Hennie Pieterse, hp dezign
Is a Containerised Feed Plant a solution for the application you have in mind? Containerised feed plants are designed in a modular way, and normally contain all the plant equipment, electrical installation and process control equipment, assembled and installed into support structures the size of one or multiple standard 20 foot shipping containers.
Let’s consider the important advantages, features and characteristics of containerised plants in more detail:
1. Process & Engineering Design and Functionality
Like we pointed out in one of our previous blogs : whether it is equipment or a processing plant, it is and should be designed to fulfil a certain function successfully. At the same time we need to ensure the engineering design of the entire plant is done the right way. A containerised feed plant ensures this responsibility is left to the supplier and his team. Letting them specifying and supplying all the equipment required in the process as a containerised feed plant, leaves the customer with more time for marketing and general business development before the plant is established and commissioned. A containerised plant also takes away the customer burden of ensuring that all equipment in the plant is a good match and that everything goes together well at the time of Installation.
2. Environmental Impact, Health & Safety, and Food Safety
Consumer markets increasingly demand that food is manufactured in ways that ensure minimum environmental footprint, while creating a safe and healthy workplace for people to work in. A well designed containerised plant ensures all these issues are addressed by the supplier and that the final food or feed product is of highest standard and quality.
3. Mechanical and Electrical Installation
Sourcing good quality equipment from one or more supplier is one thing. Making sure that all these items are installed and assembled in a way that optimises plant performance while minimising capital investment and ongoing operational cost, is quite another. In many countries mechanical and electrical installation expertise is not readily available. This may leave the customer with a massive challenge installing all equipment in a professional and timely manner. We have seen so many cases where customers thought they are saving money trying to do major installation tasks themselves, just to learn that there are many hidden costs and start up delays in doing so. A containerised plant eliminates all this uncertainty. In a well designed containerised plant, all
- equipment,
- conveyors,
- electrical installation and
- process control devices
are installed and assembled at the point of manufacture before shipping takes place.
4. Tested & Proven at point of manufacture
Many days and even weeks could be wasted as customers are trying to get badly designed conventional plants and equipment tested and fine tuned themselves before start up can take place. Substandard electrical installation and process control systems normally contribute most to this situation. All of this could be avoided with containerised plants as the supplier should test mechanical, electrical and process control installations at the point of manufacture.
5. Reduced Installation Time on site
On site preparations such as foundations, floors and the actual building that will house the Plant are established while the containerised plant is manufactured. Once the containerised feed plant arrives on site installation can normally happen in record time. It is not uncommon to cut installation time by 60% to 80% in comparison to conventional plants. In the case on conventional plants, unnecessary assembly and installation time and problems getting support structures, transitions, ducting, cabling and other mechanical and electrical materials and services concluded, may lead to hidden costs that are difficult to account for during planning of the project.
6. No Support Structures required
One of the most beautiful features of a containerised feed plant is that no support structures are required. The container sized structures that already contains the installed equipment, also serves as support structures for the entire plant. Plant layout could be horizontal or vertical, and the “containers” are designed to be both structurally and functionally sound.
7. Lower Building Costs
The containerised feed plant is housed inside a building that has to provide enclosure to the plant without the need to supply structural support. This simplifies both the design and cost of the building required to house a containerised plant substantially.
8. Lower Freight and Handling Cost
No special crating and shipping materials are required as the individual container modules are cladded with simple and cost effective sheets that meet shipping requirements. Once onsite these sheets are simple removed during installation of the containerised modules.
9. Containerised Plants for any Application
Any process could be designed as a containerised feed plant or at least as partly containerised, whether it is a simple cereal processing plant or a sophisticated compound feed plant. Plants as small as 3 ton/h and up to 45 ton/h are feasible.
Still questioning whether a containerised plant is the right solution for your specific case? Contact hp dezign today to discuss your specific case. Together with suppliers such as Ottevanger and Inteqnion, we can ensure we come up with a design and supply solution that meets your specific needs.
