The Customer
Veetee Foods is an established rice manufacturer with a heritage dating back to 1987. The company operates controlled production lines where efficiency, reliability, and consistent product quality are critical to its ongoing operations.
The Background
Veetee run two different rice pack formats on a single production line. Both products required effective drying after a cooling bath stage, prior to date coding and secondary packaging.
Their existing drying system was underperforming. It struggled to fully remove moisture from the packs, particularly in harder-to-reach areas. This led to ongoing operational issues, including inconsistent drying results and incorrect date coding.
Additionally the drying machine required regular maintenance with the need to regularly replace the blowers and motors resulting in downtime and increased costs.
Having already attempted to refurbish their existing equipment without success, Veetee approached us to provide a more reliable, long-term solution that would improve performance while reducing maintenance demands.
The Challenge
Following a detailed site survey, several key challenges were identified:
- Limited installation space, restricting equipment size and layout
- Unusually high conveyor height, requiring a tailored design approach
- Full pack coverage required, including tops, bottoms, sides, and recessed areas
- Variable line speeds, meaning the solution needed to perform consistently across different operating conditions
It was clear that a standard, off-the-shelf system would not be suitable. A fully engineered solution was required.
The Solution
To achieve complete and consistent drying, a dual-machine setup was designed and installed:
- 1 × DryGuide Essential
- 1 × DryGuide system
Both machines operate in tandem and were specifically engineered to fit within the restricted space while accommodating the elevated conveyor position. The system is designed to deliver comprehensive drying across all areas of the pack, including the top, bottom, sides, and other hard-to-reach sections.”
Secomak carried out the full installation and commissioning of the equipment in parallel with the conveyor manufacturer’s work on a new conveyor section. This was seamlessly integrated through one of the drying systems.
The Result
The new drying setup delivered consistent, high-quality drying across both product types, along with improved reliability and significantly reduced maintenance requirements. Frequent component failures, such as those involving blowers and motors, were eliminated, and the system was seamlessly integrated into the existing production line despite the space constraints.
As a result, Veetee now benefits from a robust, low-maintenance drying solution that supports its production demands and improves overall line efficiency.
Technical Specification
