The Bauckhof mill in Rosche, located in Lower Saxony, is one of Europe's most advanced organic oat mills. A key element of its highly efficient milling technology is the employment of AERZEN positive displacement blowers.
Image Credit: Aerzener Maschinenfabrik GmbH
These robust and low-maintenance Delta Blower packages consistently deliver clean process air throughout their entire lifespan, ensuring maximum availability and optimal energy efficiency.
People who start their day with muesli or porridge do not often question the manufacturing process or the technology involved; their primary concern is the delightful taste. Crafting these nutritious flakes is an intricate skill.
Situated in the quaint village of Rosche, within the Uelzen district of Lower Saxony, lies the new Bauckhof mill operated by Bauck GmbH. The company is recognized as a pioneer among natural food producers and has emerged as a leading player in the organic food market.
The secret behind this success is a combination of unwavering enthusiasm for biodynamic agriculture, a profound passion for top-notch grain products, and enduring partnerships with grain farmers. Quality is the linchpin, not only in the fields but also in the production facilities; premium products are paramount.
An excellent example of this is the AERZEN blower solution. Conveniently, the new mill did not have to source these packages from afar.
Bauck's headquarters in Rosche and the town of Aerzen, where the heart of global player AERZEN beats, are separated by less than 200 kilometers—short, efficient transportation routes that align perfectly with the Bauck philosophy.
The plant commenced operations in late summer 2020, and since then, 21 Delta Blower-type positive displacement blowers have kept the flake production running smoothly.
State-Of-The-Art Technology for 100% Organic
Measuring 25 meters in width, 80 meters in length, and 45 meters in height (spanning eight floors), the new Bauckhof flake mill is an impressive structure. This gluten-free facility encompasses both a fine (flour) and a flake mill, boasting a processing capacity of up to 20,000 tons per year.
In addition to the primary ingredient, oats, sourced preferably from regional organic and Demeter producers, the mill processes millet, brown millet, chickpeas, rice, buckwheat, and maize grits into flakes and flours. Utilizing state-of-the-art sorting, cleaning, grinding, and flocculation technology ensures consistent and superior quality.
A total of 21 AERZEN Delta Blower positive displacement blowers keep the flake production going. Image Credit: Aerzener Maschinenfabrik GmbH
Pneumatic Transport of Salt with AERZEN Technology
To transform grain kernels into finished flakes, seven essential steps must be completed: grain reception, pre-cleaning, fine cleaning, sorting, hulling, gritting (which involves splitting the grain kernels), and flaking. AERZEN's positive displacement blowers play a crucial role in moving materials between these steps.
“The blowers are used in all sections - from transporting the raw oats to the fine cleaning section to filling the flaking section. The pneumatic overhauls with the packages give us a high degree of flexibility with regard to the conveying pipe routing and, thus, the product flow through the plant,” says Alexander Bachur. The mill operations manager adds:
“We have SCHULE Mühlenbau to thank for the AERZEN machines. The latter has been using only these in the mills they design for many years. Our millwright Jan Gausepohl agreed to use it based on his positive experience.”
Jan Gausepohl, a trained process engineer and an independent mill construction engineer with over 20 years of experience in operational roles, has a clear preference for AERZEN.
“AERZEN machines have been with me since my first day at work in 1978. Reliability, longevity, and mileage are simply convincing. I spent many years in Africa. Even under the often extreme operating conditions there, the packages run smoothly. Quality just pays off.”
State-of-the-art sorting, cleaning, grinding and flocculation technology ensures consistent and high quality. Image Credit: Aerzener Maschinenfabrik GmbH
The Longevity of the Delta Blower is Legendary
The Delta blowers, in particular, have earned a reputation for their robust and consistent performance. These highly resilient and durable positive displacement blowers bring over 150 years of experience to the table as the global leader in blower development.
AERZEN produced Europe's first positive displacement blower back in 1868 and remains at the forefront of numerous material conveying processes.
