THERE ARE SIX BASIC PROCESSES INVOLVED IN SUGAR MANUFACTURING:
1. Preparation 2. Extraction 3. Clarification 4. Evaporation 5. Crystallization 6. Separation
PREPARATION AT THE CANE YARD: The process of extracting the sucrose buried deep in the sugar cane and converting it into sugar crystals begins at the Cane Yard. This section of the Factory is charged with receiving the cane from the farmers, offloading it safely and then preparing the cane for milling. The preparation stage is vital since the better the cane preparation - the more sugar can be extracted.
The functions at the Cane Yard are coordinated by a foreman and the tasks are carried out by his team, which is comprised of three crane operators, a tipper operator, a heavy duty operator and a cane yard laborer.
CANE FARMERS DELIVERING THEIR CANE: The cane is discharged from the trucks/trailers by either the dumping table (by tilting) or the overhead cranes (by lifting). The cane is released into the feeder carrier, where it is conveyed firstly to the cane knives, where it is cut to pieces by a 2,500 horse power motor and then to the shredder where, as the name implies, the cane is shredded to bits by a 5,030 horse power shredder. Once shredded, the cane is ready to enter the extraction stage. Remember, that the better the cane preparation process, the better the returns to all stakeholders in the industry.
Meet Tower Hill Mill Employees at the Cane Yard:
Meet one of the foremen, Angel Wade, who must ensure that all equipment is functioning properly and make hourly records of temperatures, amperage and oil levels of all machines in his areas. He is the direct contact point between farmers and the mill, and must oversee the orderly discharge of cane from the trucks and trailers to keep the Yard at full efficiency. He is also in charge of ensuring that all safety policies and procedures are observed since the safety of both farmers and employees is central in all of BSI’s operations.
Meet one of the scale clerks, Genaro Baeza, who calculates the weights of trucks or trailers and keeps data of this information. He also issues tickets to farmers once their trucks have been weighed.
Meet one of the tipper operators, Joseito Chan, who is located in the Cane Yard Control room. He must ensure that the Feeder Carrier remains loaded with cane at all times, always mindful not to choke the cane leveler, the knife or the shredder. He must maintain a balance by feeding uniformly from each section of the yard so as to allow a good discharge ratio between the dumping table and the cranes.
Meet two of the mechanics, Teophilus Henry (L) & Farid Carlos (R), who work at the cane yard. They ensure that all machinery is working appropriately in order to maintain order and efficiency in the different phases the cane has to go through at the cane yard.
Meet one of the heavy duty operators, Keith Jones (L), and one of the cane yard laborers, Clifton Palacio (R). They ensure that all cane in the yard or cane spilled over from trucks is loaded in the cane carrier.
Meet one of the crane operators, Jorge Dominguez, who uses the cranes to transport sugar cane to the feeder carrier once the cane has been discharged from the trucks or trailers.