. In a non-linear vessel, the addition of a strapping table will improve the estimated volume of material in the tank.

About BinMaster
BinMaster is a division of Garner Industries – an ISO 9001:2008 certified company established in 1953 and headquartered in a 75,000 square foot manufacturing facility in Lincoln, Nebraska, USA. BinMaster is strategically focused on designing, manufacturing and marketing reliable, proven sensoring devices for the measurement of bulk solid and liquid materials for the feed and grain, food, plastics, pulp & paper, power, mining, and concrete industries. The BinMaster product line is sold worldwide and features many diverse technologies for bin level indication and measurement, being well known for its SmartBob2 and 3DLevelScanner advanced inventory management solutions. For more information about BinMaster, visit www.binmaster.com

This blog is written by Martin Little, The Global Miller, published and supported by the GFMT Magazine and the International Milling Directory from Perendale Publishers. To get your copy of  'PPLAPP' click here.

Viterra sells US and Canadian feed mills

Viterra the Canadian grain handlers company has entered into a deal with a new company Hi-Pro-Feeds, selling its Canadian and North American livestock operations. The sale includes six feed mills and one pre-mix manufacturing plant in Canada, and six feed mills and a commodity blending site in the United States.

 “The company will continue to look for opportunities to grow its processing portfolio in industries where it can achieve scale and influence and this divestment will allow us to focus our capital on areas of greatest strategic impact,” president and chief executive officer Mayo Schmidt said in a release. Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little, The Global Miller, published and supported by the GFMT Magazine and the International Milling Directory from Perendale Publishers. To get your copy of  'PPLAPP' click here.

Press Release: Insta-Pro International® and Alfa Laval Join Forces

Insta-Pro International and Alfa Laval Inc. have announced an agreement for Insta-Pro to distribute Alfa Laval decanters and represent Alfa Laval’s process engineering packages for the vegetable oil industry. At the same time, Alfa Laval will be generating activities for Insta-Pro’s oilseed crushing systems. “There is an excellent fit between Alfa Laval’s world-known oil refining process technology and Insta-Pro’s recognised expertise in crushing and extrusion systems,” said Kevin Kacere, Insta-Pro President and Chief Executive Officer. “We expect this partnership to make it easier for our customers to find the complete processing solution with one call.”

Now, customers with process technology needs will be able to contact either Alfa Laval or Insta-Pro International to access equipment and technical guidance from both companies. “We foresee excellent potential from harnessing our companies’ strengths together,” commented John Piazza, Market Unit Manager at Alfa Laval Inc. “We share common business strategies centered around quality equipment and technical expertise second to none in our industries. “While both companies have a significant global presence, Insta-Pro is poised to help Alfa Laval reach the oil refining needs of the small to medium sized enterprises.” “This should be a ‘win-win’ for Insta-Pro, Alfa Laval and most importantly our customers.” Alfa Laval is a leading global provider of specialised products and engineering solutions based on its key technologies of heat transfer, separation and fluid handling.

As an innovative partner to industries that handle all types of vegetable fats and oils, Alfa Laval offers the standard setting PX range of high-speed separators, market-leading range of decanters and heat transfer technology including condensers and evaporators. In addition, they offer complete oil processing solutions including the groundbreaking SoftColumn continuous deodoriser, and the new SoftFlex semi-continuous deodoriser. Insta-Pro International manufactures and promotes extrusion and oilseed processing technologies worldwide. With a presence in over 100 countries, Insta-Pro International’s chemical-free, environmentally friendly technologies provide safe, efficient and effective solutions for the food and feed industries.

This blog is written by Martin Little, The Global Miller, published and supported by the GFMT Magazine and the International Milling Directory from Perendale Publishers. To get your copy of  'PPLAPP' click here.

Biomin gets US patent for its innovative symbiotic poultrystar

Biomin was granted US patent protection for its multi-species synbiotic Poultrystar, a growth promotion solution. Poultrystar combines live strains of the genus Enterococcus, Pediococcus, Lactobacillus and Bifodbacterium with prebiotic fructooligosaccharides, designed to  promote beneficial gut microflora in day-old chicks and birds of all ages, making them more resistant to pathogens.

“The unique probiotic strains in PoultryStar were isolated from the gut of healthy chickens making them host specific, and safe and efficacious for use as a feed additive for poultry," said Michaela Mohnl, product manager for probiotics within Biomin. "Importantly, the PoultryStar strains were selected from different parts of the chicken intestinal tract to ensure their reproduction and colonisation throughout most of the gut,” she added. Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little, The Global Miller, published and supported by the GFMT Magazine and the International Milling Directory from Perendale Publishers. To get your copy of 'PPLAPP' click here.

The GRAPAS Award made this week in Bangkok

The GRAPAS Award made this week in Bangkok, Thailand at the Victam Asia Exhibition acknowledged the contributions in innovation made by four companies submitting products for consideration; two were ‘highly commended’ and two ‘commended’.

