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A new process control and information system is streamlining production and boosting daily output by over 25 per cent at Ufac-UK’s specialist livestock supplements mill, at Stretton, near Oakham, Rutland.
“The £50,000 investment in software and hardware is part of a modernisation programme designed to increase sales by 70 per cent within the next few years,” commented Richard Jones, Ufac’s mill administrator who has overseen the project.
AutoPilot4Feed software and new equipment has enabled production to be fully automated, with improvements in both weighing accuracy and traceability of raw materials and the finished product.
The system includes automatic liquid and dry weighing with operator displays utilising touch screen technologies. This has reduced downtime between batches and increased flexibility — important for customers requiring relatively small quantities.
Previously, Ufac had to lay on extra shifts to meet demand but this is no longer necessary.
This programme, part of an on-going modernisation of the mill, followed the introduction of a new feed line last year. Ufac, which manufactures its own-brand products and produces supplements under contract for other national and regional compounders, is expanding sales in both the UK and overseas, particularly Eastern Europe and the Middle and Far East. Its facilities and expertise are unique in the UK due to its specialisation in the handling of oils and fats.
Richard Jones, says the new mill software had improved weighing accuracy and raw material traceability.
January 21, 2013 - UFAC-UK
