Conventional and Organic Custom Petfood Feed Mill Expansion

CLIENT
Lortscher Agri Service, Inc.

Ibberson was awarded the contract for the batch system expansion and conversion center addition at an operating conventional and organic custom petfood feed mill. The expansion significantly increased the mill’s capacity to combine and weigh ingredients prior to mixing. The conversion center addition allowed the bulk material to be packaged in 1-ton tote bags.

The batch system expansion added twenty storage bins for an increase storage capacity in excess of 38,000 cubic feet. The conversion center addition consisted of four new storage bins for an increase storage capacity in excess of 7,000 cubic feet. Both sets of bins were constructed of Scott Equipment “Smooth-Wall” modular steel panels. The storage bins utilized near-mass-flow hopper design, providing first-in, first- out material flow, and new screw feeders to feed their respective gathering hoppers.

Both sets of bins were supplied with a new drag conveyor and/or pneumatic material handling system that tied into the plant’s existing receiving system.

The batch system expansion integrated a gathering hopper, scale and drag conveyor into a single component that allowed for compact and efficient design to take advantage of the limited space available for expansion of the existing facility.

Since organic products are an important portion of the client’s business, ease of equipment cleanout and minimization of cross-contamination were a key focus during both the design and construction of the project.