The first rollout of Bühler’s “smart” rice mills is entering the final stages with Swiss rice miller Riseria Taverne among the first operators to successfully implement the system. 

“First results indicate significant cost savings, reduction in energy consumption and increased quality output,” says Stefania Dolci, head of quality assurance at Riseria Taverne, Switzerland’s largest rice mill.

Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning technology transform stand-alone technologies into one smart integrated system, connecting the mill’s sorter, whitener and sensors. 

Bühler hails the system as a “major leap toward a totally connected milling operation that can boost quality while reducing waste and energy consumption. 

“It’s this potent combination that lifts our capabilities to entirely new levels, equipping millers with the tools to operate even more efficiently and meet their customers’ ever-growing demand for consistent quality,” says Johannes Wick, CEO grains and food at Bühler.

“Our digitally integrated system is the world’s first. Our solution-focused thinking connects the entire mill,” he adds.  

Consumer demand for premium rice
The rice processing industry faces many challenges. The growing global population and the rise of the middle class is driving up demand from global consumers who are increasingly quality conscious. 

Simultaneously, rice processors must manage huge variations in input with ever fewer skilled operators, notes the company.

Bühler has defined three quality parameters essential to the rice market: shine, smoothness and whiteness. 

These, together with the percentage of broken rice, determine the quality and therefore the price that can be achieved with the final product. 

The RiceLinePro DROA sensor continuously assesses and keeps track of these characteristics in real-time using complex machine learning algorithms. 

This not only standardizes the process, minimizing error and increasing consistency and reliability, but also reduces reliance on labor.  

Increasing transparency
The digitally-connected technology provides mill operators with the insights they need to correctly adjust solution settings. 

Over time, the intelligent system is capable of adjusting autonomously. wher millers were once left to take corrective action after an incident occurred, they can now prevent costly reprocessing steps and proactively manage the entire process. 

With these advances, the miller can optimize operating costs, quality and yield, all of which have a direct impact on the profit of the mill. 

The product can be marketed with confidence along the entire value chain from miller, trader, and retailer to the end consumer at the optimal price point.

Bright, whiter rice
Bühler has specialized in whitening technology for more than three decades, introducing the first vertical split-stone arrangement to the market. 

The new Automatic Whitener DRWC improves the process further by providing whitening performance through self-adapting whitening pressure. 

It also includes an overload protection mechanism and convenient recipe setting options that can be accessed via a touchscreen. 

The shaftless design allows air to pass freely around rice kernels resulting in cooler and cleaner kernels, free from the bran.

Optical sorter live streamed
Bühler’s new DS-C Optical Sorter provides real-time product quality alerts, which help to optimize the rice yield as well as adapt downstream processing technology settings. 

Features such as product live streaming and replay are part of digitalized production. 

For a typical optical sorter, ejection spikes often result in the loss of good product. Bühler’s integrated digital solutions detect these spikes as they happen. 

If there is very little contamination, there may be no need to re-sort the product and it can go straight to packing. 

At an average throughput of 3,500 kg per hour and 25 spikes a day, up to 32,000 kg of good product could be lost over a month if the errors are not detected and rectified. 

The monthly savings from increased visibility could be as high as US$15,000, notes the company.  

Leveraging data insights
Bühler has invested considerably in data science with dedicated teams and its in-house data platform, Bühler Insights. 

This gives Bühler a foundation for digital services that require reliable access to data. “We have been offering our customers real-time connectivity for our technologies for many years.”

“This has allowed us to collect high-quality data from technologies in the field,” says Krishna Kumar, digital development and data science manager in data analytics and services at Bühler. 

“Now our data science team has been able to use this data to identify key issues that can be solved using automation and machine learning.”

“We have been at the forefront of innovation for the rice processing industry for over 100 years, providing solutions across the entire milling process, such as the vertical whitener, optical sorting and process automation,” says Wick. 

“Now we are applying a data-driven approach to rice processing to an extent not seen before in the industry. For the first time in rice processing, we are harnessing the full potential of digital transformation to create value for millers, drive quality standards, and improve sustainability,” he concludes.