5 replies to this topic

[FlourPower]

My company is working on implementing an ERP system which will also have lot tracking and traceability features and I am trying to determine what the best practice would be for traceability in bulk silos and bins with comingled lots that do not unload evenly and was wondering if anyone could offer suggestions. 

 

1. Track all lots until the bin is emptied, which could occur every two months or more.

 

2. Use the last x (perhaps 10) lots. When the 11th comes in, the first of the 10 drops off and that cycle continues.

 

3. Time based. After X days/months/etc a lot would drop off. For instance, in a tank or silo that hold 800,000 lbs of a grain, it can be estimated that a lot received on a certain date could be safely dropped out after a period of time.

 

4. FiFo. The implementation team has this on their list of options but I don't see how this can provide any meaningful traceability.

 

5. Something I am missing that is not listed above.

 

[GMO]

How many bins or silos do you have?  I know of sites who treat it from empty to empty.  I know of others that just consider the delivery before and after.  I'm not sure they really have evidence for that though.

 

I'm assuming you mean powders?  If so, I think the only way is to empty completely between lots to be sure. But if you can evidence how the lots mingle and how it discharges, you could put data behind narrowing that.

 

Essentially though an ERP system just replicates paperwork.  What did you do before?

[G M]

Best practice will probably be to separate them only when the silo reaches a "clean" state.

 

Depending on the types of materials involved it is conceivable that the risk is transferred between lots sharing the silo, and only becomes diluted until it is "cleaned"

[FlourPower]

How many bins or silos do you have?  I know of sites who treat it from empty to empty.  I know of others that just consider the delivery before and after.  I'm not sure they really have evidence for that though.

 

I'm assuming you mean powders?  If so, I think the only way is to empty completely between lots to be sure. But if you can evidence how the lots mingle and how it discharges, you could put data behind narrowing that.

 

Essentially though an ERP system just replicates paperwork.  What did you do before?

Thanks for the info.

 

We have 12 ingredient (grain) receiving silos which can hold from 80-240 incoming loads, we usually combine these silos into a single lot until empty. From there things get more complex. Ingredient goes into a short-term holding bin which is constantly drawn from during production and is emptied maybe every two months. After production, product goes into one of 3 bins with capacities of 2-3 (outgoing) loads.

 

Wheat for ingredient bins and flour for product bins. Do you have any recommendations on how to do a study to determine how it discharges? I guess we could put metal tags into the bin with the grain and record when we scrape them off the outflow magnet, we don't really have a way of differentiating between individual lots of ingredient going into the bin.

 

We currently account for outflow from the bins sufficient to account for 200-300% of the bins' capacity. We are taking the opportunity to reconsider our practices as we prepare for the ERP.

[GMO]

Your incoming silos I would fill then empty if you can.  So be emptying from silo B as you're filling silo A then move to silo A etc.  That will keep levels of mixing down.

 

Do you have to run your short term holding bin that way?  Could you run it dry when moving from one silo to another?  Not so you run your process down to stop but so that there is a timed break?

 

The outgoing bins I think you replicate your incoming.  Fill one, empty another.  When one is full, empty etc.

 

How have you made that decision to account for 200-300% of that capacity?  Your ERP system is not determining that rule you made.  Do you have a reason for that rule?  If not, then that's the issue not your ERP...  

No, sadly I cannot give you a handy experiment to run but I wonder if a research organisation or university could?  For example, could you have a different strain, still allowed in your product but is detectable and quantifiable through a cheap test?  That way you can work out the level of mixing.  You could put one load of a different strain of wheat with some kind of genetic marker / difference through your whole process and test at determined intervals.  I suspect you'll find there is significant mixing and what is acceptable will be down to your plant and the inherent risks you have with your product and process.

[McForman]

Good afternoon, 

I deal in grain, and I have 33 silos, we trace truck load to silo by scale ticket number (lot number for truck if you like), our silos are unloaded from the bottom, but the ladder pulls from the top so last truck load in is first truck load pulled, and it pulls down. If a customer asks which farmer (lot number they got) we, do it by inventory of what was in the bin at time of processing and use 3 tickets around that inventory. Normal trace for us is Bin number used is added to our COA with that contracts lot number.