Satake Australia has recently opened an advanced roller refurbishment facility in Penrith, New South Wales.
As part of the crushing and size reduction process, flour producers use roller mills to grind grain into a powder.
It’s not uncommon for a flour mill to have up to 20 of these machines, each with different types of rollers inside. Each machine performs a different role in the process of turning wheat into flour.
As with most equipment, these rollers will eventually wear out—often at different rates depending on the application. Satake Australia’s recent expansion has helped address this industry issue. The company has invested in the latest technologies to help its customers refurbish their roller mills.
Roger Cook, senior project and sales manager at Satake Australia, told ABHR the company has invested in a new roller refurbishment facility.
Related stories:
- Satake buys WA silo business
- Satake Australia designs biggest silo yet
- American automation in Australia
“It’s a service we had previously offered the industry,” he said. “We’ve since purchased new computer-controlled machines that provide higher speed and accuracy in the refurbishment process.”
“Satake as a worldwide group was reinvigorated in the flour machinery a few years ago, and with that comes new machines, new sensors, and new process technologies.
“As part of our offering in the Australian and New Zealand markets, we wanted to back up not only the supply of these new modern roller mill machines, but also provide the best after sales support.”
There are two main styles of roll used in mill applications – rolls that are fluted machined into them, and smooth rolls. Previously, to manually regroove a roll would have required the cogs and gears to be manually changed out, which was a slow process.
Smooth rolls are also normally shotblasted, which traditionally requires using a shotblasting gun and firing it at the roll to achieve an even finish.
Satake’s new technology is preprogrammed with the end specifications in mind.
This enables the machinery to automatically determine the most effective way of achieving the correct finish.
Cook said it’s not just the refurbishment equipment that has undergone an upgrade.
“We’ve also invested in our quality control process to allow us to accurately measure the parameters of our client’s rolls and advise them about which stage the rollers are in their lifespan,” he said.
“This is important, as flour mills need to balance the costs of downtime related to refurbishment, while ensuring they don’t leave it too late, as that could affect the performance of the machinery.”
Satake’s support teams have access to a specialised inspection machine that has a small optical flute testing function. This camera-based sensor technology can zoom in on the flutes and measure how much has been worn. This information can inform clients when they should undergo the refurbishment process and is much more accurate than using the naked eye.
The company acquired the advanced refurbishment machinery in 2023 and spent the better part of that year ensuring its staff were well-trained with the new technology. Several of its Australian factory workers were sent to Europe to be trained at the manufacturer’s facility and to get an in-depth understanding of how they work.
The refurbishment service has been operating since the beginning of the year, and clients have provided positive feedback on it.
“Generally, the machines used in Australia for this kind of work were manual,” Cook said. “This investment into cutting-edge technology has been positively received by the industry.”
“The typical time it takes for us to refurbish a roll with the new machines is two weeks, though if clients require the rollers more urgently, we can certainly do that. Most flour mills have several pairs of rollers for each part of the process, but sometimes things happen, and people can get caught out, which is why we offer a 72-hour emergency turnaround.”
While flour mills are the major industry using the technology, the company can refurbish rollers for any industry that uses them, including the feed milling, food, and chemical industries.
Over the past few years, Satake has grown its silo and storage side of the business. However, Cook said that going forward, the company plans to expand its offering of turnkey services when it comes to project engineering.
“We’re quite a diverse company,” he said.
“We manufacture machines in Australia and all around the world and have a lot of capability for the design and installation process.”
“Customers are looking for a complete service, which is why we have invested in our roller refurbishment facility. It further strengthens our offering and allows us to manage the lifecycle of equipment after delivery.
“The industry is already benefiting from our high level of service, and we plan to continue making our customers’ lives as easy as possible.”