Engineering Works – National Food Company

In food manufacturing and liquid processing, waste at the bottom of Intermediate Bulk Containers (IBCs) directly impacts profitability and environmental performance. When viscous or high-value liquid ingredients are pumped out, residual volume left behind often results in costly product loss and elevated waste disposal charges.

To solve this operational bottleneck for a major National Food Company, Cowens engineered a custom Spring-Loaded Tilting IBC Stillage. The simple, mechanical solution dramatically reduced product residue, delivering immediate cost savings and improved process efficiency.

The Challenge: 10% Waste Per Container from Air Entrainment

During standard liquid drawdown from an IBC, as the fluid level drops toward the bottom, air becomes entrained in the pump line. To prevent air locking and pump cavitation, site operators were forced to stop emptying the containers prematurely.

The impact on operations was substantial:

• 100 Litres Wasted Per IBC: Approximately 10% of total product volume was left in every container.
• High Financial Losses: Valuable food-grade ingredients were repeatedly sent to waste streams.
• Increased Disposal Overhead: Handling and treating high-volume organic liquid waste incurred significant effluent and disposal fees.

The Solution: Ergonomic Spring-Loaded Tilting Stillage

Cowens designed and fabricated a heavy-duty, spring-loaded tilting stillage engineered specifically for IBC handling.

Key design highlights include:

• Automatic Progressive Tilt: As the liquid empties and the container lightens, integrated heavy-duty springs automatically tilt the IBC toward the discharge valve.
• Zero Manual Operation: The passive mechanical spring mechanism requires no electrical power, hydraulic lines, or manual operator intervention during emptying.
• Maintained Pump Prime: By keeping the fluid pooled over the outlet port until the final litres, the system eliminates air entrainment and keeps pumps running smoothly.

The Outcome: 95% Waste Reduction & Fast ROI

The introduction of Cowens’ tilting stillage transformed the client’s container discharge efficiency.

Key Success Metrics:

• Residue Reduced from 100L to 5L: Residual volume dropped from 10% down to just 0.5% per IBC—a 95% reduction in product waste.
• Direct Cost Recovery: Saving 95 litres of product per container yielded immediate payback on engineering hardware.
• Lower Effluent Fees: Minimizing residual liquid waste reduced site disposal charges and simplified container washout procedures.