The growth of the macadamia nut industry in South Africa and worldwide, has led to an increased focus on enhancing production processes.
Currently macadamia nuts are picked and stored in steel drying bins before being moved to holding bins for distribution. The steel bins have welded angle iron floors to accommodate fans used in the drying process. This flooring has been identified as a significant cost contributor and the industry has sought a more cost-effective solution.
Flooring specialists Andrew Mentis partnered with engineering consultants Endecon Ubuntu, to find a custom solution for the macadamia farming industry.
The companies conducted on-site assessments and gathered data to calculate the load bearing capacity and optimum floor grating configuration required to accommodate the load of the nuts, which can be stacked to heights greater than seven metres.
The Mentis Gripweld floor grating, with 57 mm x 4.5 mm bearer bars spaced at 160 mm and 200 mm and 7.7 mm round transversals at 100 mm, was found to be the most cost-effective solution. In addition, the grating can be customised to the required size by slitting the steel to the exact specified dimensions.
Sheets of Mentis Flatex 345A, an expanded metal product manufactured from 1.6 mm material, are welded onto the top of the floor grating before installation.
The use of concrete bins improves durability and thermal mass, which acts as insulation in the drying process. Customised prefabricated floor gratings can be dropped into the concrete bins from above, reducing the need for potentially hazardous on-site welding.
The projected cost savings for the macadamia industry are seen as significant, owing to the reduced material costs and shorter manufacturing and installation times.
The companies state that the cost effectiveness and ease of installation of the customised floor grating is seen as a potentially significant contributor to the further development of large scale macadamia processing plants across South Africa.