EVANS’ “ATLAS” FLOUR AND OATMEAL MILLING COMPANY, LIMITED

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXV, Issue 18008, 13 July 1928, Page 18 (Supplement)

EVANS’ “ATLAS” FLOUR AND OATMEAL MILLING COMPANY, LIMITED

THE STAFF OF LB FE A LOCAL FLOUR MILL. Founded in ISBB by Mr Willhuu Evans, the Atlas Milling Co. (Evans and Co., Ltd.), was equipped as a first class Roller Flour Mill, by Messrs. Henry Simon, Ltd., of Manchester, England. Mr Evans, as promoter, was and is the principal shareholder, ana from its inception to the present day, has held the office of Managing Director. Mr George Tennant, who has been Secretary to the Company since it commenced operations, was appointed Manager in 1924, and has recently retired through failing health. Mr J. G. Venning joined the Company in 1889, and after filling the position of grain and shipping clerk, also ledger-keeper, was appointed Secretary in 1924. Mr Walter Spurden, the head miller, has served the Company' for over thirty-six years, Mr James Freeman, general hand and engineer for thirtynine years, and Mr Walter Davie has also been employed for thirty-four years. The “Atlas” -brand of flour is well and favourably known throughout New Zealand, and" has always maintained its reputation for high quality, and the fact that for a very long period of its existence, the mill has run day and night, is adequate proof of this. Like all other manufacturing industries, it is necessary that a flour mill should be kept up-to-date, and with this end in view a contract was placed with Messrs. T. Robinson and Son, Ltd., milling engineers, of Rochdale, Eiigland and Sydney, for the necessary machinery to remodel the mill on their

latest, system. To ensure a first class plant that would be second to none in the Dominion, Messrs. Robinson decided to completely re-design and reconstruct the entire interior of the mill, and though a few of the original machines were renovated and retained, the whole of the original installation was “scrapped,"and the existing and new machines were welded together into a modern unit. The Atlas Milling Company were amongst the first power consumers in South Canterbury to realise the advantages of electricity as a source of power, and when the line from Lake Coleridge was definitely decided upon, placed a contract with Messrs. Turnbull and Jones for the electrification of their mill, the change over in motive power to be carried out simultaneously with the remodelling of the mill. The motor driving of the mill and cleaning plant is of the most modern type, being 125 li.p. Auto Synchronous, and has ueen installed to drive the main line of shafting by a Morse Westinghouse chain in such a manner that in the event of a stoppage of the electric current, the mill can be driven by tlie steam engine which has been retained ns a “stand-by.” The grain store and preliminary cleaning plant, which only runs intermittently, and is- situated at some distnce from the main motor, is driven separately by 30 h.p., motor of the ordinary induction type, and the electrical equipment is completed by a 5 h.p. motor, driving the existing dynamo. Two Carter Mayhew Disc Separators have been added to the cleaning plant. These are the most modern and efficient machines for extracting barley, oats, cockle, and combine from wheat.

In the mill proper, the new machines comprise seven- sets of the latest type, double diagonal roller mills, one double l'anless purifier, two latest type shaftdriven plansifiers, and a new exharst fan and dust collector. In addition, in accordance with Messrs. Robinson’s usual practice, all the lino shafting has been fitted with ball-bearings, which effectively reduce the power consumption. The process of . Flour Milling is a very complex pne’, -afid is somewhat bewildering to the uninitiated, suffice ’ to , say that preparatory to grinding, the wheat is subjected to a thorough cleaning, which removes impurities larger or smaller than wheat by means of sieves, dust, dirt, straws, and light impurities by air currents, extraneous matter •. longer on shorter than wheat by means of the Carter. Discs, and finally the wheat is-polished on Emery and between.- fibre brushes to remove by friction anything that may so far have escaped by reason of its adher-. ing to the actual skin of the. grain, jjcuig now thoroughly clean, the wheat is ready : for the gradual conversion into Flour, Bran, and Pollard, which is accomplished, by four passages through grooved iron rollers, -after which-the Bran is removed as a finished product, purification of the semolina and middlings—-the technical terms for the flour bearing portions of the grain—by means of air currents which lift out small particles of skin, and subsequently ' by iitne successive grindings on smooth rolls, -a certain percentage of flour being produced at

each operation, leaving the Pollard cleaned of all flour after the last grinding. After each passage through the rolls, both graved and smooth, which arc placed on the first floor, the products are elevated to the top floor for treatment on the Plansifters and Centrifugal Dressing Machines, which sort and grade the stock to the succeeding rollers, and extract .any finished Hour which is. dropped into a conveyor, which' thoroughly mixes the flour made at the various "stages, before packing as a finished article. Tiie whole of the machines were manufactured by Messrs. Robinson and Son, Ltd., in their Rochdale Works, and all the planning and reconstruction has been carried out by them, under, the direct supervision of their own., engineers, and they have succeeded in. evolving a thoroughly efficient and up-to-date plant. As “Bread is the Staff of Life,” ’t, is vitually important that it should be produced under the most hygenie conditions, and not only is the plant entirely automatic from start to finish ■ —manual labour being only required to shoot the wheat and weigh and sew the finished products in their respective bags, but Messrs. Robinson have produced a plant that is a model of cleanliness, and which works without: any of the dust usually associated with a flour mill. The management will be pleased to afford an opportunity to any of the. members of the public who are interested, to look over the newly-installed plant.