FACTORY RATE CONTROL BASED ON MORE CONSTANT FIBRE RATE

During the 2000 crushing season, Tully Sugar Mill implemented a new rate control system that aimed to process cane at constant fibre rate using a belt weigher to measure crushing rate and the NIR Cane Analysis System to measure fibre % cane. The control system was extensively used in the 2001 crushing season and its benefits were compared to the conventional constant No. 1 mill speed control system in a designed experiment. This paper describes the new control system, the reasons for its implementation and the comparison of its performance to the conventional mill speed control system. The results show that it has been successful in reducing the range in crushing and fibre rate and has brought some improvements to the factory’s overall performance.