Mepaco's Clean Sweep Surge Loader offers a solution that mechanically clears food product between batches on surge loading applications.
In the animation, paddles sweep the sides of the tub and continually push product into the feed screw.
The spin ridge keeps product from barreling, maintaining positive conveyance until the food product is completely unloaded.
This solution reduces food waste and eliminates the need for personnel to have to manually clear product.
The Clean Sweep Surge Loader has been engineered for prepared foods, ground or trim meat products. The design is modified to meet the requirements of the application. Some of the options include different agitator configurations, customized safety grating, load cells, pneumatic covers on the screw conveyor discharge and electropolished food contact surfaces.
The Mepaco group has expertise in manufacturing screw conveyor systems for many food industries and applications. The articulating screw conveyor is part of the customizable product offering that includes screw feeders and surge loaders.
In the video, the articulating screw conveyor is animated to demonstrate:
These articulating conveyors have been designed with different pivot configurations, CIP (clean-in-place) capabilities, pneumatically controlled safety grating and covers, and electropolished food contact surfaces.
For more information, download Mepaco’s screw conveyor systems brochure.
This surge loader was engineered to accept up to 4000 lbs. of bulk food product with metered delivery to downstream operations. In this design, the hopper is offset from the discharge screw, which allows a “clean sweep” of the agitator against the hopper preventing product bridging. During the FAT (Factory Acceptance Test), 99% of the product was discharged.
The standard Clean-Sweep Surge Loader system was modified to include load cells, contoured auger covers and electropolished internal surfaces. These options provided the customer with efficiencies that met their production goals and floor layout requirements. The system was used to meter IQF (Individual Quick Frozen) meats and vegetables to downstream processes.
The system equipment will be controlled to meter the product depending on the recipe and demand from downstream processes.
The internal surfaces on the surge loader and the dumper were electropolished. The customer made the investment in the highly sanitary finish to increase sanitation efficiencies and to reduce risk of bacterial attachment.
Contoured covers were also used on the auger screw conveyor, which allowed for an increased incline angle and minimized footprint. The contoured covers allow for a full 360 degree wrap around the discharge auger assuring positive product flow.
Safety features include safety grating over the hopper and the discharge auger for safe maintenance and sanitation processes. The discharge auger drive assembly includes a coupler that allows for safe and easy maintenance for gearbox or auger replacement.
Visit Screw Conveyors and Surge Loaders.
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