A custom provider of coffee and condiments has been using an Aero-Mechanical Conveyor (AMC) from Spiroflow Systems, Inc. in its flavored coffee production operation for the last 14 years, without replacing a single part.
The Model PC3 Aero-Mechanical Conveyor was installed by Spiroflow Systems at the Excelso Coffee & Tea Company at its Norcross, GA production facility in 1994. Operating intermittently 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, the AMC is used to convey flavored coffee from a V-Ribbon blender to a storage hopper for packaging into coffee pouches or packages.
Excelso Coffee & Tea roasts more than 2 million pounds of coffee a year that it packages into hundreds of different blends for distribution to offices, vending machine outlets, and private label sales. This equates to 10,000 pounds or 3 million cups of coffee each day.
“When Excelso called and said they needed a replacement wire rope for the Aero-Mechanical System for the first time in 14 years, we were amazed at the life of the rope,” noted Mathias J. Lee, regional sales manager for Spiroflow Systems. “Normally, these ropes need to be replaced every 5-7 years depending on the application. What’s more phenomenal is the fact that no other replacement part has been required for the machine. This is as much a tribute to Excelso regarding the operation and care of their equipment as it is a testament to the robust construction of the Spiroflow Aero-Mechanical Conveyors.”
Allan Shaw, vice president of Excelso Coffee and Tea Company, recalled that Excelso initially selected the AMC after a thorough analysis of the various suppliers and types of conveying systems.
“We mainly selected Spiroflow because of their years of experience and record for excellent after-sales support,” noted Shaw. “We also needed a totally enclosed system that is dust free and wouldn’t alter the integrity of the flavored coffee. The AMC seemed to be the perfect fit.”
Founded in 1977, Excelso Coffee & Tea uses beans from all over the world, but 20% of the total is 100% Colombian coffee. Premium coffees are custom blended and fresh roasted daily using 100% Arabica coffee beans, and over 100 other sources include locations in Hawaii, Central and South America.
How the Process Works
Unflavored beans at Excelso are prepared in giant roasters, complete with automated computerized programs for each specific roast. Flavored coffee, in which the AMC plays a critical role, is prepared in a small V-Ribbon blender where a syrup-type flavoring is added.
“We provide our customers with the highest quality coffee at the best possible price while delivering excellent service,” noted Shaw. “To do this, we operate a facility where only the best equipment available is used, the most modern procedures are followed, and where quality control is number one.”
The Spiroflow Model PC3 Aero-Mechanical Conveyor plays a critical role in conveying the coffee, after flavoring, to a hopper for storage and eventual packaging.
The AMC installed at Excelso, a 3 in. diameter tubular design, is one of the most efficient methods of conveying materials such as coffee because of its gentle, dust-free, and clean handling properties. Constructed of stainless steel to counter any flavor retention from the previous batch, the machine can be washed with water or other cleaning solution through a valve at the top outlet and a drain on the bottom. At Excelso, according to Shaw, the AMC is virtually self-cleaning. The Model PC3 AMC was specifically designed to meet Excelso’s requirements.
The AMC consists of a continuous loop wire rope assembly with evenly spaced polyurethane discs that move at high speed within parallel steel tubes. At each end, the rope assembly runs from one tube to another around specifically designed sprockets. One of these sprockets drives the rope and discs while the other sprocket provides tension to the rope. Tube clamps are used to support the conveyor.
The action of the rope assembly traveling at high speed creates an air stream running at the same velocity. As the flavored coffee is fed into the air stream, it is conveyed to the storage hopper, where the beans are centrifugally ejected.
“It’s a tight, well-operated system that is virtually self-cleaning,” noted Shaw.
“We have been extremely pleased with its performance in getting the flavored coffee to the storage hopper for final packaging into customer-desired quantities.”
The Coffee Flavoring Operation
The Excelso coffee flavoring operation consists of the Spiroflow AMC, the v-ribbon blender and the storage hopper. The v-ribbon blender is also made of stainless steel to eliminate any flavor retention, and is tightly sealed. Its operation is completely computerized and automated. The blender is 5 ft tall; each leg is 8 in. in diameter.
The flavoring syrup is pumped gradually into the rotating blender in a fine, aerated mist that covers about 2-3% of the surface area. Once the syrup is added, the blender continues to tumble the flavored coffee for several minutes to assure even mixing.
Once this operation is completed, a manually operated hatch on the bottom of the blender is opened and the flavored coffee is discharged into the AMC. The AMC conveys the coffee to a storage hopper through a slide gate and a flexible hose.
One of the most significant features of the aeromechanical conveying system is its ability to convey materials at any angle between 0-90 degrees without loss of capacity. Excelso angled its 30 ft long AMC at a 45-degree angle and it operates at an output speed of 243 rpm.
Excelso operates the flavoring part of the plant in one 8 hour shift, 5 days a week.
“We usually run 12-20 batches in a 4-5 hour run time,” noted Shaw. “This means each batch takes from 15-20 minutes. The rest of the time we clean out the blender and other equipment and purge it of any flavor. This is extremely important to maintain the precise flavor of the next batch.”
Frequently referred to as a “rope and disc conveyor,” Aero-Mechanical Conveyors (AMC) from Spiroflow Systems are ideal for transporting material up to 5/8 in. diameter from 6-85 ft at rates of up to 120 tons/hour.
Benefits of the AMC include total transfer of ingredients, low energy requirements, dust-free transport with minimal product degradation, and virtually no separation of mixtures.
A significant feature of the conveyor is its ability to convey material at any angle between 0- 90 degrees at heights up to 85 ft without loss of capacity, which means its range of configurations is limitless. This enables the widest choice of system layout options using standard components to optimize available floor space. The system can be set up as a straight-line operation or in variety of around-the-corner configurations.