Updated 4/1/21 An uptick in the manufacturing economy, reduction of COVID restrictions, COVID vaccine availability and the Suez Canal crisis have made material sourcing and parts management unpredictable. Apache’s material supply in stainless sheet and plate are produced in the United States. Pipes, fittings, and electrical components are often produced overseas. Further, some components such as motors and gear boxes may require parts from foreign suppliers to manufacture their products. In 2020, many material suppliers and component manufacturers depleted inventory to manage budget during shutdowns and slow economic conditions. Now, these businesses are scrambling with staff and resources to support demand. Apache is being proactive with all sourcing solutions. We are working closely to leverage our relationships and buying power with vendors to manage our sourcing needs. We are looking into other supply partners and manufacturers with flexibility and less dependency on foreign manufacturers. We do not know when the situation will normalize, but we can offer our expertise and advise. If you haven’t done so already, switch from a “Just-In-Time” parts program to a “Just-In-Case” program. Make sure you have long lead items in your parts inventory, so you don’t experience downtime in your critical operations. Long Lead Time Parts:
Please note that even short lead time components are at risk of delays.
For more information, please contact parts@apachestainless.com or call 920-356-7347.
The Metering Screw Conveyor with surge loading capabilities is the key equipment component in this (above) 24/7 formulation line.
In the system above, pre-broken frozen food products (red meat, fish, chicken, vegetables) are delivered to a designated metering screw on a traversing belt which locates the exact drop position. Once the recipe is established and the demand is made, the applicable metering screws deliver product.
Load cells are used to measure product displacement over a given time (loss-in-weight method). Mixers, blenders, or cookers signal for the raw materials in a given SKU, and the surge loading metering screw conveyors will deliver the correct quantity of product required through the primary grinder and then to the batch for final formulation.
Metering screws have versatile designs that are suitable for different food handling requirements:
Metering Screws provide the surge loading benefits required to fulfill production goals in the batch formulation system above. The clean-sweep Metering Screw has an off-set screw agitator designed to clear food product from the hopper between batches. This batch processing line reduced labor and eliminated downtime with continuous, 24/7 large batch production: utilizing real-time material availability and on-demand formulation.
Visit Metering Screw page.
The main reasons that Mepaco Mixers have a legacy in Meat Processing is the Total Cost of Ownership, created by blend accuracy, sanitation efficiencies and proven safety features.
The overlapping paddle blender will guarantee a homogeneous blend that reaches ½% deviation in less than 90 seconds of blending, resulting in:
Mixers are designed to fully discharge contents of each batch which allows for traceability from batch to batch. Electropolished finishes on food contact surfaces creates an ultra-smooth finish that produces efficiencies in sanitation.
Equipment designs, safety grates and safety relays prevent staff from reaching into equipment.
The robust build and workmanship quality, combined with blend accuracy, safety and sanitation performance is why these Mixers are still in operation after 49 years.
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