TECHNICAL PROFILE MILL OF THE FUTURE Tomorrow's flour mills will be more energy efficient, take up less space and operate more autonomously by Stefan Birrer Mercury MES enables a seamless exchange of information throughout the systems involved in the production process. Data availability and real-time feedback allow smart decision making, increasing milling performance and productivity. Photos courtesy of Bühler. 76 T KHUHLVDORQJKLVWRU\EHKLQGÀRXUPLOOLQJZKLFK VWDUWHG ZKHQ KXQWHUV DQG JDWKHUHUV EHJDQ XVLQJ VWRQHV RU PRUWDUV IRU FUXVKLQJ JUDLQV :LWK WKH LQFUHDVLQJ GLYLVLRQ RI ODERU WKH PLOOLQJ RFFXSDWLRQ WR SURFHVVZKHDWU\HRUVSHOWFDPHLQWREHLQJ'XULQJWKH 0LGGOH$JHV WKH PLOOLQJ SURIHVVLRQ LQ (XURSH FDPH WR EHNQRZQDVGLVUHSXWDEOHDQGGLVKRQHVWEHFDXVHRIDOOWKH SRVVLELOLWLHVIRUFKHDWLQJ%XWLQWKHWKFHQWXU\5HLFK ODZGHFUHHGWKDWLWZDVDQ³KRQRUDEOH´DQG³JXLOGZRU WK\´SURIHVVLRQ CHALLENGES FOR MILLERS 7RGD\PLOOHUVDURXQGWKHZRUOGZKHWKHUWKHLUPLOOVDUH ODUJHRUVPDOODUHLPSRUWDQWVXSSOLHUVIRUPDQ\GL൵HUHQW IRRGSURGXFHUV%KOHUKDVURXWLQHFRQWDFWZLWKLWVFXV WRPHUVKHDULQJIURPPLOORSHUDWRUVDERXWWKHFKDQJHVWKDW KDYHWDNHQSODFHLQWKHLUDUHDRIZRUNRYHUWKHSDVW\HDUV DQGKRZWKHVHFKDQJHVD൵HFWWKHLUZRUNDQGWKHLUQHHGV LQWHUPVRIPLOOH[SDQVLRQ7KHUHDUHWZRLQFUHDVLQJO\ELJ FKDOOHQJHVVKDUHGE\FXVWRPHUV%XVLQHVVHVWKDWSURFHVV WKHÀRXUDUHGHPDQGLQJLQFUHDVLQJO\KLJKHUÀRXUTXDOLW\ DQGJXDUDQWHHGFRQVLVWHQF\ZLWKLQQDUURZSDUDPHWHUV $ORQJZLWKWKHJURZLQJSURGXFWGLYHUVLW\EDVHGRQGH VLUHVE\FRQVXPHUVZKLFKWKHPLOO¶VFXVWRPHUVKDYHWR R൵HULVWKHLQFUHDVLQJGHPDQGIRUVSHFLDOW\ÀRXUV7KLV FRQIURQWVPLOORSHUDWRUVZLWKWKHFKDOOHQJHRIR൵HULQJD FRQVWDQWO\H[SDQGLQJUDQJHRIÀRXUSURGXFWVZKLOHPDLQ WDLQLQJFRQVLVWHQWTXDOLW\DQGNHHSLQJSULFHVFRPSHWLWLYH CHANGING MARKETS FOR RAW MATERIALS 2XUFXVWRPHUVDOVRUHSRUWFKDQJHVUHJDUGLQJWKHLUVXSSOL HUV,QWHUQDWLRQDOJUDLQPDUNHWVKDYHFKDQJHGVLJQL¿FDQW O\LQWKHSDVW\HDUV8SXQWLOUHFHQWO\WKHUHZHUHFHQWUDO H[SRUW RUJDQL]DWLRQV WR HQVXUH VWDQGDUGL]HG DQG FOHDUO\ GH¿QHGSURGXFWTXDOLWLHVLQWKHFRXQWULHVWKDWH[SRUWJUDLQ +RZHYHUUHFHQWO\WKHVXSSO\FKDLQRQWKHJUDLQPDUNHW KDVEHFRPHIUDJPHQWHG 7KLVKDVDQDGYDQWDJHIRULQGLYLGXDOPLOOHUVLQWKDWLW DOORZV WKHLU QHHGV IRU JUDLQV WR EH IUHHO\ FRYHUHG RQ D ODUJHPDUNHW%XWWKHUHYHUVHVLGHWRWKLVLVWKDWWKHPLOOHU PXVWGHDOZLWKPDQ\GL൵HUHQWTXDOLWLHVRIJUDLQ,IDPLOOHU ZDQWVWRSURYLGHFRQVLVWHQWÀRXUTXDOLW\KHQHHGVWRSXU FKDVH FOHYHUO\ DQG PL[ YDULRXV UDZ PDWHULDOV WRJHWKHU )ORXUPDGHIURPWKHVDPHEDWFKRIJUDLQLVIRUWKHPRVW SDUWRQO\SRVVLEOHIRUUHJLRQDOÀRXUVSHFL¿FDWLRQVRURU JDQLFSURGXFWV,QDGGLWLRQWKHUHLVDJOREDORYHUFDSDFLW\ RIWRLQWKHPLOOLQJLQGXVWU\ZKLFKSXWVSUHV VXUHRQSULFHFRPSHWLWLYHQHVV2IFRXUVHWKLVRYHUFDSDF LW\RIWHQLVGXHWRPLOOVEHLQJORFDWHG³LQWKHZURQJSODFH´ DQGRULQSRRUFRQGLWLRQ7KLVH[SODLQVZK\GHPDQGIRU QHZPLOOVLVKROGLQJVWHDG\ 7KHVHFKDQJHVDQGWUHQGVLQWKHPLOOLQJLQGXVWU\KDYH September 2019 / World Grain / www.World-Grain.comhttp://www.World-Grain.com