FAQ
What specific qualities are bakeries most often looking for in sifting systems and why?
Bakeries primarily depend on their sifting systems to provide accurate product sizing and elimination of foreign particles and contaminates from their product in order to prevent costly losses of the ingredients and/or final product.
They also want a sifter that is reliable with adequate capacity and offers easy sanitation and low maintenance. Reliability, good capacity, easy sanitation, and low maintenance equate to fewer man hours, less down time, and more efficient production which all lead to a stronger bottom line for the bakery.
How are your company’s sifters able to best meet their needs?
The CS-1 Gyratory Sifter, formerly known under the names Allis Chalmers, Ferrell Ross, and Blount, has been manufactured for over 60 years with relatively few changes, attesting to the sifter’s dependability. The gentle gyratory motion keeps the product in constant contact with the screen surface to provide maximum capacity while eliminating foreign contaminates from ¼ inch in size down to as fine as 400 mesh. The CS-1 was designed to require as little maintenance as possible and with the addition of the new optional Inspection Portholes it is possible to perform a full visual inspection of the entire screening surface without the need to disassemble the sifter. BISSC Certification insures the CS-1 conforms to the sanitation standards of the Baking Industry.
With the addition of our Portable Reclaim Sifter to our line we can offer bakeries a method to capture product normally lost through tailings or dusting overflow to help cut production costs. This sifter is also useful in checking samples of batches that may have been rejected due to the detection of metal particles.
What new trends have you noticed in regard to sifting in the baking and snack industry? For example are they looking to sift greater quantities or using finer screens in sifters?
Recent recalls have led to greater awareness about food safety causing many bakeries to switch to using magnetic stainless steel screens and metal detectable nuts, bolts, and cleaner balls and cubes. Other bakeries are now using nylon mesh screens exclusively to eliminate the possibility of metal in their product.
With the current decline in the economy and across the board budget cuts, bakeries are now relying on one sifter to do the job of more. In some plants sifters are being run at the highest capacity possible by using screens with larger than recommended mesh sizes. The CS-1 sifter is expandable which can improve capacity without sacrificing food safety.
What sifting equipment does your company offer to the baking industry? What are the mechanics behind you company’s sifters? What quantity of material are they able to sift? What are the various models you offer and the benefits of the different sifters?
The CS-1 Gyratory Sifter is an all metal machine capable of providing two, three, or four separations of any dry free-flowing product from 1/4 inch in size down to as fine as 400 mesh. The CS-1 is expandable and can provide from 10 square feet of screening area up to 35 square feet, all in a 4′ x 4′ footprint simply by adding additional screen decks. The sifter has the capacity to screen up to 50,000 pounds per hour (white flour on a 30 mesh screen. Results vary based on product screened and mesh size used.) The annual maintenance suggested on the CS-1 is replacement of all screens, cleaner balls and cubes, gaskets, and bushings.
The new Portable Reclaim Sifter incorporates many innovations to make it a handy and effective tool for sifting small batches of dry ingredients or reclaiming product normally lost through tailings or dusting overflow. This versatile sifter is capable of batch sifting up to 600 pounds an hour and can be operated sitting on top of a heavy-duty plastic container or drum, or using the optional adjustable rolling base for easy relocation around the plant. The all stainless steel construction and waterproof motor facilitate cleaning while the overs spout with sliding shut-off door eliminates the need for dumping. An output dust chute allows quick changes between collection containers.
What sets your company’s sifters and sifting equipment apart from others in the market?
The CS-1 sifter has one of the smallest footprints for its capacity in the industry today.
Screens for the CS-1 are NOT glued down to the insert frame. This allows for a quick screen change should the screen fail or the product specifications change and reduces down time.
Our time tested design is built to perform, has a long production life, and offers an established track record to prove it (in production since 1940’s.)
We strive to offer excellent customer service and to that end we stock a full range of replacement parts and screens for immediate shipment to keep customers up and running in the event of a failure. We pride ourselves on our ability to box shipments for same day delivery to get a customer back up and running so they can meet their production schedules.
What are your latest introductions and or modifications to existing sifting systems?
The latest improvement on the CS-1 sifter is the addition of the optional screen inspection porthole available on new screen decks. Worn CS-1 decks can also be retrofitted with this modification when sent in for rebuild. To meet customer demand we now offer standard and magnetic steelcore polyballs and cubes to allow for detection in the event of a screen failure. Effective January 2009, the Model CS-1 Sifter was certified by the Baking Industry Sanitation Standards Committee.
The design of the Portable Reclaim Sifter was improved by upgrading to a larger, thicker bowl and increasing the strength of the insert frame.