Guttridge Conveyors, Elevators, and Dischargers improve efficiency

A Whole New System

When dry pet food manufacturers Fold Hill wanted to increase flexibility in its packing plant, they looked for an innovative solution. Guttridge engineers provided the machinery to do just this: a feed distribution system that can take any of Fold Hill's product range to any of its packing stations. It means that over 40 different supply routes are now possible within the plant, with route selection quick and easy through a new control system.

Guttridge were chosen to supply the equipment needed for the project, including shrouded and soft flight/angleveyor chain conveyors, elevators and dischargers. The factory manager had a number of aims which the new custom system had to meet:

• The system would have to improve flexibility within the factory
• Easy to clean down machinery to minimise downtime between product changeovers
• High standards of cleanliness, with cross contamination issues an important consideration
• Rapid installation of the new system to limit downtime
• Minimised product damage

The Benefits

The custom built machines come with a number of benefits:

• Unique 'self clean' elevator boots, manufactured under a licence agreement with Game Engineering obviate the need to clean down and so minimise any factory downtime
• The conveyors are designed so that they can be run at relatively slow speeds in order to maintain the product quality and minimise degradation

Rapid Turnaround and Ongoing Support

Fold Hill were naturally keen to get the new equipment in place as quickly as possible, so everyone involved in the project worked hard to make it happen. Guttridge were asked to meet a demanding production schedule. Once this was done, installation staff worked through a weekend and overnight so that there would be no loss in production at the factory. For Guttridge, the project is the latest in a series for the pet-food sector. "We have supplied a number of companies in the industry in the past few years," says Peter Lambert, Sales Director. "It's an area that fits well in our portfolio. Not only do we understand the needs of the companies we supply, but we also bring our experience of other high-cleanliness environments such as the general food sector and the pharmaceuticals industry.