Duffields (South West) Mill Expansion Project
Comments Off on Duffields (South West) Mill Expansion ProjectDuffields South West have recently completed an expansion project at a cost of £2 Million.
The expansion will future proof the mill and gain some much-needed extra capacity (Approx. 25,000t) to ensure we can meet customer demand for now and the future.
The project was split into a 3-phase programme starting in April 2019.
Phase 1
Phase 1 of the project was to create six extra new finished product storage bins within our out-loading structure. The six new bins are located directly above the weighbridge and have a holding capacity of 30 Tons each or just over an artic load of feed. This has increased our overall finished feed storage to 560 Tons. The bins and transfer system are capable of loading an artic in less than 20 minutes which improves our turnaround time between loads.
Phase 2
Phase 2 of the project began in September 2019 and was completed in April 2020.
It comprises of a new stand-alone Raw Material storage structure housing ten Raw Material bins, a three Ton batch Weigher and transfer system. The ten bins have a holding capacity of 40-50 Tons dependent on the density of the material. This has increased our overall Raw Material storage capacity to approximately 1200 Tons or 42 artic loads! This has had a positive impact on planning raw material intake and will ensure we can cope with demand.
Phase 3
Phase 3 took a lot of planning and was the most expensive phase of the project. We have removed our double pelleting system which comprised of three pellet Presses, a conditioning system and a horizontal Cooler which produced an average of 8 tons per hour.
In place we have installed one giant pellet Press costing £320k, an Expander to condition the feed and a counterflow Cooler which collectively are capable of producing 16 Tons an hour!
The new Expander machine is designed to impart mechanical energy to the feed and break down the structure of the raw materials to use the natural starch and oils to bind the feed, thus presenting a plasticine like product to the Press to be pelleted.
This will allow us to combine the more challenging raw materials and ensure we achieve a good quality finished product.
