Tortilla brand doubles production
Based in Carol Stream, Illinois, in the US, flour tortilla chip manufacturer, Donkey Brands LLC, has doubled production volumes by installing a new production line from specialist food processing equipment provider, FOODesign, a tna company. The investment enables the company to meet increased demand and boost growth by replacing an out-of-date manual process with an efficient automated system.
In a bid to optimise its production process, Donkey Brands chose to integrate FOODesign’s immerso-cook direct-fired continuous frying system to complement its pre-existing FOODesign cutting, conveying and quik-coat seasoning systems. The company now boasts a faster processing line while maintaining its long-standing levels of high product quality.
The FOODesign immerso-cook features innovations like a state-of-the-art belt feed system. Customisable for a wide range of products including tortilla chips, this feature minimises the risk of product breakage while optimising throughput speeds. While breakage is minimised, any unpreventable waste that can result from delicate snack applications like tortilla chips, is continuously discharged from the fryer by the system’s based mounted mesh conveyor. This ensures the product quality is not compromised.
“With demand growing for quantity and quality, we needed a flexible frying system to build on our capabilities and enhance production capacity,” comments Robert Tisljar, partner at Donkey Brands. “Our previous line was predominantly manual and included a smaller fryer, as well as more conventional conveying systems. Looking for the best way to step into the world of automation, we saw the answer in FOODesign. The aim, quite simply, was to increase production output while at the same time improving the overall quality of our products.”
Also commenting on the installation, Tim Reardon, group solutions manager – processing for the Americas, says: “Our immerso-cook range offers a heavy duty, highly efficient system that can be customised for a wide variety of applications and processing requirements. Together with our service-led approach, maintenance support and engineering knowledge, we were able to supply Donkey Brands with a reliable and high performance system that meets their exact specification – and we’re confident will continue to do so for many years to come.”
