Cannington Enterprises - tackling new conveying applications

Cannington Enterprises is a family-owned business with its origins in agriculture. Successful diversification into the cold storage business, several decades ago, led the company to more recently consider further expansion into the "green energy" market. As a result it now operates three anaerobic digesters. These convert waste from a number of sources, including food waste from the cold storage business, into biogas. Today the amount of fuel produced far exceeds that required for the on-site cold storage facility and in fact generates up to 1.5 MW of electricity, enough to power 3000 houses, which is fed back into the national grid.

Guttridge has provided Cannington Enterprises with a number of conveying systems that robustly and reliably transport their mixed waste streams, which include food complete with packaging materials. Blowers were initially considered for material transport but the feed is simply so variable that this approach is impractical. In contrast, mechanical conveying comprising enclosed, troughed screw conveyors has proven highly reliable, and in combination with the hoppers and screw dischargers also supplied, provides a reliable integrated solution. Indeed these systems have been so successful that the company has ordered similar equipment for a second processing line.

Building for the future

Engineering conveying solutions that deliver, whether for a completely new material or for better performance, relies on applying experience, understanding and commercial know-how. Companies with the right blend of skills innovate systems that over the long term ensure reliable, trouble-free operation, and therefore bring considerable value to those investing in material handling equipment.