Piloting products to customers – our soluble corn fibre success
"To get products to customers that quickly relies on an efficient ‘pilot plant’ – where ideas can be thoroughly tested and costs saved"
We began selling soluble corn fibre (SCF) to major customers within a year of coming up with the idea. Our SCF plant in Decatur, US, was completed in March 2010 – less than 18 months later.
"To get products to customers that quickly relies on an efficient ‘pilot plant’ – where ideas can be thoroughly tested and costs saved" – says Ed Farley, Director, Process Engineering, R&D, Americas.
“You need to do the fundamental research that says ‘yes, we can manufacture a quality product which meets specifications along with cost’. Then pilot work, to see where the potential issues are in the process, and concentrate on them. With SCF we had multiple pilot plants, to accelerate the time-lines and get the product to our customers.”
And the pilot work for a major product like SCF does not stop, says Ed. “Pilot plants should be very integrated with the manufacturing process. We’re continually reducing costs.”