Järvenpää invested in sifter cabinets
– More screening area means we can produce higher quality flour more efficiently. As yields increase, production capacities also increase, says Martti Loikkanen, Plant Manager at the Järvenpää production plant when he talks about the investment of just under one million euros.
The flour mill in Järvenpää grinds wheat and rye. The treatment of different types of grain differs from each other, as the inner part and the husk of the grain are separated from the wheat during grinding. Rye is usually ground into whole wheat flour, leaving the husk and kernel of the grain unseparated.
From Järvenpää, flour, various flour mixtures and baking ingredients travel to bakeries, the food industry, to foodservice professionals and consumers all over Finland. For example, Helsinki Mills Organic Wheat Flour is available even in Ivalo S-market and Enontekiö K-Market.
– Autumn is clearly semolina season. Before Christmas, we sell a lot of wheat flour. Finland also bakes before Easter and May Day. The demand for rye is steady all year round, says Martti.
–The new sifter cabinets have more screen surface, so the yield increases. We can recover high-quality flour even more accurately, says Martti Loikkanen, Plant Manager at the Järvenpää production plant.
The core of the mill consists of roller units and sifter cabinets. Roller units crush and grind grains, and the sifters sorts the flour into different grades of coarseness.
Roller units and sifter cabinets are the core of the mill
Since its founding on October 8, 1934, Helsinki Mills – the first and only large mill in the capital – was located on Sörnäisten rantatie, in factory premises that were renovated for mill use. When operations moved to Järvenpää in 1992, the new production facility was the most modern mill in the Nordic countries.
– Technically, the milling process has remained the same for years. The core of the mill is still formed by roller units and sifter cabinets. Roller units crush and grind grains and in the sifter department, fractions of different sizes of flour are sorted by size. Of course, automation controls the process, but experienced millers monitor, for example, moisture and ash percentages as well as water retention and adjust the roller units as needed. The screens in the sifter cabinet wear out, and the miller's expertise also includes making new sifters as needed, Martti explains by using examples from the everyday life of the five millers in Järvenpää.
Martti Loikkanen really knows the Järvenpää production plant like the back of his hand. Martti came to Puurtajankatu 23 years ago.
– I've worked through the whole production, says Martti, who went to miller school in Switzerland.
When roller units took their first spin in Järvenpää over 30 years ago, the equipment that was in use had already proven effective in Helsinki. Over the years, new technology has of course been introduced several times, for example, when it comes to automation and the separation of impurities. For example, the now renovated sifter cabinets no longer have wooden parts.
– From a production perspective, the new cabinets improve operational reliability and minimise maintenance breaks. When screen surface increases, the yield increases. We recover high-quality flour even more accurately, says Martti when he talks about the benefits of the investment.
From October 1934 onwards, Helsinki's first and only large mill was located on the Sörnäisten rantatie. When the production plant moved to Puurtajankatu in Järvenpää in 1992, it was the most modern mill in the Nordic countries.
Examined and test-ground, examined and test-baked
Producing high-quality, Finnish wheat and rye flour is the sum of many factors. "We examine every grain load we receive in our own laboratory in Järvenpää. The amount of grain protein, Hagberg falling number and grain size vary. Once the laboratory analyses and test baking have been done, we can ensure the quality of our products.
The quality of rye flour is determined by the degree of coarseness and the falling number. In wheat flour, in addition to the falling number, protein content is also important, as it affects the amount of gluten and water binding.
"With tests carried out in the laboratory and in the test bakery, we ensure that we meet our customers' quality requirements. How much gluten do you want, and how much should the flour bind water? How does flour withstand kneading? For us, the analysis results are part of the flour delivery, Martti Loikkanen reminds us.
Helsinki Mills has been awarded the International Food Standard certificate (IFS). The internationally recognized and GFSI-approved food safety standard is proof that our manufacturing process is safe and our quality control works.
New products from the Järvenpää flour mill for the 90th anniversary of Helsinki Mills include Helsinki Mills Bun Flour Mix, Festive Wheat Flour and Fine-Grained Roll Flour. The packages of Festive Wheat Flour and Bread Roll Flour feature Miller Maija and Miller Matti, characters that customers recognize from the early days of Helsinki Mill.
