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“Flour factories equipped with Internet of Things Technology and operated by a single person will come”
Fatih ÖCAL
Torku Flour Factory Manager
Spot: “When we look at the last 10 years in the milling industry, we see that companies investing in R&D studies are developing and producing added value. Almost all companies use motors with high energy efficiency, more and more effective cleaning machines are developed in unit time, more ergonomic designs are made to reduce the maintenance times of the machines. In the upcoming period, we will see factories that are equipped with sensors, switches, communication networks and Internet of Things Technology (IoT), where even the lighting does not need to work, even though the capacity is very high, and that even the quality traceability is made by the devices and operated by a single person.”
For the cover of "Smart Solutions and Future Technologies in Milling" of Miller magazine, we wanted to consult the opinions of the industry's leading manufacturers as well as professionals who use these machines and technologies and face the emerging problems one-on-one. At this point, we knocked on the door of Fatih Öcal, an expert who has experience in every stage of flour production, from factory setup to commissioning, from raw material purchase to quality control and product development. Öcal is the manager of the flour factory established by Torku in Çumra, which brings the abundance of Anatolian soil to our tables. Fatih Öcal, who has nearly 20 years of experience in the sector, graduated from Selçuk University Flour Production Technology in 2005 and then Atatürk University Food Engineering. He held many positions such as laboratory technician, R&D engineer, flour process field specialist and quality control chief in various factories. We talked with Fatih Öcal about the future goals of TorkuUn and the future of milling.
Mr. Fatih, can you first tell us about TorkuUn, which you are the head of, and give us information about the facility?
As Torku, our first priority is "consumer health", so we produce natural and additive-free flour. We are one of the factories with the most modern technology in Turkey. We are Turkey's first fire-resistant flour factory built using fireproof materials. The main target of our investment is; To contribute to sustainable agriculture in Turkey, especially in the Central Anatolia region.
In addition to the biscuit, wafer and cake production facilities, our new and technological Flour factory, which will transform the wheat of the regional farmer into flour, was commissioned in the last months of 2016. The facility, which produces industrial flour types in the first place, meets the raw material needs of Torku Bakery, Biscuit, Cake, and Wafer Production Facilities. Torku Flour Factory, which produces on the same campus as Torku's facilities producing snack products, also makes a positive contribution to the operating efficiency of other businesses as it zeroes the transportation costs of the flour raw material used by the facilities in question.
Quality control and process control studies are carried out meticulously in our state-of-the-art laboratory in the process starting from raw material input control to final product control. While all controls and analyzes are carried out with precision in all processes, from wheat to flour, the sensitivity of quality control processes is increased by performing verification analyzes in accredited laboratories.
Our facility, where the highest quality and reliable products are produced as a requirement of the "respect for people" policy, produces reliable products with TSE ISO 9001, 22000 certificates, TSE certificates in product groups and trademark registration.
“WE WILL CLOSE AN IMPORTANT DEFICIT IN INDUSTRIAL FLOUR PRODUCTION”
Torku Flour Factory currently produces biscuit, wafer flour, cake and whole wheat flour. The closed area of the factory, which is planned to be 7 floors, is 1585 square meters. The factory has 10 wheat storage silos of 250 tons. 200 tons of wheat is processed daily at the facility. It is planned to gradually increase the capacity of the factory, which was built with the logic of an integrated facility suitable for growth. In addition to flour, bran, razmol, bonkalite and germ are produced as by-products in the factory. In our factory, which makes special production according to the product variety, the highest quality product is obtained with minimum energy consumption.
Our factory, which will close a very important gap in industrial flour production, will not only meet the raw material needs of Torku, but also sell to the market. Torku Flour Factory will also contribute to the raw material supply of biscuit factories in the region.
As far as I know, Imas established the production line at the facility. Could you tell us about the advantages this modern facility brings to you and the Torku Group?
First of all, all technologies related to milling were researched while establishing this facility. A decision was made by discussing all the details on the table. In order to contribute to domestic and national capital, local companies were given a chance and it was decided to continue with İmaş Makina, the company of our Konya.
Machine assembly was started before the m was finished, and the factory was put into operation very quickly.
“THE FACILITY INSTALLED BY IMAS PROVIDES US SUSTAINABLE QUALITY”
The most important benefit of this modern facility is that it offers us sustainable quality, which is one of the most important factors of growth as a growing company. If we open a little more; The input that has the largest share in products such as biscuits, cakes and wafers we produce is flour. If your flour is not standard and quality criteria are not regular, there will be serious differences in customer taste. For this, our first priority is quality and its sustainability and the ability to produce flour with different properties for each product. This is one of the biggest advantages this facility has given us. In addition, the flour factory also contributed positively to the operating efficiency of other enterprises, as it zeroed the transportation costs of the flour raw material used in Torku's integrations.
