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Favorite Brands International, Inc.

"Blo-Thru" VIBROSCREEN Sweetens Confectioner's Results

KENDALLVILLE, IN—Engineering Manager Mike Hitchcock of Favorite Brands International, Inc. realized that if demand continued to increase for their food products, the company would need a sifter with greater capacity. The new sifter would have to maintain quality at higher production rates as it removed impurities and hardened lumps from the sugar arriving by rail car at their manufacturing facility in Kendallville, Indiana. Hitchcock needed a sturdy, high capacity screen separator for operation under adverse conditions. Rail cars arrive at all hours, filled with bulk sugar that has been jostled through many miles of travel, and must rapidly be sifted before it can be processed into marshmallows, caramels and other confections and foodstuffs. Favorite would need a new sifter that could withstand long runs under difficult conditions.

Hitchcock investigated the options designed for use with Favorite Brands' pneumatic conveying line. After reviewing the designs and performance characteristics of several brands of circular screen sifters, he selected a 60" (1530 mm) diameter Kason stainless steel Pneumati-Sifter vibratory separator.

Its rugged features include heavy gauge materials and welded construction. In addition, the design of the bearings in the gyrator motor makes it ideal for this application. Kason design engineers insure the required reliability with oversized bearings designed specifically for vibrating screeners, and for use with performance-tested high pressure lubricants. The heavy duty double spherical top roller bearing withstands high vibratory stresses, providing long life.

Hitchcock worked with Kason's design engineers, and chose to include a vibrating ball tray in the selected unit because screen blinding is a common problem when working with sugar. Repeated impacts from the balls on the tray, positioned beneath the screen, all but eliminate the problem. Also important in this installation is the fact that the Kason Pneumati-Sifter vibratory separator operates efficiently with 6 to 8 pounds of pressure which is standard for their existing pneumatic conveying line.

One of the concerns in selecting a sifter for this application was its ability to withstand the intermittent high capacity requirements of the unloading operation. The Kason separator needs to operate automatically on call from the rail car pneumatic unloading system. Demand may come at any time of day or night, any day of the week.

The proof for Favorite Brands International is in the performance. Since installation the Kason unit, equipped with a 10 mesh screen, has removed the pea-sized hardened lumps and foreign materials that may be present in each railcar-load of sugar the company uses. Since it has the capacity to handle 45,000 pounds (20,400 kg) of bulk sugar per hour, it will meet Favorite Brands International's needs for some time to come.

Screen Tips - Volume 12, Number 2 Fall 1997

 

 
 
 
Sixty Inch ‘Blo-Thru' VIBROSCREEN at Favorite Brands International includes a vibrating ball tray to eliminates screen blinding. Operating with 6 to 8 lbs. Of pressure in the pneumatic line, the unit can handle 45,000 lbs. Of bulk sugar per hour.