Céréco improves the unloading of its fillings
The specialist producer of co-extruded organic breakfast cereal ranges for children has changed to a larger drum packaging format for its fillings .
Céréco has been producing bio breakfast cereals at its Domagné site ( Ille-et- Vilaine , France ) since 1991 . Backed by the Triballat Noyal group since 2017 , the company is seeing double-digit growth and is continuing to develop within various sub-segments .
The most recent of these , co-extruded children ’ s cereals , has regularly grown in volume . So much so that the annual volume of fillings used ( principally chocolate ) has increased eightfold between 2010 and 2018 .
“ The fillings were delivered in 10 to 25 kg buckets then manually emptied into a buffer hopper next to the extruder . The operators could no longer keep up with the higher production rates . What is more , we also wished to limit our use of plastics . It is for that reason that we switched to 250 kg metal drums ,” explains Eric Bruncher , Industrial Production Manager .
For emptying the new drums , Céréco called upon its partner Immequip , a process conveying and extrusion peripheral equipment specialist .
GRACO : A FULL RANGE OF SANITARY PUMPS AND UNLOADING EQUIPMENT Immequip is a Graco distributor , and under the brand name SaniForce ® 2.0 , Graco offers a complete portfolio of sanitary pumps and unloading equipment for the food , beverage and personal care industries .
The range is designed to handle the most difficult materials quickly and safely . It
54 FDPP - www . fdpp . co . uk includes air- and electric-operated double diaphragm pumps , electric-operated drum pumps , and piston transfer pumps . Beside these stand-alone pumps , it also includes drum and bin unloaders .
The SaniForce ® 2.0 line is ideal for a multitude of applications in various industries such as :
• Food : Low to high viscosity ingredients including juices and flavored drinks , salad dressings & condiments , sauces , edible oils , snack food flavorings , frostings , beer & wine , caramels & chocolate syrups , jams & fruit fillings , tomato paste , peanut butter , and more .
• Personal care : Lotions & creams , cosmetics , and high care food .
• Dairy : Yogurt , cottage cheese , ice cream ingredients .
• Meat and poultry .
• Pharma : Medical creams & lotions , organic reagents , blood products , bio pharmaceuticals , alcohol and solvent transfer .
AIR-OPERATED FOR EASY SERVICEABILITY Immequip decided that the most appropriate product for the Céréco application was a Graco SaniForce Drum Unloader which includes a SaniForce 5:1 piston pump with a follower plate and an inflatable wiper seal on a stainless steel 4-wheel cart . Mounted on the cart , the drum feeds a buffer hopper . The pump guarantees a 99 % evacuation rate .
At the end of the emptying process , the plastic bag lining the inside of the drum is pressed to ensure maximum filling product recovery . Three flexible hoses carry the product from the hopper to the extrusion head . “ After three months of operation , this system is proving to be reliable and simple to operate . It presents the advantage of being air-operated , which avoids many washing restrictions due to the absence of electricity ,” observes Eric Bruncher .
A COMPANY COMMITTED TO ORGANIC PRODUCTS AND SUSTAINABILITY Far from being trivial , the switch from plastic buckets to metal drums is yet another illustration of the environmental strategy implemented by Céréco since its creation .
For example , in June 2015 Céréco obtained the Bioentreprisedurable ( organic sustainable company ) label . This is a Corporate Social Responsibility initiative supported by SYNABIO , the national association of organic food companies , processors and distributors . It has more than 210 members , mainly SMEs , and supports its members on regulatory , quality , sector structuring and CSR issues . Céréco ’ s latest initiative is to recycle all its waste . “ This has led to the setting-up of a specific processing stream for the metal drums ,” adds Eric Bruncher .
The approach is also reflected in the ecological design of the latest extension built on the production site at Domagné . The building is constructed using ecological materials such as wood for the cladding or hemp for the thermal insulation . It supports 1,360 m2 of photovoltaic panels , and a rainwater harvesting system has also been installed .
If you would like further information on Graco ’ s portfolio of sanitary pumps and unloading equipment for the food , beverage and personal care industries , check out the relevant product webpage : www . graco . com / saniforceline or contact Bart Clerx at bart . clerx @ graco . com who will be delighted to discuss your specific requirements .