Promtek Launches Batching and Milling Masterclass

25 4 minutes read

Key points

Listen to this article

Process control and automation specialist Promtek has announced its inaugural educational course, the Batching and Milling Course, taking place from 15 to 17 September 2026 at Promtek Headquarters in Stoke-on-Trent, UK.

The three-day technical masterclass has been developed specifically for plant managers, production heads, shift leaders and maintenance teams working across the food ingredient, beverage and animal nutrition sectors. The course will provide practical guidance on improving batching accuracy, milling efficiency and bulk processing performance while helping manufacturers reduce energy waste and maintain stringent product quality standards.

With increasing pressure on manufacturers to improve production efficiency, control operating costs and maintain consistent product quality, optimising batching and milling processes is an important consideration for modern processing facilities. The Promtek course is designed to provide delegates with practical knowledge that can be applied directly to their own production environments.

World-Class Batching and Milling Expertise

The course will be led by Ernst Nef, Director of NEFeed Milling Consulting and a former senior expert at Swiss processing specialists Bühler Group and SFT. Nef brings more than 33 years of hands-on experience in industrial milling and will guide participants through a range of core unit operations involved in efficient bulk material processing.

Key areas covered during the three-day course will include:

Batching and dosing accuracy: Identifying opportunities to eliminate raw material wastage while improving recipe repeatability and overall production consistency.
Size reduction and particle dynamics: Optimising hammer mill and roller mill throughput while managing heat generation and equipment wear.
Mixing systems and liquid addition: Achieving homogeneous blends and stable liquid dispersion across complex formulations.
Process bottleneck identification: Applying practical troubleshooting techniques to improve plant efficiency without relying on capital-intensive hardware replacements.

The course is intended to provide a detailed understanding of the interaction between individual processing stages rather than focusing on isolated equipment or single process parameters.

“Operational efficiency in dry batching and milling doesn’t just happen by adjusting a single dial – it requires a deep, step-by-step understanding of how material behaves from the intake pit to the finished mixer,” said Ernst Nef. “This course bridges theoretical process design with day-to-day shop-floor realities.”

This practical approach is particularly relevant to manufacturers looking to improve the performance of existing batching, milling and mixing systems. Understanding how raw materials behave throughout the process can help production teams identify inefficiencies and make informed operational improvements.

Practical Training for Food, Beverage and Animal Nutrition

The Batching and Milling Course is aimed at professionals responsible for the day-to-day performance of processing plants. This includes plant managers, production leaders, shift leaders and maintenance personnel who need to understand how processing parameters affect productivity, quality and operational costs.

Rather than focusing solely on classroom-based theory, the course combines technical instruction with practical examples and real-world industrial experience. Delegates will explore common processing challenges and examine methods for identifying potential improvements within existing plant operations.

The course also addresses the relationship between process efficiency, energy consumption and product quality. Improving throughput or reducing waste must be balanced against the need to maintain consistent particle characteristics, accurate recipes and reliable mixing performance.

Hands-On Validation and Industry Networking

Unlike standard academic seminars, the curriculum combines interactive technical instruction with real-world case studies and a practical validation test at the conclusion of the course. This approach is designed to ensure delegates finish the programme with knowledge they can apply directly when they return to their plants.

The combination of technical education and practical validation is intended to help participants translate the principles covered during the course into tangible improvements in their own production environments.

For companies operating bulk processing lines, this can include identifying production bottlenecks, improving batching and dosing performance, optimising milling capacity and addressing inefficiencies that may otherwise require significant investment in new equipment.

The course also provides an opportunity for professionals from the food ingredient, beverage and animal nutrition industries to share experiences and discuss common challenges associated with industrial milling, batching, mixing and process automation.

“Providing high-quality technical training is a natural extension of our ongoing commitment to the processing sector,” said Charles Williams, MD of Promtek who attended a similar course by Ernst. “By pairing decades of automation expertise with Ernst’s renowned operational wisdom, we’re giving plant leaders the tools they need to cut production costs, improve safety, and protect product integrity.”

Batching and Milling Course Details

The three-day masterclass will take place at Promtek’s headquarters in Stoke-on-Trent and will run from 9:00am to 5:00pm BST each day.

Details	Information
Dates	15 to 17 September 2026, 9:00am to 5:00pm BST
Location	Promtek Headquarters, Stoke-on-Trent (ST8 7QJ), UK
Target Audience	Plant Managers, Production Directors, Shift and Maintenance Leaders
Pricing	Course Only: £610 + VAT (Standard: £1,110 + VAT)
Course + Hotel & Meals	£1,110 + VAT (Standard: £1,610 + VAT)

Spaces for the masterclass are strictly limited to ensure direct interaction between delegates and the course leaders, as well as providing tailored technical instruction throughout the programme.

The limited format is intended to support a more focused learning environment where participants can explore specific operational challenges and gain practical insight into improving their own batching and milling processes.

Improving Process Efficiency Through Technical Training

As food, beverage and animal nutrition manufacturers continue to look for ways to improve productivity while controlling energy consumption and maintaining product quality, effective batching and milling process optimisation remains an important area of focus.

Promtek’s new three-day course offers plant and production professionals the opportunity to develop their understanding of the key factors affecting bulk processing performance.

By combining established process engineering principles with practical industrial experience, the programme aims to help delegates identify opportunities for improvement within existing production systems.

The course will take place in Stoke-on-Trent from 15 to 17 September 2026.

To register interest or reserve a seat, visit Promtek’s Batching and Milling Course page.