Operating a beverage or food industry is very demanding in today’s environment. Companies have to meet certain expectations. These embrace those of the CEO and/or Board as well as those of the actual consumers. The mandate is split equally between quality and profit. In order to address this issue, beverage and food producers rely on the capabilities of the latest technology. Specifically, they look at such things as continuous blending and inline delivery systems.
Mixing and Blending
In the beverage and food processing industries, one important component is blending and/or mixing. At this stage, specialized equipment efficiently and effectively blends or mixes the ingredients of the product. This includes items that add:
* Flavor
* Color
* Texture
* Thickness
Of specific importance is continuity. The emerging batch must be identical to preceding and successive ones. If this does not occur, it really does not matter if the ingredients are high quality or the entire process was cost-effective.
Achieving Consistency
Beverage and food industries may purchase and operate one of two basic types of blending systems. These are:
1. Traditional/Batch: This type is the most common. Until the development of the latest brainchild of food/beverage mixing technology, mixing took place in a large vat or similar container. A consistent outcome was never guaranteed. It originally relied on the skill of the operator and his or her collaborators. Automation improved the system in some ways
2. Continuous: Rather than rely on a vat and the skills of the operator, continuous blending turns to technology to blend the various ingredients in a pipe while they travel along a conveyor to the outlet at the end
While both systems are effective, many companies are increasingly aware of the greater consistency derived from continuous rather than batch blending. They perceive this as an opportunity to use technology to give them an operating edge in the beverage and food market.
Choosing Continuous Blending
A continuous blender offers several advantages if correctly installed. Maintenance and upgrading need to be taken into consideration if the blender is to produce accurate and consistent results. It is very important a processing firm choose a continuous blender that is compatible with existing equipment. The firm also needs to make sure it:
* Discharges the material at the proper rate into the blending system
* produces material consistency
* Is reliable
By installing the latest technology, companies can improve their consistency rate. They can reduce the labor force while increasing efficiency in production. By using continuous blending systems, food and beverage companies take a major step towards satisfying their major “shareholders” – the corporate entities who want profit and the consumers who require consistency in quality and taste.
