Rice is a versatile product and is eaten around the world. Often conveyed in raw form but it can also be conveyed parboiled for applications such as dog food. It is a fragile material that when conveyed incorrectly can suffer from product degradation. Read more about reducing product degradation in our blog here. In this blog we discuss which conveying systems are best for conveying rice.
Flexible Screw Conveyors
The flexible screw conveyor uses a long metal spiral inside a plastic tube to move the product along and up the tube. It is perfect for conveying through walls, up at an angle and even around corners. This flexible screw conveyor is perfect for conveying rice when it is parboiled and already premixed as it will maintain a continuous blend. The spiral constantly remixes the product as it conveys so the rice will stay evenly spaced throughout your mixture. However, it is not the most gentle conveyor and while it is great for moving uncooked rice or mixtures, it may damage a product like parboiled rice on its own.
Read our case study on how a flexible screw conveyor moves rice to a packing machine: Case Study 1005
Aeromechanical Conveyors
This conveyor operates with evenly spaced polyurethane discs attached by a cable and travel at high-speeds to creates an air stream which will convey rice along the tubes. This is an efficient way of transporting a fragile product like rice as it is a gentle conveyor which also offers total containment so any dust created by the rice will be contained within the conveyor. The aeromechanical conveyor is ideal for transporting food products because it is made of stainless steel and is extremely easy to clean which will reduce cross-contamination if you need to change batches.
Read our case study on how we installed an aeromechanical to move rice and dried peas: Read case study 1019
Tubular Drag with a Cable and Disc
The tubular drag conveyor is possibly the best method of conveying a fragile product such as rice, parboiled rice, rice mixes and specialty rice as it is the most gentle conveyor. It operates similarly to the Aeromechanical conveyor however not air flow is produced, the cable and discs simply drag the rice along the tube. It is a hygienic conveyor which makes it ideal for conveying food products such as rice and particularly parboiled rice. It is a standout product for anyone conveying rice which faces cross-contamination issues from changes batches as the system can self-clean. This conveyor system also comes with our patented DART or dynamic automatic rope tensioner which can extend the cable life which will reduce breakdowns of the machine and save you money.
Conclusion
There are several types of mechanical conveyor which are suitable for conveying rice and as always it will depend on your specific rice application. Whether it is conveying raw rice grains for cooking, a mix of products containing rice, or parboiled rice ready for packing we can advise on which conveyor is most suitable for you. We have the broadest conveyor range in our industry so we can be truly objective on which conveyor is best for your application – we won’t just sell you a cable drag conveyor because that is all we sell!
As the demand for rice increases around the world you will need the best system in terms of efficiency and cleanliness and Spiroflow have the expertise to advise you on what will work best. If you are looking to convey rice then get in touch with us today: Contact Us
