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Compact milling system for producing Atta flour
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by Bühler Group, Switzerland
ühler now also offers a compact milling system for producing Atta flours. The new AIPesa milling system is based on the smaller version of the PesaMill and is superbly suited to a small-scale production of hygienic and authentically tasty Atta flours. Atta flours are the basis for making the flat breads, such as chapati, roti and puri, which are a basic food staple on the Indian subcontinent. Made from a variety of wheat blends, Atta flour is in high demand in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, above all. Rapid urbanisation and a growing, quality-conscious middle class in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh has created a strong demand for Atta flours of high quality. Atta flour has been produced for centuries on what are called chakki mills. This outdated technology with its limited capacity and, in particular, the chemical substances used on the mill stones no longer meet the requirements of an industrial and hygienic milling process.
New Atta process
Bühler has worked closely with specialists for Atta flour to develop a new process for the industrial manufacture of whole grain Atta flour. The Bühler Atta process is the first industrial process technology for manufacturing hygienic, faultless and authentic tasting Atta flour. The core of this revolutionary Atta process, which offers a modern alternative to the common chakki mills, is the highcompression mill, PesaMill MDGA, with grinding rolls. The high-compression mill was developed for the particular requirements of Atta production. It ensures a high throughput while maintaining top food safety. The machine can be easily cleaned and requires less maintenance than a chakki mill, which needs to have its stones redressed every month. In addition, producers can customise their product thanks to the innovative milling system. The PesaMill can produce flour according to specific values for water absorption, starch damage and granulation in order to adapt to regional market preferences. After milling, a plansifter makes efficient sifting and sorting possible. Furthermore, Bühler’s ZZ sifter offers a compact solution for separating bran particles and semolina. The result is 50 | January 2020 - Milling and Grain
an Atta flour with optimal colour. A single PesaMill can replace up to twenty traditional stone mills with its completely integrated process - and there are innumerable other advantages such as higher yields, reduced energy consumption and the possibility to produce multiple flour qualities on the same machine.
AlPesa: Same technology, designed for less capacity
The PesaMill was specially developed for the industrial production of Atta flour and is available in two models with a daily capacity of 75 tonnes or 150 tonnes, respectively. There are already many PesaMill plants being used industrially for continuous operation in India and neighboring countries. The majority of Atta flour in India and Pakistan, however, is still being produced on the chakki stone mills with daily capacities of up to ten tonnes. To offer an alternative to the hundreds of small chakki mills still in use, Bühler has now designed the AIPesa MDGM, a compact and space-saving milling system with an hourly capacity of 700kg. The AIPesa grinding system is based on the technology of the PesaMill and consists of a high-compression mill, a plansifter and a bagging station, a switch cabinet with control system, and it has the same hygienic and operating technical properties as the PesaMill. AlPesa can be operated stand-alone and with manual bagging, or it can be integrated into an existing mill. The AlPesa milling system is a cost-effective, easy-to-operate compact milling system for producing authentic Atta flours.
AIPesa for worldwide use
The possibilities for Bühler’s new AIPesa milling system, however, are not limited to India and its neighboring countries. Over 40 million people of Indian, Pakistani or Bangladeshi origin live elsewhere in the rest of the world. In order to produce their familiar flat bread, they have had to rely on importing the traditional Atta flour from their former homeland. Bühler now offers a global version of the AIPesa milling system for providing members of the Indian diaspora with Atta flour, and it can also be used for processing other special whole grain foods, such as sorghum and millet. AIPesa is a plug-and-play concept that offers the perfect solution for integrating it into existing mills. Installation and commissioning can take place within two weeks. www.buhlergroup.com