Small Adjustments, Amazing Results: Key Takeaways from the SEFAR Seminar

This September, the leaders of the milling industry gathered at the private seminar hosted by SEFAR.

SEFAR is a leading manufacturer of monofilament precision fabrics with a well-earned reputation for excellence in producing durable sieve fabrics. The reason behind their success and state-of-the-art manufacturing process is the uniqueness of their weaving machine technology. Naturally, as a seminar host, SEFAR was interested in inviting experienced specialists who share a commitment to achieving balanced flour particle size distribution and understand how it reflects on the flour quality, the processing of problematic grain, mill’s profits and customer satisfaction.

GRAIN IMPROVERS experts often provide detailed consultations on sieves replacement, layout optimization, and regulating sieves’ density. Enzymatic grain preparation and the correct selection of sieves are the foundation of a balanced granulometric composition. Our specialists were invited as speakers to deliver a presentation on the following topic: “Milling operations: Turning Challenges into Opportunities ― Key Insights & Strategies”.

The common problems, such as low-quality equipment, the processing of the problematic grain and high production costs are well-known to every miller. It’s a vicious cycle, which is really hard to break out of. That’s one of the reasons why our specialists’ presentation was met with great enthusiasm: a chance for mills to thrive.

Topics at a glance

Just in case you missed the seminar, here’s a quick summary for you to catch up. Topics covered at the seminar included:

• Common milling challenges and their solutions;
• Mill sieve role in producing high quality flour;
• Optimization of mill sieves selection and enzyme grain preparation as key tools to working with problematic grain and boosting mill’s efficiency;
• Practical examples, showcasing the results those solutions bring to the mill.

What are the problems the technologists face, and is there a way out of the vicious cycle?

Milling technologists worldwide are often forced to make compromises due to grain quality issues. To avoid sacrificing overall flour yield, problematic or damaged grain has to be included in the milling batch.

However, high production costs driven by mill’s downtime, rising logistics costs, and the need to upgrade equipment leave little room for reprieve.

For most mills’ stakeholders, cost is the primary decision-making factor in choosing equipment. But a low price is just an illusion of economy: purchasing low-quality equipment will lead to frequent repairs and equipment failures, increased downtime and, ultimately, higher production costs.

To put it simple, going for the cheapest option means investing more time and money later on.

The low quality of the equipment also results in further complications when processing the problematic grain or trying to produce the flour up to client’s specifications.

In order to move forward and increase the mill's efficiency, there’s a great need for advanced equipment and biotechnological tools:

• Adjusting sieve density based on the grain’s parameters to produce flour with optimal granulometric composition (particle size distribution), reduced ash content and increased protein extraction;
• Implementing GRAIN IMPROVERS enzymatic solutions at grain conditioning stage to effectively remove the bran and increase yields of the lower ash content flour with superior rheological properties.

At the seminar, practical case-studies were presented, demonstrating how small adjustments can significantly improve milling efficiency and flour quality.

With GRAIN IMPROVERS and adjusting the sieves (as well as choosing the right sieves in the first place), mills can easily process low falling number grain and the grain with low protein content.

Throughout the seminar, experts discussed potential solutions to pressing industry challenges

Optimizing technological processes and implementing GRAIN IMPROVERS is a practical and effective way to achieve sustainable success in milling.

With GRAIN IMPROVERS enzyme complexes, millers can produce more pure, coarse flour, enriched with the protein from the grain’s subaleurone layer. Using SEFAR sieves ensures that the protein is retained during sifting, leading to higher flour yield. The SEFAR seminar was valuable to every participant. Our team is proud to collaborate with partners like SEFAR, who are committed to achieving quality results.

Let’s achieve new, amazing results in the grain processing industry together!