I. Project Background
In New Taipei, Taiwan, a bakery production base equipped with 2 internationally leading production lines steadily produces 50 tons of bread per day. Behind this high-capacity operation is a fully automated pneumatic conveying system and material management system designed and implemented by Wijay. Centered on pneumatic conveying technology, the system covers both powder and fluid raw materials—including flour, syrup, oil, and chilled water—achieving end-to-end automation from feeding, storage, temperature control, screening, weighing, and batching to recipe management and full traceability, providing the client with an efficient, clean, and fully traceable material handling infrastructure.
II. Project Objectives
In response to these challenges, the client sought to implement an automated material conveying and management system with the following objectives:
Automate the handling of over 90% of all production raw materials, covering both powder and fluid forms;
Establish a closed-loop raw material conveying system to improve the workshop environment and reduce material loss;
Achieve high-precision weighing and feeding to ensure batch-to-batch formulation consistency and stabilize product quality;
Enable automated production data collection, recipe management, and full-process traceability;
Meet food-grade hygiene standards to support export-oriented factory audits and certification.
III. Solution
Leveraging over a decade of expertise in pneumatic conveying and material automation technology, Wijay designed and implemented a comprehensive automated material pneumatic conveying system covering both powder and fluid materials, tailored to the client’s plant layout, production cadence, and process requirements. The system handles 90% of the client’s total raw material volume.
Design Philosophy
Wijay has implemented a minimalist design approach across all aspects—from process methodology and equipment structure to control architecture and operator interface. At key points, including equipment operation, feeding stations, and maintenance access, ergonomic principles have been fully applied to ensure operational convenience while incorporating error-proofing (poka-yoke) mechanisms to minimize human error.
Feeding and Storage
Powder materials (flour, etc.) are conveyed directly from tanker trucks via pneumatic conveying into 4 large storage silos, supporting high-volume continuous production. Manual feeding stations are also provided to facilitate small-batch and multi-variety changeovers. Fluid materials (syrup, oil, chilled water, etc.) are transferred and stored through dedicated piping systems, equipped with temperature control to maintain material stability.
Screening and Pre-treatment
Prior to weighing, powder materials pass sequentially through an iron remover and a vibrating screen, effectively removing metallic impurities and agglomerates to safeguard raw material purity at the source. Fluid materials are filtered to ensure no impurities enter downstream processes.
Weighing, Metering, and Batching
The system employs high-precision weighing modules, achieving an accuracy of up to 3‰ (three-thousandths), ensuring precise control of each ingredient’s proportion in every batch. Upon completion of weighing, materials are automatically discharged into the mixer in recipe sequence for subsequent baking processes.
Recipe Management and Traceability
The system is seamlessly integrated with the client’s EMS (Execution Management System), enabling centralized recipe management and automated retrieval. Real-time data collection and uploading are performed throughout the process—from raw material intake, storage, conveying, and weighing to feeding—establishing a closed-loop batch-level quality traceability.
Environmental and Hygienic Design
The fully enclosed pneumatic conveying pipeline system eliminates dust emissions at the source, improves workshop air quality, and reduces material loss and waste generation. All equipment is designed and manufactured in full compliance with food hygiene standards, and material-contact components meet food-grade safety requirements.
IV. Project Outcomes
The project has recently passed acceptance testing, and the system is operating stably, with all technical indicators meeting or exceeding design specifications:
Processing Capacity: The system covers automated handling of 90% of the client’s production raw materials, with daily conveying capacity matching the production rhythm for 50 tons of bread;
Weighing Accuracy: Consistently maintained within 3‰, with batch-to-batch feeding consistency significantly improved, and product quality fluctuations in downstream processes substantially reduced;
Environmental Improvement: Workshop dust concentration has decreased markedly, and the working environment has improved substantially;
Quality Management: The facility passed export-oriented factory audits and HACCP system certification in a single attempt, with product safety and stability receiving authoritative recognition;
Traceability Efficiency: Production data is now fully collected automatically, with recipe management and traceability efficiency vastly improved over manual methods.
V. Economic Benefits
The minimalist design approach and ergonomic optimization have reduced operational complexity and minimized manual intervention, delivering significant economic returns for the client:
Total annual savings exceeding RMB 3 million, encompassing optimized material procurement costs, reduced material waste, and lower labor expenses;
Investment payback period within 2 years, with clearly quantifiable economic benefits.
VI. Client Feedback
During the project acceptance phase, the client’s management and production teams provided highly positive feedback. The client acknowledged that the system has effectively addressed long-standing material management challenges, meeting or exceeding expectations for improved production efficiency, product quality assurance, enhanced work environment, and operational cost reduction. The facility’s successful single-pass approval of export audits and HACCP certification also provides strong support for the client’s expansion into overseas markets.
VII. About Wijay
Wijay Automation Technology Co., Ltd. specializes in pneumatic conveying and material automation solutions, with over a decade of industry experience. The company offers comprehensive service capabilities ranging from process design, custom equipment development, and system integration to full-scale plant planning, serving clients across bakery, food processing, chemical, and other industries. Wijay is committed to applying professional expertise and practical approaches to help manufacturing enterprises achieve refined, clean, and intelligent upgrades in material handling operations.
