Fear or Passion? What’s your motivation?
January 31, 2019
In this industry, we get to meet and interact with many different people. A common thread among them is a fierce drive and determination to do great things. …
Author: engineering team
Learn About the Latest Trends & Technologies
A great team will make a plan come together
January 24, 2019
During my recent trip overseas, I got to witness first-hand how many people are truly involved in making a processing plant come together. Vendors and suppliers sometimes forget…
Don’t fight change, embrace it
January 17, 2019
A famous song once said, “the times they are a-changing”. Today, this couldn’t be more true. Technology seems to advance daily, and those who stay abreast and use…
Wet collectors for steam exhaust
January 10, 2019
In a previous blog, we mentioned the various principles of steam exhausting. One of those was how to handle the discharged vapor. Most places can allow this vapor…
Types of screw conveyor flighting
December 27, 2018
In our industry, the screw conveyor is a pretty common method of conveying. They’re simple, inexpensive and relatively universal. We tend to use a “U-trough” style of conveyor…
Hammermill Air Relief Systems
April 28, 2016
Awhile back, in our blog about Particle Size Reduction, we discussed several particle size reduction methods. These included rollermills, pulverizers, and hammermills. Some limitations of the hammermill included…
How a Decanter Works
April 14, 2016
The process of mechanical oil pressing yields two final products: meal and oil. With our customers, the meal is typically the primary product, but some producers target the…
Process Flow: Shaped Feeds
January 7, 2016
The popularity of producing shaped products and feeds is increasing. This includes pet foods, fish feed, and treats. While end products are vastly different, inputs determine the final…
Which Cooler is Right For You? Part 2
December 17, 2015
In part 1 of this series on coolers, we discussed the use of rotary drum and counterflow coolers when cooling extruded and/or pressed oilseeds. In Part 2, we…
Which Cooler is Right For You? Part 1
December 10, 2015
When using high shear dry extrusion for oilseed processing, the final product typically only needs to be cooled. This is the case when making either full fat soya (FFS)…
Key Factors in Developing Vendor Relationships
June 4, 2015
We often discuss the importance of developing a partnership with our customers, but another very important relationship is the one we have with our vendors. Without strategic partners,…
Capacity Planning
February 5, 2015
There’s an old saying that goes: “failing to plan is planning to fail”. This is as true in life as it is in a production facility. A question…
Calculating Drying Costs and Heat Needs
December 4, 2014
Plant investments can vary from initial capital investments to ongoing costs. This is why our sales team devotes time to conduct a feasibility analysis with you. We are…
Exceeding Expectations: Putting the Customer First
August 7, 2014
During a recent trip to visit prospective clients, I was reminded how important customer relations were to business. Without customers, there is no business, so as a collaborator…
Calculating Conveying Capacities
May 20, 2014
When designing a plant, it is important to consider the flow of material during a given time. This is the “mass flow rate” and is important when specifying…
TOM D WIP – Lean Manufacturing’s Enemy
September 24, 2013
Lean manufacturing is a concept that has been around for a while and has become the go-to buzzword over the last several years. Every company wants to create…
Hammer Mill or Roller Mill for Soy Extrusion?
April 9, 2013
In the blog “Particle Size Reduction,” we touched based on the various types of equipment used to pre-grind materials before extrusion. The majority of projects we work on…
Plant Layouts
February 5, 2013
Here at Insta-Pro, we not only sell equipment, but we have the unique opportunity to provide engineering services as well. This can prove to be a valuable resource…
