Being able to move food ingredients through pipes using just air is what pneumatic conveying achieves in food and drink factories. This system uses air pressure to push or pull materials, such as sugar, coffee beans, flour, and grains, through enclosed pipes and helps to keep food manufacturing clean and efficient. Let’s look at this in more detail.
What is pneumatic conveying?
Pneumatic conveying uses air to move dry ingredients through pipes. The system either pushes materials forward with pressure or pulls them using suction. This lets food manufacturers transport ingredients from storage areas to mixing equipment or packaging stations without workers having to carry or touch the food.
Why food companies use it
Food safety is a top priority for manufacturers and businesses, with pneumatic systems helping to keep ingredients clean. As the materials travel through enclosed pipes, there is less chance of contamination from people or dust. This also means less wasted food, since spills are rare. These systems are also gentle; unlike some mechanical conveyors that might crush food items, pneumatic systems can transport fragile items without damaging them.
Another big advantage is that the pipes can run along walls or ceilings, freeing up floor space in busy working areas. Companies such as www.aptech.uk.com/pneumatic-conveying-systems offer a wide range of pneumatic conveying machinery.
Where they are used
Bakeries use pneumatic conveying to move flour and sugar from storage silos to mixing bowls, and coffee producers transport beans between roasting and packaging areas. Breweries and distilleries move grains such as malt and wheat without damaging them, and snack food makers and confectionery companies rely on these systems to handle ingredients carefully.
When a large bakery switched to pneumatic conveying, it greatly reduced the amount of flour dust in the air and reduced ingredient waste. A distillery also found that its grains stayed in better condition when moved pneumatically, which improved the final product quality.
Food companies always want ways to be more efficient while maintaining their hygiene and quality standards. Pneumatic conveying meets both these requirements.
