Animal Feed

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Solutions For Tricky Level Measurement Challenges

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The ultimate Guide: When things get a little tricky!
TDR - Allrounder for Solids & Liquids

Continuous level measurement between double filling: Optimum echo quality & dust-tight design make it possible

Many an inconspicuous component part can quickly become a problem if it does not function reliably. In the case of level monitoring, for example, cost-causing silo overfilling or running empty, which can result in a production standstill, are avoided. In order to integrate sensors perfectly into plants, the highest process compatibility is required for the individual production stages, as well as a certified design. For an animal feed producer in Chile, it should also be a non-contact measurement technology for the storage of powdered raw materials, which operates under high dust generation during the dynamic filling process.

When configuring a suitable sensor system for the plant operator, the focus was on process reliability, durability and simplicity. Furthermore, the requirements for the special installation situation had to be taken into account.

Capacitance level measurement in blender for animal feed production: Precise media detection for adhering raw materials

The animal feed manufacturer Sano – Moderne Tierernährung GmbH has been installed the integral version of the capacitance Capanivo^® CN 7100 limit sensor for his blending processes. With its reliable media detection and short reaction time, the sensor helps to ensure the correct mixing proportion of the individual components, the homogeneous distribution and also the lasting quality of the end product. About 50-100 kg of liquid components of the most different liquid media are added to about 3 tons of solid content. These are injected into the mixing container within one minute by a special injection device. For this purpose, the various liquids are injected from storage tanks or mobile containers (GRP), with a pressure of up to 5 bar, into the mixing container via a distributor attached to the mixer.

Mechanical, non-contact or guided microwave

Modern, high-quality technologies ensure a continuous stress-free manufacturing process in plants. When it comes to detecting fill levels in silos and material processing operations, sensors with a high degree of compatibility for different process containers provide the optimum support. Depending on the processing stage, the material to be controlled can be of very different nature and place different demands on the measurement technology to be used. The UWT range offers capacitive measurement technology, transducers as well as mechanical solutions for use in solids and liquids.

Easy installation and automatic calibration

A fish feed manufacturer based in Denmark was looking for a consistently precise, yet simple, user-friendly level monitoring for its fish oil storage tanks. In addition to being used as a lubricant, leather tanning and, due to its omega-3 fats, as a food supplement, fish oil is mainly used in the manufacture of pet food and for aquaculture. Fish farming, as a rapidly growing global industry, necessitates plant operators to continuously optimize their production technologies and processes. In the storage processes, the robust, capacitive RF rod probe proved to be the optimal solution for the fish feed manufacturer thanks to the precise surface detection and automatic calibration capabilities of the device.

A win – win situation: Silo management for grain mills and their customers

In Germany alone there are more than 260 large flour mills, in Asia the grain market is significantly greater and a very important industry. All around the world the situation is similar: Well-planned routes and carefully calculated stock levels are vital to achieve max. cost optimization during the material delivery process, however these are more than often jeopardized by daily reality. Bakeries, the customers of the mills, often place their orders to late and the mills are faced with having to supply material immediately in order to avoid production stop at the bakeries. This leads to unnecessary logistics costs caused by multiple deliveries and ultimately to an increase in costs for sides, the supplier and the customer. This is obviously in no one's interest. But why are we confronted with these “fire-fighting” situations and how can they be avoided?

Different project planning options for plant operators with vibrating rod or vibrating fork

When projecting the equipment with measurement technology for plants around the globe, technicians and engineers have noticed that in recent years there has been a noticeable increase in demand for more compact limit switches that have a very high level of compatibility worldwide. There is a demand for measuring solutions that are characterised by common technical features and can be used in very many applications without much configuration effort. Compact, robust single-bars are preferred, for example for small containers in material-processing operations. One design that has become established on international markets has very small connection threads and works according to the vibration principle.

When does level measurement comes into play?

The production of high quality animal feed and pet food is an important economic growth sector worldwide. As well as livestock feed, this sector also includes pet and sports animal nutrition. Consequently, there is enormous diversity of the end-products: feed for the agricultural sector, livestock such as cattle, horses and poultry; for dairy cattle and feed for breeding animals (e.g. in fisheries) as well as bird and rodent feed. So therefore, the pet food segment can be defined as being made up of nutrition for animals such as dogs, cats or reptiles. Errors that occur in the processing plant during conveying, storing mixing or pelletizing can rarely be offset or rectified at the next processing stage. There the level sensor is an indispensable element of the technical equipment within a modern feed production plant for the detection and monitoring of levels and limit levels. From the large variety of different principles and sensor types the choice of the appropriate measurement instrument is not always an easy job.