These advanced machines, capable of operating within a pressure range of -500 to 1000 mbar (g), deliver intake volume flows ranging from 30 to 15,000 m³/h and come in various sizes, designs, and special configurations.
They supply completely oil- and absorption material-free conveying air and are recognized for their low-maintenance, user-friendly design. The well-established durability of these machines is not by chance.
AERZEN manufactures all of the core components in-house, from the package to the control system, from concept to engineering and setup, ensuring the high productivity of the machinery.
The Delta Blowers take over the pneumatic transport of the grain kernels, intermediate products and finished flakes. Image Credit: Aerzener Maschinenfabrik GmbH
Downstream of every pipe is a blower, some leading from the ground floor to the eighth floor. The grey pipes supply the raw gas. As soon as food is involved, stainless steel tubes are used (silver). Image Credit: Aerzener Maschinenfabrik GmbH
Absolutely Oil- and Absorption Material-Free Conveying Air
Because the air used for conveying at Bauckhof Mill directly contacts the grain kernels, intermediate products, and transported flakes, it must meet rigorous quality standards.
Any contaminants, like dust, moisture, oils, or microorganisms in the compressed air, can adversely affect product quality and should be rigorously avoided. As a knowledgeable and experienced partner to the food industry, AERZEN comprehends the industry's specific challenges and offers solutions that consistently deliver clean process air.
AERZEN holds ISO 22000 certification, ensures oil-free operation following ISO 8573-1, class 0 standards, and relies on sound suppressors without absorbent materials. This ensures that AERZEN machinery complies with the highest food safety standards and ensures 100% product purity.
The process air is guaranteed to be free from impurities such as oil or abrasion. Pressure losses typical in any process air application, like those from deposits, do not increase over the machines' service life. This minimizes the need for cleaning and maintenance, resulting in secure, pure, dependable, and efficient processes.
Fewer Machine Variants, More Process Reliability
In Rosche, three distinct sizes of positive displacement blowers are employed, amounting to a total of 21 units. This approach carries a significant advantage, as Jan Gausepohl explains:
“Normally, the blowers are precisely matched to the respective process. However, this leads to a large number of different configurations, in our case, it would have been six or seven. Through a variant-reduced design, we get by with half, namely three. The machines within a performance range are interchangeable. This means that another package can simply be used in case of maintenance or repair work. This increases process reliability.”
The 21 Delta Blowers are securely housed in a soundproof room and are neatly arranged in three rows of shelving units. Thanks to a sliding system, they can be conveniently moved in and out using a forklift, ensuring efficiency.
“The blowers are process-relevant for the flake mill. If they don’t work properly, the entire production comes to a standstill,” says the mill architect, emphasizing: “High-quality, reliable and low-maintenance blowers are, therefore, essential for the plant, just as straightforward processes and easy maintenance.”
AERZEN is and Remains First Choice
Since late summer 2020, the AERZEN positive displacement blowers have been in operation at the Bauckhof mill in Rosche and have lived up to their reputation as dependable suppliers of process air.
Alexander Bachur is highly pleased: “Our experience with the AERZEN machines has been very positive throughout. The blowers run day and night continuously without any problems.”
Once a year, the packages are put through their paces by an AERZEN service technician. “The service team does a super job and tries to be flexible with the maintenance to suit our needs. This means that maintenance is fast with minimal downtime in production,” says the mill operations manager happily.
Rosche's production line churns out approximately 154,000 Bauckhof packages daily. This achievement is primarily due to the hardworking Delta Blowers. Without them, grain kernels would not successfully navigate the huge milling plant, which happens to be the largest of its kind in Europe.
For Alexander Bachur, one thing is certain: “For all future projects where pneumatic conveying technology is used, AERZEN is our first choice.”
Delta Blower from AERZEN: First choice for generating pneumatic conveying air. Image Credit: Aerzener Maschinenfabrik GmbH
This information has been sourced, reviewed and adapted from materials provided by Aerzener Maschinenfabrik GmbH.
For more information on this source, please visit Aerzener Maschinenfabrik GmbH.