As a snack chip manufacturer embarked on adding several new production lines to their site, they struggled to find a way to transport chips from multiple floor-level cooking lines up to a single seasoning and packaging line within a confined space. Compounding this challenge was their need to efficiently remove overcooked chips before packaging.
Triton Innovation, LLC designed a Metering Feeder System with in-process storage that streamlined continuous infeed, quality control, and effective flow management, enabling this snack chip maker to produce hundreds of pounds per hour.
At start-up, the customer’s heated tumblers overcook chips until they reach operating temperatures, making it critical for the Triton team to come up with a space-efficient way to divert these from the stream. Triton first customized Z-Style Conveyors to receive snack chips from floor-level discharge points of heated tumblers. To ensure only perfectly cooked chips continue through production, the Z-Style Conveyors elevate chips to diverter gates, where operators simply rotate a lever to remove overcooked chips from the stream. The highest quality snack chips accumulate in Triton’s Metering Hoppers, which provide in-process storage in the case of downstream interruptions and dispense controlled amounts onto Vibratory Feeders. The Feeders gently converge snack chips from multiple cooking lines onto a Z-Style Conveyor, which leads to a single seasoning and packaging line.
Triton’s inventive, multi-tasking solution facilitated stringent throughput requirements within tight confines and provided quality control, making new production lines a reality. Triton’s expertise and innovative problem-solving approach inspired immediate confidence, which led the snack chip maker to order multiple systems and continue collaboration with Triton on future projects.
