Top tips to keep your animal feed mill in great shape!

Phil Black - PII Editor 07/08/2024

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Regular repairs and checks of plant and machinery are essential for preserving the efficiency and longevity of a feed mill and crucial for sustained productivity and cost-effectiveness.

ISF specialises in the repair and maintenance of animal feed mills, working with companies up and down the UK to keep their mills running smoothly and efficiently. Here are five top tips to reduce the risk of breakdowns and lost production:

Carry out regular inspections: It’s vital to identify and address potential issues early, and the best way to do that is through regular and routine inspections on your mill.

Keep your feed mill clean: This is crucial in preventing contamination which could have a catastrophic impact on your output. An unclean mill also increases risks including fires or explosion.

Make sure your employees are highly trained: There are many complex issues you might encounter whilst working in a feed mill, so training your employees to deal with them is paramount. At ISF, all our staff have gone through extensive training so that they can do their job to the highest standard.

Regular upgrades and refurbishments: ISF looks for ways to optimise animal feed milling processes for the long term, collaborating closely with your team to ensure that all work is conducted with minimal impact on production. This way we can enhance performance and extend lifespan of your machinery.

Maintenance of your equipment: Consistent maintenance can ensure machinery operates efficiently and aid prevention of unexpected breakdowns, helping to reduce running costs, avoid unexpected and costly downtime, and expensive emergency repairs.

On hand to fix or upgrade damaged systems or processing equipment, the ISF repair and maintenance service is available for all feed mills regardless of whether they have designed and installed the equipment., By promoting resource conservation, operational efficiency, and long-term equipment reliability to reduce your overall environmental footprint, ISF supports sustainability practices.

Repair of feed mill in Scotland following a fire

ISF was commissioned by one of the largest animal nutrition companies in the UK, who provide high-quality livestock solutions for over 8000 farms. Following a small cooler fire, their Scotland mill was fully shut down and non-operational – limiting the impact of lost production was imperative.

ISFcompleted the refurbishment and installation of replacement machines in a confined area with great success and then designed a new sieve for their system which was installed following completion of the repair work.

Replacement mixer shaft for animal feed mill

ISF responded to numerous callouts from a long-term customer near Middlesborough. Their inspections had highlighted areas of fatigue on the mill’s mixer shaft, and being integral to production the mill would likely shut down completely if the mixer failed. The customer had purchased a new shaft and ribbon, however because of the long lead time from their supplier ISF was completing temporary repairs in the meantime to ensure that the mill remained operational. Following delivery, the roof was temporarily lifted from the mill by crane, along with the surrounding equipment enabling access to remove and replace the shaft. The mill was fully operational within 48h – less than the planned shutdown period.