National Bulk Equipment Fullstream batch processing project

The Fullstream Project is an engineered-to-application batch processing system. It integrates National Bulk Equipment (NBE) dry bulk material handling and bulk liquid handling systems to ensure a slurry is accurately produced, and reliably supplied to downstream food processing operations.

This NBE fullstream project is engineered to comply with the hygienic requirements of the process environment and is built to sanitary design and materials-of-construction specifications.

Beginning upstream, major dry ingredients are introduced into the batch processing operation through controlled supply from the NBE bulk bag discharging system. The NBE bulk bag discharging system provides a dust-tight bag spout connection that encloses the bag spout and the material discharge path, protecting the operator and the surrounding work area from dust escape during material discharge. Material from the bulk bag is discharged directly into the NBE metering hopper.

Based on the recipe of each slurry batch, and controlled by NBE process automation, the major dry ingredient is metered from the hopper into the NBE wetting bowl where the major ingredient enters the project’s secondary liquid flow. Also, upstream, an NBE bag break station enables the operator to introduce minor dry ingredients directly into the wetting bowl and into the secondary liquid flow.

At the midstream stage, the motive action of the secondary liquid flow into the NBE wetting bowl is sufficient to wet the major and minor dry ingredients and facilitate supply of these wetted ingredients into the venturi eductor at the base of the wetting bowl. A separate, primary flow of the liquid ingredient, also received from upstream, is pumped through the venturi eductor. The venturi eductor mixes the wetted dry ingredients with the primary liquid ingredient to produce the slurry to its correct concentration and suspension of solids. The finished slurry is pumped downstream at a rate of 567 L/min to a high-capacity mixing tank.