MCPI is able to adapt its systems to any situation, however unexpected. And here’s the proof: a gravimetric doser designed to accommodate… insects, or more specifically black soldier fly larvae.
Larvae to feed animals and plants
The biotechnology company that commissioned MCPI’s services specializes in insect breeding and bioconversion using larvae. It uses the larvae for several sustainable applications:
- producing protein meal for consumption by fish and shrimp;
- lipids in liquid form for poultry, pigs or pets;
- obtaining manure, as the droppings of these insects are a very good fertilizer.
MCPI’s dosers are evolving
Using machines to accommodate larvae is a very specific challenge. Dosing living organisms is of course subject to unique constraints. The insects, constantly moving, must not leave the machine or pile up and get crushed. To transfer the larvae, MCPI’s engineers decided they needed to modify several elements of the gravimetric doser. First, they had to deal with the absence of a storage hopper, which is usually used to accommodate inert food before it continues its journey. A chute thus feeds a mobile hopper with a vibrating inclined surface. This dosing corridor prevents the very young larvae building up and thus limits losses (a storage hopper is available for dosing more mature larvae).
Gravimetric doser for larvae: clever extras
The insects are then transferred to the dosing bowl (6 grams in this case). Several covers are provided inside to reduce the risk of larvae escaping. As the material is constantly moving, even when the machine is stopped, MCPI has added a recovery container at the end of the dosing process, between the vibrating corridor and the spoon, an intermediate step that ensures a high level of precision in the dosing of the larvae.
Upstream, a screen can also be installed to filter the mixture, as the larvae are often accompanied by droppings and larvae that have not been able to continue their growth.
All the expertise of MCPI in a bespoke machine
Although this application of the MCPI gravimetric doser required modifications, the technology retains all its standard qualities: precision, reliability, simplicity. Maintenance is easy, with a mobile doser that can be handled by one person, parts that can be removed without tools, and stainless steel surfaces that can be cleaned with water.
