Learn about a new aspect of the most important strategic products throughout human history.
According to human sciences researchers, flour is one of the most important strategic food products in human history because it comes from wheat, one of the oldest foods discovered by humans. Therefore, the process of milling wheat, i.e., turning it into floor, is one of the oldest industrial processes in human history. Regarding the dynamic development in turning wheat into flour, the first wheat milling machine invented by humans goes back to 200 BC. Although the technology at that time was different than in modern times, the idea of using the mill was the first methodological way to turn wheat into flour. Then, humans developed this process until it reached the integrated industrial model used in the present.
Flour manufacturing process
Receiving, testing, and storage of grains
The journey of wheat in the factory starts from the moment it arrives, as it gets tested by quality control specialists to determine its quality and initial protein amount. In addition, the wheat gets tested for moisture, weight, impurity levels, and enzyme activities in the seed.
In most cases, the factory and the supplier agree on the quality in the contract long before receiving the grains. However, the factory ensures the quality to its clients; thus, the quality must be checked before passing to other complicated processes.
Wheat storage and processing
Wheat is usually stored in large silos that comply with international quality measures. Next, it gets cleaned from metallic impurities and stones through
a powerful magnet, and the air streams remove chaff, dust, and all undesirable substances before the grinding process.
Mills use special machines to separate wheat grains according to their shape and weight. Barley, oats, and other grains also get separated to be processed later and converted into food products. Wheat gets cleaned by using an aspirator to remove lighter substances, and disc separators are used to remove the oversized substances that can’t be removed by suction.
Basic milling processes
The grinding stage begins by breaking the wheat into smaller pieces that get filtered by sieves to separate the small pieces from the bigger ones. Those small pieces go to the bottom and become the final flour. The grains and the bran get passed through the sieves to ensure the quality and separate them according to their types and capabilities.
The Hagberg test is one of the most important methods to measure the quality of grains after the basic grinding process. The grains are mixed with hot water, and a plunger falls into the mixture. The test measures the time it takes the plunger to fall through the mixture to study the activity of the enzyme alpha-amylase that indicates the consistency of the flour.
Cleaning and purifying
The sifted pieces are transferred to air purifiers. The purification device has an air stream that can be controlled to lift the bran and separate it according to its size and quality. Lastly, the clean material gets transferred into another process of sifting through more fine sieves to reduce the flour size until about 72% of the flour is separated from the wheat.
The main milling stages
The safety and security measurements must be supported in terms of storage and the main processes by a complete methodology for measuring and monitoring temperature and humidity. It is also essential to have an integrated ventilation system and anti-insects system to protect the wheat and other materials. The milling process is complicated and requires a lot of monitoring and analysis equipment to provide the best quality.
Controlling variables, data, and material characteristics could be impossible without innovative tools and smooth operation. That’s why it is crucial to rely on a different approach in operations management that provides the best quality to the market.
