ABC Hansen
Complete Solutions to the Grain Value Chain
milling
The ABC Hansen milling systems has its roots in the previous two centuries in Denmark where Engsko circa 1885 manufactured millstones for Europe from the best quality flints and emery stones found in the Baltic, to this day used in the manufacture of millstones by Engsko, presently in its factories in Ethiopia and India, the largest markets for stone mills in the world.
We focus on the manufacture of the following milling systems for wheat-type grains, sorghum, millet & teff and maize separately:
1. Artisanal milling systems for wheat, spelt and other ancient grains:
Here’s how it works:
a. Intake, storage – according to your budget and mill capacity.
Whether bulk or bagged. In South Africa some bulk storage capacity is normally required to buy wheat at the lowest price. In most other African countries bagged wheat is still largely traded.
a. At least 2 x silos – preferably 3 – in capacity between 35 tons and 130 tons flat bottom minimum and for smaller mills at least 3 to 4 x 35 hopper type ton silos. The reason for this is to allow gristing of various qualities wheat to obtain a quality that can sustained and allowing for lower and cheaper qualities wheat to be mixed with higher and expensive qualities to obtain a good baking quality wheat.
b. Reception bin, intake auger or bucket elevator, cross overhead distribution auger, unload augers and gristing machines to allow the exact grist mix.
b. Milling plant to mill commercial quality wheat flours include:
- Cleaner / aspirator
- Dampener & auger / bucket elevator
- Conditioning bins to allow for at least 24 hours conditioning. First in First Out (size according to mill capacity) with unload augers.
- Stone scourer / polisher in unit capacities of 1 ton per hour.
- If a very white commercial flour is required, a Hurricane quad roller mill stand at 1 ton per hour or a triple stand at 600kg/hr.
- Mini plan sifter.
- Stone mill 900mm diameter.
- Rotary sifter or mini plan sifter.
- Pneumatic flour conveyance between mills and sifters.
- Mixer for brown bread and whole wheat flours.
- Optional – Final product bins for cake flour, white bread flour and brown bread flour and bran.
- Motor control centre.
c. Smaller milling plants for special true stone ground flour, which would be used for the milling ancient grains such as spelt as well as teff, would be rather simpler and would not include a roller mill at all with only stone mills and one sifter depending on capacity. Teff would not require a scourer and conditioning either.
d. Sorghum and millet mills would be configured more to c. above while a system for fermentation and drying of fermented grains would be installed between the silos and actual milling plant. Stone mills may also be replaced by Hippo Hammer Mills since the fineness of the grind is not the same as for wheat.
* For these grains in c. and d. above one silo would be sufficient as no gristing will take place. Often bagged supply would be used.
e. Large scale milling plants:
ABC Hansen has installed many large milling plants of 5 tons per hour for wheat and maize and more over the past 25 years. These plants are hybrids of South African, Turkish, Danish, American and Chinese equipment and technology and manufacture. Individual machines for upgrades can also be supplied such as plan sifters, roller mill stands, cleaning etc.
2. Commercial High Quality Super and Special sifted maize meal.
Here’s how it works:
qualities for super and special sifted maize meal differ from region to region
(Qualities vary throughout Africa and being such an important staple food, its has many labels such as Akamu in Nigeria, Bando, Ugali, Bugali, Buru, Posho, Poshto, Chenge, Kiminyet, Kwen Wunga, Kuon, Mogo, Obokima, Sembe, Nfundi, Ngima, Obusuma, Soor, Ubugali, Nsima, Mieliepap, Lipalishi, Oshifima, Sadza, Shadza, Upswa, Xima, Vhuswa, Vhuthu, – to name a few Central, East and Southern Africa only)
No matter the name, a Hippo system will produce the perfect quality through small changes in screens and whether de-germinators are included or not and the extend of de-germination.
a. Intake, storage – according to your budget and mill capacity.
- Whether bulk or bagged. In South Africa some bulk storage capacity is normally required to buy maize at the lowest price. In most other African countries bagged maize is still largely traded.
b. 130 flat bottom silo with reception bin, intake auger / bucket elevator, unload auger to the mill
– estimated price:
c. 20 ton silo with reception bin, intake auger, unload auger.
d. Milling plant includes
- Cleaner / aspirator
- Dampener & auger / bucket elevator
- Conditioning bin First in First Out (size according to mill capacity)
- De-huller (200kg/hr), Polisher (500kg/hr) De-germinator (1.5 ton/hr or multiples of 3 ton/hour).
- Hippo Hammer mill from 200kg/hr to multiples of 5 tons per hour. Hurricane quad roller stand may also be used which would increase the cost of the plant with little to no advantage.
- Sifter – from 200kg/hr to multiples of 5 ton per hour.
- Meal conveyance or direct bagging or finished product bins.
- Optional – Final products: Super maize meal, Special sifted maize meal, hominy chop.
- Motor control centre.
How to Make commercial and small scale milling work
Read the e-book “How to make small scale milling work”
This e-book is full of tips and real world advice of how the milling industry works.
Industrial Milling Systems
75 – 240 tons per day consisting of mainly roller mills in break and reduction passages.
Commercial Milling Systems
24 to 60 tons per 24-hour day consisting mainly of South African and Danish equipment with primarily the ABC Hansen Hurricane compact 4 passage roller mills in the break sections and stone mills in the reduction sections and ABC Hansen cleaning and sifting equipment.
Artisanal milling systems
12 to 36 tons per 24-hour day most often used for high value low volume niche milling of organic and specialty cereals, spices, legumes, oil seeds, nuts, hemp, nutraceuticals and pharmaceuticals, vitamins, health additives, health foods, organic raw materials etc. making small scale processing potentially very profitable. The milling systems consist either of or in a combination with Universal mills (the unique ABC Hansen combination of pin mill, stone mill, plate mill and hammer mill in one), Hurricane one to 4 passage roller mills, Hippo hammer mills and StoneGround* stone mills.
“Quality is never an accident; it is always the result of high intention, sincere effort, intelligent direction and skillful execution; it represents the wise choice of many alternatives.” ~William A. Foster
