Flour is generally made from wheat kernels, which have three basic components. These include the bran, endosperm, and germ. The bran and germ contain high amounts of fiber, minerals, natural oils, and nutrients, along with protein. The endosperm is mainly made up of protein and starch. The endosperm is used exclusively when producing refined or… Read more »
Grinding and Drying with Air Swept Mills
When fine grinding (or simultaneously grinding and drying) a variety of materials, the grinding process can result in heat that can degrade the particles, alter their flow characteristics or result in plugging of mills that use small classifying screens. What is an Air Swept Mill? Air swept mills finely grind material with or without the… Read more »
What is an Attrition Mill?
Industrial size reduction generally falls into two basic categories. Particles are either crushed or milled. While crushing breaks down larger chunks, milling reduces material to a low micron range, and in some cases, can even achieve sub-micron reductions. Attrition milling is used for a wide range of applications, including chemical processing, to reduce particles into… Read more »
Soap Milling on a Large Scale
Soap, one of our most mundane items, has a significant history and plays a pivotal role in today’s world. Years ago, people made their own soap, yet today, almost everyone buys commercial soap. The soap that we take for granted is made using the process of saponification, which involves the conversion of fat or oil… Read more »
Masa Milling and Processing Dry Masa
Over the past 30 years, masa has taken center stage on grocery store shelves and in the American diet. As Mexican-style food and corn snack products have grown in popularity, particular demand and processing focus is given to products that utilize masa corn (specifically tortillas, gorditas, tamales, and pupusas). What is Masa Harina? Masa is… Read more »
Processing Oats to Preserve Nutrient Dense β-Glucans
Oats: A Nutrient-Dense Food Oats (Avena sativa) are a very healthy and nutritious food. Most people know that oats are an excellent source of soluble fiber, they are vegan, and because they naturally do not contain gluten, oats are easier to digest (as long as oats are not cross-contaminated with wheat). For these reasons and… Read more »
Spin Flash Drying Your Material with a Rotordryer
Many materials are processed through industrial milling operations when they are moist or damp. In most cases, an effective drying solution is required before the finished product is complete. Prater has high-quality and durable spin flash dryers for granular material processing.
Prater Industries Acquires International Process Equipment Company
Prater Industries, a particle size reduction, separation, and feeding and metering equipment manufacturing company based in Bolingbrook, IL, announces the acquisition of International Process Equipment Company (IPEC). IPEC has been providing pulverizing equipment and material testing services all over the world for over 30 years.