One of the biggest contributions of Imasfirm to us is that it responds quickly to service services and is open to R&D studies with its customers.
What do you think are the biggest problems faced by the flour industrialist?
If we talk about the biggest problems encountered here, two important problems attract attention. The first of them is the shortage of raw materials and the second is the shortage of trained personnel.
For example, if we talk about the production of biscuit flour, unfortunately, biscuit wheat is not grown in our region. Therefore, we cannot use the advantage of proximity to raw materials. In addition, the wheat varieties grown as biscuits ten years ago were not planted because their yield per decare was very low, and the increase in wheat prices was very low. There is a problem in terms of raw materials because it acts with the logic of "I should not spend money on medicine and fertilizer".
Looking at the trained personnel, there were milling departments in high schools 20 years ago. These departments were moved one step further and "Flour Production Technologies" departments were opened at the university. Unfortunately, this department, which was opened at Konya Selcuk University, was closed in 2005, saying "no demand". In 2014, such a department was opened again with the cooperation of Konya Necmettin Erbakan University and industrialists. However, the number of students enrolled is very low. As such, graduates generally find jobs in the quality departments of flour factories when they are patient and go on the path of self-development. However, the problem continues in the production part, which needs important personnel. This gap is tried to be closed by the masters who have worked in this sector for years, by raising unqualified people from outside. However, the development of the staff is limited to what the masters conveyed.
What kind of expectations do you have from companies that produce machinery and technology for the milling industry? In which areas do you think innovative solutions are needed?
Looking at the last 10 years in the milling industry, it is seen that companies investing in R&D studies are developing and producing added value. To give a few examples: Almost all companies use motors with high energy efficiency, quality parameters, instant yield monitoring and factory operation full automation. systems, works on devices that distinguish according to color such as Sorteks, develops machines that clean more and more effectively in unit time, more ergonomic designs are made to reduce the maintenance times allocated to the machines, machinery and equipment are produced in accordance with the Occupational Health and Safety rules. In addition, it develops high-tech devices such as NIT and NIR, which follow instant quality parameters established on lines in companies that produce raw materials and end product quality control devices for the milling industry.
Wheat, which is ground between a pair of stones in windmills or watermills, is now produced in roller mills untouched by hand and with automation. Can you summarize for us the turning points of milling in this transformation process?
In the past, the population was not that large. As a matter of fact, there was no problem in terms of the amount of grinding per unit time, and unfortunately, people did not have this richness in terms of diversity. They could take whatever was given from the mill where the wheat was ground and make bread and cook. Today, the rapid increase in the population, the diversification of people's needs, the desire to produce more products than the unit amount in a unit time. There are factors such as food safety and hygiene concerns.
What do you think the mills of the future will be like? In which areas can progress be made in the future in the sector, and at what points can technological innovations be brought?
There are studies on this subject both at home and abroad. I think in the upcoming period, sensors, switches, communication networks and
We will see factories equipped with Internet of Things Technology (IoT), made by devices with even quality traceability, and operated by a single person.
Where do you source the raw material from? What are your criteria for procurement?
First of all, if we talk about the production of biscuit flour, first class bread wheat is grown in Konya, the granary of Turkey, as of the region you are in, and low quality wheat is not grown. We supply wheat from Sivas. In biscuit wheat, as in other wheats, we have quality criteria such as product variety, humidity, hectoliter, protein, as well as sunn pest damage and foreign matter.
FLOUR SALES PLAN TO FINAL CONSUMER AFTER CAPACITY INCREASE
Could you also tell us about Torku's future goals and plans?
It is planned to gradually increase the capacity of the factory, which was built with the logic of an integrated facility suitable for growth. Our factory, which will close a very important gap in industrial flour production, is currently meeting the flour raw materials of Torku Biscuit, Cake, Cracker and Wafer Production Facilities. However, Torku Flour Factory, which will also sell to the market, will also contribute to the raw material supply of biscuit factories in the provinces of the region. Our second plan is to start the work of the other line after the capacity of the existing line is filled, and to bring other flour types to the consumer.
What can you tell us about Torku's approach to Innovation and R&D?
Our facility, where the highest quality and reliable products are produced as a requirement of the policy of 'respect for people', continues to produce reliable products with TSE ISO 9001, 22000 certificates, TSE certificates in product groups and trademark registration. 'Naturally from us'...
Turkey has achieved significant success in flour export in recent years. It meets one third of the world's flour export alone. To what do you attribute the success of Turkey in flour export? Do you think this success is sustainable?
I attribute this success to the efforts and self-sacrifice of people who have devoted themselves to this work. It is our greatest desire that this success continues exponentially. Our biggest dream is to be a strong Turkey that can produce healthy and quality products, not a needy one. In order to increase this success, we must all contribute to a Turkey that stands upright on its own feet, not submissive, by doing our part, by working harder and without getting tired.
