Ritchie Smith Feed Mill Expansion
Project Profile
The Client
Ritchie-Smith Feeds is a livestock feed mill in the Fraser Valley, British Columbia. Since 1968, they have been providing top-quality feed (bulk and bag) for their clients, and they now support a large percentage of the dairy, poultry, hog, and other livestock in the Fraser Valley.
The Problem
The Ritchie Smith mill in Abbotsford was running a series of drag conveyors to distribute received grains from a rail line. These conveyors were worn out and the mill was wasting material in carryback and spillage. The client wanted to upgrade the receiving line to screw conveyors, which would also increase the receiving capacity of the mill. However, one of the biggest challenges was that the client requested that the mill continue to be fully operational throughout the installation process.
The Solution
The Mainland team made several site visits to take measurements and map a plan for supply and installation. The screw conveyors needed to be supplied in batches to ensure that access to storage bins was always available by another line, or that the installation happened in the short period of time before the bins were empty. Our team was careful to confirm that the new screw conveyors were supplied with transitions that matched the existing bin inlets (various sizes, shapes, and elevations) for a quick and seamless installation.
The Outcome
In the end, Ritchie-Smith gained a much more efficient receiving line. Approximately 455 lineal feet of screw conveyor was fabricated and installed at the mill, in addition to the necessary transitions and slide gates. The equipment delivery was on schedule and installation was carried out in a way that the mill never stopped production.
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