A prominent New Zealand food manufacturer has built a solid reputation over 150 years of producing biscuits, crackers, golden potato chips and nutty bars.
In 2020, the production facility was expanded, designed by Designgroup Architects h + k, to enhance capacity and efficiency. This state-of-the-art facility processes an average of 400 tonnes of potatoes weekly, translating to around 720,000 packets of chips.
The facility boasts industry-leading equipment, including automated machinery on extensive production lines. The processing stages are strategically separated, allowing tailored infrastructure for each phase. Unique challenges were addressed during separating, washing, and cooking stages, where large volumes of liquids are used. The facility is designed to handle daily operations, weekly deep cleans, and significant water dumps, with a focus on recycling waste water for sustainability.
Allproof Industries, specialists in commercial food and beverage production facility drainage, collaborated with the design team to create an optimal drainage system. A ladder grate with a load class C rating (AS3996) was chosen for its ability to withstand heavy machinery operating/passing over it. The ladder grate openings are large which improves hydraulic performance and can remove solids (potatoes) from the floor surface catching them in the sump’s strainer basket, reducing trip hazards.
Channel depth is a factor in waste water catchment and hydraulics. The channels were selected/designed to provide enough capacity to capture the surface waste water so not to cause flooding or safety hazards. Each channel section terminates at a sump, an outlet performs better hydraulically if there is a head of water creating pressure; this increases the flow rate and thus the speed in which waste water is removed from the system. Therefore, the depth of the sump was created to a requested measurement as determined by the hydraulic design.
The drainage system is made from stainless steel as it makes an excellent hygienic material for food processing facilities. It contains no pores, cracks, or open spaces for bacteria, including odour to embed itself in, as it is a self-contained piece of material. Its great mechanical properties mean it’s also resistant to dents and surface defects ensuring the surface remains sealed for hygienic purposes. It is also easy to maintain and clean, ensuring that bacteria doesn’t have an opportunity to grow or spread.
Overall, Allproof manufactured and supplied 69 m of stainless-steel channel drain with 22 sumps either connected to or separate from the channel drain system. This provides an excellent case study of a food manufacturer looking to specialized expertise. By using local knowledge and manufacturers ensured the success of the project, positioning the snack brand to meet growing demand for its product offering.
