From Bean to Bottle: Inside An Advanced RTD Coffee Production Facility

Westrock

Key System Highlights

• State of the art RTD (Ready to Drink) facility
• MPE scope included coffee processing from green coffee unloading / cleaning to roasting and grinding all the way through batching to the extraction system
• MPE full turnkey project management including process design, electrical / controls and installation service 
• Designed system to be operated from a single control room with provided automation 
• Over 1 mil pounds of green coffee storage

System Components

Green Bean Intake

• Automated burlap slitting system
• Automated bulk bag unloading system
• Manual unloading station capable of both bulk bags and burlap sacks
• System captures green coffee “pre-clean” and “post-clean” weights
• Cleaning system includes screen cleaner, aspirator / burlap string catcher, magnet and metal detection
• Inline green coffee moisture measurement & conveyor to bring coffee directly to sampling lab

Storage and Routing

• 24 silos with 44,000 lb capacity, each capable of holding a semi-truck’s worth of coffee
• 2 scale bins discharging into 4 surge bins
• 2 conveyance lines convey to up to 4 roasters
• Each silo can go to all 4 roasters
• 4 level silo building separate from green coffee processing

Roasting Process

• 4 6-bag (360 kg) batch roasters with pre-heaters reducing cycle times to 8 minutes per batch
• Automated batch scheduling

Whole Bean Processing

• After destoning, post-roast weigh is captured allowing a shrinkage calculation
• Chain-Vey conveys coffee to 12  whole bean coffee storage silos, 10,000 lbs each
• All 4 roasters can feed all 12 silos
• After silos, 2 conveyance lines bring the coffee whole bean bulk bag filling, capsule grinding or extraction system
• Both conveyance lines can go to all three destinations

Whole Bean Bulk Bag Filling / Unloading

• Integrated surge bin with bulk bag filler 
• Scale to capture bulk bag weights
• Whole bean bulk bag unloader capable of bringing 3rd party coffee into 12 whole bean storage silos

Capsule Grinding

• IMD 889 grinder with water-cooling and recipe system
• Chain-Vey used to convey coffee from grinder to bulk bag filling station
• Ground coffee bulk bag filler with integrated scale

Extraction System

• 3 whole bean scale bins 
• Chain-Vey conveyance to IMD 1052 grinder & extraction tanks
• 2 bulk bag unloaders with integrated scales to unload 3rd part coffee to extraction system

Spent Coffee Grounds

• Chain-Veys conveyance from extraction tanks to de-watering press
• De-watering press to presses out coffee moisture
• Chain-Vey to building exterior

Outcome

The system provides complete automation……….. with unprecedented efficiency and precision.