From Trevira silos to tailor-made raw materials management

Agriflex s.r.l. is specialized in powder and liquid raw materials handling for the food industry. The solutions range from dry materials silos to sourdough production systems. Its patents include the innovative in line flour cooling system (patent nr.1401347).

T he company’s history began in Forlì, north of Italy, in 1975 when Luciano Agri founded the company to design and manufacture flexible flour silos made in Trevira Fabric. Presently, there are more than 8000 installations around the world.

Today Agriflex consists of three production plants, the head office in Forli with over 80 employees, the second Italian unit is a highly specialized production facility in the north of Ferrara, and a third in Oradea (Romania).

The solution range has expanded over time and now comprises the storage in 4 different types of silos, conveying and automated metering of all kinds of powder and liquid ingredients in macro ad micro quantities.

Installation takes place worldwide. Agriflex customers mainly work in the baking, confectionery, pasta, pastry, snack and pre-mixes industry.

The solid ingredients are conveyed pneumatically or mechanically, the liquids by centrifugal or lobe pump according to needs. Systems typically include weighed hoppers that allow batching according to pre-set recipes. Using operative and supervising software the system enables traceability of batches and lots, with the possibility of automatically transferring information to the ERP.

At iba 2018 Agriflex will present a new micro-ingredients unit able to automatically manage, without damaging them, difficult flowing raw materials such as: raisins, pine-nuts, candied fruit, almonds, pistachios, lecitine, almond flour, milk powder and all micro ingredients used in the food industry.

Relatively to sourdough production systems, Agriflex has lead pioneering research and investment for over 20 years. Nowadays Agriflex can offer stand-alone machines of up to 500 liters capacities as well as industrial integrated automatic systems with capacities of several thousand liters. Agriflex offers solutions for both white and rye sourdough using any type of starter. As side service, a food technologist can be provided on site to assist during trials and start up in order to achieve the client’s required results in terms of final product, as fast and as best as possible.

The sourdough production process is automatic, thanks to the control of temperature and PH by the software. Agriflex supplies industrial systems complete with automatic control. Agriflex automation systems feature straight-forward graphics and intuitive controls, guarantee the control of an infinite number of production cycles, as well as the possibility to manage stocks, the traceability of production batches and the reliability and consistency of the entire production process.

One of Agriflex’s latest innovation is its patented and innovative flour cooling system, which can also be installed into existing systems. The flour cooling achieves a flour temperature reduction of up to 20°C, with a minimum flour temperature achievable as low as 12°C.

The system works by cooling and dehumidifying the air used in the pneumatic conveying line. This dry air is used to collect the flour from the silos, then flour itself passes through the heat exchanging unit where it is cooled down.

The system cools down the flour along the pneumatic line and ensures that the cooling agent, glycol, never comes in contact with the ingredients. The system regulates the flour temperature fully automatically and keeps it constant during the whole process.

The service network is present globally to serve the worldwide clientele. It includes the company’s own subsidiaries as well as, in other countries, cooperations with local dealers or other engineering companies. The service department in Forli is available on an analogue or digital basis for remote assistance. +++

Agriflex

S.r.L.

www.agriflex.it Hall B4, Booth 361