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Quinlan Pretzel Company

Pretzel Producers Picks CENTRI-SIFTER Sifter for Cleanliness & Trouble-Free Operation

Quinlan Pretzel Company, Denver, PA, had been relying on gravity fed stacks of shaking screens to prevent lumps and foreign materials from entering the dough mixers where ingredients are combined. Since the unit was noisy and dusty, Quinlan Pretzel Production Manager Ken Zvoncheck looked for better alternatives. Cleaning the dust was a time-consuming chore that we could not ignore because if flour accumulates on surfaces, insect infestations may result, he explained. Good Manufacturing practices require screening to meet internal quality control standards, and to ensure customer satisfaction.

After looking at centrifugal sifters in general, he selected the Kason CENTRI-SIFTER, unit because "we believed that the design would meet our needs very well,'. said Zvoncheck. "The ease and speed with which screens can be changed appealed to us as did the dust-free. quiet operation and gentle sifting action," he added. There is also virtually no vibration with the centrifugal sifter. Since it is constructed of stainless steel, it meets the company's need for meeting sanitary standards. In addition, labor requirements declined after switching to the centrifugal sifter, contributing to improved operating efficiency. The CENTRI-SIFTER was one of the few pieces of equipment we purchased that, after the initial setup, we could forget about because of its trouble-free operation, according to Mr. Zvoncheck.

There is no dust problem because a slight pressure blows the winter wheat flour from a silo to the centrifugal sifter where paddles break soft lumps and propel the flour through the 25 mesh monofilament screen. From the centrifugal sifter, the flour travels to dough mixers.

The centrifugal sifter operates 24 hours per day except for weekends and major holidays. In four years of service, the screens have required replacing only once. Moreover, little maintenance is needed - - only routine inspections and greasing of the bearings. There has been no need for seal replacement After switching from the old shaking screen stack, to the centrifugal sifter, Zvoncheck notices it took only half the space but gives twice the capacity .

The Quinlan Pretzel Company's 125 employees produce tasty pretzels for the entire U.S. eastern seaboard. The company is a leading player in the pretzel market.

Screen Tips - Volume 11, Number 2 Summer 1996