Baileys Horse Feeds have installed a new Clayton Steam Generator which will help maintain the finest quality products and speed up production at their Four Elm Mills plant near Braintree, Essex
The founders of Baileys Horse Feeds are horse owners themselves who have specialised in developing feeds with particular nutritional characteristics. These are sought after for all types of horse, particularly racehorses, polo ponies, show jumpers and stud horses, at all stages of their development. The range has been shaped around the use of the most effective natural ingredients that promote health and performance.
Baileys also offer advice on feeding based on their in-depth understanding of equine nutrition and operate a ‘Horse Owners Feed Knowledge Awards’ scheme at two levels of proficiency.
Steam at the plant is used on the mixed feed during the conditioning process before final pelletisation and packing. Conditioning at an elevated temperature allows the gelatinisation of starch to begin and this means that more nutrients can be digested. The steam also lubricates the mix to maximise the throughput and extend the life of the pelletiser.
The Clayton Steam Generator was recommended to Baileys Horse Feeds by Buckeye Nutrition of Ohio, USA with whom they have links. Buckeye Nutrition are well known feed manufacturers and already use Clayton Steam Generators.
The Clayton Steam Generator is a water tube boiler which operates on the principle of forced circulation of water through a heated coil. Only a small amount of water is contained in the steam generator which is therefore small in size and can start-up and respond to changes in steam demand very rapidly.
A feature of the design which is important for animal feed production is the very high steam quality. This high quality is due to the use of a vortex type steam separator which is part of the standard design. The separator has no moving parts and removes water and any other small particles by centrifugal action. This ensures typically less than 0.5% moisture in the steam at all load conditions.
This high quality, dry steam is also of utmost importance for consistency of the product from a pelletising process since it minimises the condensate fall out in the conditioner and can also prevent slugs of water in the process. The high quality steam also reduces the possibility of impurities in the feed.
The Clayton Steam Generator is not only fully automatic it is also inherently safe since there has never been a steam explosion with the Clayton design. Consequently, at Baileys Horse Feeds the unit operates automatically, 24 hours a day with minimal operator attendance.
The new steam generator is part of recent expansion and improvements at the plant which includes computer controlled mixing, additional micronising technology and new storage facilities. Joe Venner who is Operations Director said:
“We have always used the best available technology so that we can reliably maintain the best quality and consistency of our feeds”
The company’s famous racehorse, ‘Mister Baileys’, was fed on Baileys No 10 Racehorse Mix when he won the 2000 Guineas in 1994 - Proving that nothing succeeds like success.
Clayton is a global manufacturer of industrial steam solutions. European production and engineering have been carried out since 1961 in Bornem, Belgium, where Clayton of Belgium serves as the EMEA headquarters and main production hub for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. The global headquarters of the Clayton Group is located in California, with additional production facilities in Mexico and Europe, and subsidiaries in France, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, and the United Kingdom.
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