Dutch equipment manufacturer, Van Aarsen received a ‘highly commented’ award for its ‘Automatic Screen Exchange for GD Hammer Mills.

Van Aarsen receiving their award

“Automatic screen exchange on a hammer mill is a distinct advance on normal operating practice and which will improve overall feed milling plant operating efficiency and safety. Screen changing is typically a laborious procedure which this innovation will address. The animal feed industry can achieve improvements in its utilisation of plant by applying this device,” the judges stated in their summing up.

Alco coming ‘highly commented’ was the Batch Call Optimiser from Norvidan Overseas A/S of Denmark.

“Plant control systems which optimise the utilisation of the plant are of ever increasing significance. Norvidan are offering an impressive facility to ensure the optimum use of  parallel lines of a process to ensure maximum output and thus best economic return,” the judges said.

Commended
The two companies receiving a commendation for their submissions were the Morillon company of France for its All-in-one Hydrascrew and the Queue-plus Software for Feed Plants by the Thai company Agentis Innovation. The hydraulic drive for the HydraScrew discharge screw is advantageous due to its good torque characteristics – “a commendable innovation with fairly wide opportunities for application as flat-bottomed storage grows in importance.,” said the judges.

“Queue-plus, as described, is an innovative software development which will provide material benefits for the feed miller and his customers of bagged products. A reduction in traffic congestion and turnaround time resulting from the improvements in scheduling is a major objective for a plant operator, concluded the judges.

This blog is written by Martin Little, The Global Miller, published and supported by the GFMT Magazine and the International Milling Directory from Perendale Publishers. To get your copy of  'PPLAPP' click here.

FOSS wins the Asian GRAPAS Award for 2012

January 15, 2012 – Bangkok, Thailand: The winner of the 2012 GRAPAS Innovation Award has gone to the Foss company from Denmark at the Victam Asia exhibition held this week at the BITEC centre in Bangkok, Thailand.

Darren Robey, represented FOSS at the award ceremony receiving his award from Mr Roger  Gilbert

The ProFoss Online Analysis has true in-line capability has very great potential, said the judging panel. It was the product that swept the pool of innovations coming from the grain milling industry and on display at the exhibition.

GRAPAS is the name given to an exhibition within an exhibition on flour, grain, rice and pasta milling. The judges said the application of effective on-line instrumentation linked to control systems can make a very large contribution to the profitability of a continuous process industry.

“Most cereal-related industries for both human food and animal feed milling are continuous processes.

“The ProFoss appears to offer a significant improvement on previous online instrumentation. Although it uses well-proven NIR technology it offers great practical and functional advantages by virtue of its ability to continuously measure parameters of cereal grains and ground products without interruption to the product flow. This true in-line capability has very great potential.”

The award was presented by Roger Gilbert Perendale Publishers Limited.

The runner up was Buhler AG of Switzerland with its Dolomit rollermill.

“The rollermill is the basic principles of the four and eight rollermill have been established for over a century. Nevertheless, the incremental improvements in design, materials and manufacture have resulted in enormous gains in efficiency,” added the judges.

Runner Up Buhler AG

“The Dolomit rollermill offered provides a ‘state of the art’ product which can be applied across a broad spectrum of the milling of cereals for both human food and, to a lesser extent, animal feed.

“In addition to its claimed practical merits the Dolomit rollermill has good aesthetic design which will suit it for modern food manufacture.”

Overall the judges acknowledged the “interesting selection of products has been submitted for judging this year.

“Although each of the products offered for judging provide clear benefits and advantages to one or more milling processes, they are generally the result of evolutionary improvements and are not in themselves truly revolutionary.

“It is our recommendation therefore that in judging, weighting is also given to the breadth of fields in which they can be applied. The recommended winner and runner-up are both products that can be applied to a wide range of milling sectors and thus they will thereby contribute more to the industry as a whole.” The panel stated.

This blog is written by Martin Little, The Global Miller, published and supported by the GFMT Magazine and the International Milling Directory from Perendale Publishers. To get your copy of  'PPLAPP' click here.

The Milling awards at Victam 2012 images

The winner of the Victam ‘Award for Milling’ GRAPAS Asia 2012 went to FOSS presented by Roger Gilbert of Perendale Publishers Ltd

Victam ‘Award for Milling’ GRAPAS Asia 2012 Runner-up Buhler AG, Switzerland
Dolomit Rollermill

Victam ‘Award for Milling’GRAPAS Asia 2012 Highly Commended Van Aarsen International, The Netherlands Automatic Screen Exchange for GD Hammermill






Runner up: TAT Energy And Engineering Co,Ltd.

Mr Roger Gilbert from Perendale Publishers Ltd, presented the awards to the, winners FOSS, second place to Bulher AG, he also presented Van Aarsen International with the highly commended award, and runners up TAT Energy And Engineering Co,Ltd.

This blog is written by Martin Little, The Global Miller, published and supported by the GFMT Magazine and the International Milling Directory from Perendale Publishers. To get your copy of 'PPLAPP' click here.