Leading contract food manufacturer PacMoore Products, Inc. supports its clients by handling product processing, packaging, repackaging, and warehousing, all tailored to specific customer requirements. Since its inception in 1989, the company has expanded operations to include facilities in Hammond, Indiana, focused on dry blending and consumer packaging, and a Mooresville, Indiana, plant specializing in spray drying and extrusion for products such as textured vegetable protein (TVP), fortified crisps, snacks, and cereals. Additionally, PacMoore operates an innovation lab for extrusion development in Gridley, Illinois.

Jose Ramirez, Engineering and Maintenance Manager at the Hammond site, explains, “We receive ingredients in one format and ship them out in another. That involves sifting, blending, repackaging, and distributing either to client facilities or directly to retail outlets.”

PacMoore works with a wide range of ingredients, including plant-based proteins, cocoa blends, sweeteners, fiber additives, starches, drink powders, gums, protein crisps, and various baking mixes. Incoming materials are typically delivered in formats such as 50 lb bags, bulk bags, rail cars, or tankers. Outgoing packaging varies depending on end use, including retail-ready pouches (ranging from 4.5 oz to 5 lb) or larger formats like 30 lb bag-in-boxes or 50 lb sacks to suit unique customer requirements.

Ensuring Product Quality Through Sifting

The sifting process begins with a screen that performs a preliminary check on bulk ingredients before they move into mixers. In instances where the recipe requires it, liquid is added to ensure a consistent blend. As Joseph Williams, Engineering Manager at the Mooresville site, notes, “Added moisture can create lumps or dense clumps, which need to be broken down before packaging.”

To ensure consistent particle sizing before packaging, the Hammond location installed two centrifugal sifters from our Kason brand. A high-capacity Model YOB-SS with a 7.5 hp motor is dedicated to a high-throughput baking soda line. A smaller, portable Model MO-SS (3 hp) is used flexibly across other lines, depending on the need for sifting after other processes. A similar unit is used in Mooresville for final product screening.

“Centrifugal sifting helps us meet the exact granule specifications required by customers,” Ramirez notes.

Material is fed into a cylindrical horizontal screen via auger. Inside, paddles with self-cleaning nylon brushes rotate at high speed, pushing the product outward by centrifugal force. Suitably sized particles pass through the mesh and drop directly into packaging equipment, while larger particles exit separately into acontainer. The action not only sifts but also breaks down soft agglomerates without clogging the mesh.

“One of the biggest advantages is the brush-assisted screen cleaning,” says Williams. “Without that, clumpy materials would block the screen and slow production.”

Screen mesh sizes are chosen based on specific product requirements and are easily interchangeable “Swapping a screen takes under two minutes,” Ramirez adds.

On the Hammond baking soda line, product from railcars is transferred to a processing tank, then to the centrifugal sifter, and finally via auger into carton-filling equipment that packages the product into 1 to 4 lb containers.

Why Centrifugal Sifters Over Vibratory Screeners?

PacMoore evaluated different screening technologies before selecting the centrifugal sifters. While circular vibratory screens were considered, they did not meet the demands for handling clumpy materials or maintaining throughput.

According to Williams, “The centrifugal sifters maintain speed and prevent the downtime we would face with traditional vibratory screens, where buildup can halt the line.”

The equipment also had to withstand continuous operation and be portable without causing excessive vibration. “We needed compact machines for mobile setups that would not shake the platforms they are mounted on,” he adds.

Cleaning and maintenance were also key factors in the decision. The sifters’ quick clean design, which features a cantilevered shaft and tool free disassembly, simplifies both inspection and sanitation, which is critical for minimizing cross contamination risks in food manufacturing.

“Screen removal and cleaning is much easier than with flat deck systems,” Ramirez says. “This is especially important given how serious contamination risks are in our industry.”

Durability is another plus. “We do not have any issues with screen damage in the centrifugal models, which saves costs of replacement and downtime,” Williams confirms.

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If you’re interested in our centrifugal sifters and want to learn more, speak with our team. We’ll work closely with you to find the best solution for your material processing and operational goals.