PSM Applied to Seeds Industry

Abstract Text

PSM applied to seeds industry

A new vegetable seeds
processing plant is being built in Graneros, Chile.
The main focus is to make a breakthrough in technology applied to agro
industrial processes based on principles of ESH and applying concepts that are
already in use in other industries such as chemical ones (PSM). The project
describes the main changes made ​​in Santa Julia Plant to minimize
the lifting of loads such as bags up to 35 kg of seeds, plastic bins, and in
general the manipulation of heavy loads of products. During the design stage of
the plant we changed the manual material handling processes for technologies
already used in other industries. Basically, in the seed processing industry,
product manipulation is done manually due to the small but heavy quantities,
and also because historically, it has been a manual, and almost homemade
industry. The new plant concept involves the use of new cylindrical seed containers
(bags were used in the past, with all the manipulation complications involved
in carrying them), the use of monorails to transport seed containers through
the plant, the installation of specially design tables (with mechanical
equipment) to help in the tilt of the cylinders from vertical position from the
monorail to a horizontal position to place them in the transport carts and specially
made carts to transport product between stages. In addition concepts applied to
the care of the environment: electric seed dryers instead of natural gas ones
and washing seed trays with sprinklers to control and minimize water
consumption in the process. Through these changes, we introduced automation to
the industrial production of seeds, eliminating various manual labors that
implied ergonomic issues for the workers, and dealing with heavy loads, which
is very common in the seed industry.