No matter what is the size of your food processing operation, someday you will have to consider to expand it. And for the same, you will have to consider and ask yourself some important questions associated with expansion’s impact on the production like, how will the product quality be maintained in high qualities, factors to be considered for food and worker safety etc. The production kettle you prefer will impact the production in significant ways. Lumar has listed some factors to be considered when you are planning to expand your food processing operations.
- Choosing the right kind of production kettle
Here you will have to choose between two types of production kettles:
- Steam/water jacketed kettles: these kettles are available in many agitator configurations. They are single motion, double motion, dual motion, propeller, high shear, or a combination of either of them.
- Self-contained electric or gas fired kettles: these kettles are limited in size and cannot be personalized with the agitation features of the steam/water jacket counterpart. These kettles are powered with high voltage, 3 phase electrical connection or gas line of a building. As these kettles are more cost effective because of their easy power systems, features, agitation, processing features, and service life due to their limitedness. These are usually sold off the shelf.
- Understanding the right size of kettle for you
You may be rooting for adding more to the production capacity for expansion, but know that sustainable success lies in maintaining the product quality and consistency. It is essential to think how this expansion can affect the production integrity. The industry pays heed to the 10X rule when it comes to production expansion. The rule states that production capacity can be increased as 10 times your current output without impacting your product. Consider this when considering the next expansion.
- What’s more to consider…
When levelling up to your first commercial kettle or adding a new one to your current pipeline is essential and exciting. It is important that you plan for the effect it will leave in both short as well as long term. When planning for the next expansion phase, it is essential to weigh on how much production space is required, how the utilities and resources of the facilities will aid your new equipment and how the new production will impact other aspects of your operation.