Application
This unit of competency describes the skills and knowledge required to control flour and by-product production in a flour mill.
This unit applies to a shift miller who is required to set equipment in a flour mill to control the processes and performance across the mill to achieve maximum extraction and recipe compliance. The unit applies to all industrial flour mills, including semolina mills and including mills without purifiers.
All work must be carried out to comply with workplace procedures, in accordance with State/Territory work health and safety, and food safety regulations, legislation and standards that apply to the workplace.
No occupational licensing, legislative or certification requirements apply to this unit at the time of publication.
Elements and Performance Criteria
Elements | Performance Criteria |
Elements describe the essential outcomes. | Performance criteria describe the performance needed to demonstrate achievement of the element. |
1. Maintain mill flow sheet | 1.1 Identify all breaking, reduction and dressing stages in mill 1.2 Show destinations for all stock separations according to operating requirements 1.3 Identify all optional and ancillary equipment required to control flour and by-product production 1.4 Identify all bins, silos, chutes, conveyors and exhausts that control processes and performance across the mill |
2. Prepare for flour and by-product production | 2.1 Establish customer requirements for shift or production period 2.2 Follow recipe required to meet desired production quality and quantity targets 2.3 Check availability of required wheat stock 2.4 Determine if any changes to grist stock will be required and plan for changes to settings |
3. Determine break system settings | 3.1 Adjust break rolls for desired percentage release 3.2 Conduct visual inspection and test sieving where required to monitor release percentage 3.3 Monitor break roll passages to avoid saturation of later stages 3.4 Set bran finishers according to workplace procedures and to ensure optimum performance 3.5 Set plansifters for desired grading, including adjusting spaces between plansifters for varying grains and moisture levels 3.6 Monitor performance of break system to ensure system is free from semolina |
4. Set settings for purifiers where fitted | 4.1 Maintain and monitor sieve covers according to workplace procedures and to ensure optimum performance 4.2 Monitor feed rate to purifiers according to workplace procedures and to ensure optimum performance 4.3 Monitor horizontal and vertical movement of sieve covers 4.4 Set and monitor air pressure for each aspiration section 4.5 Select destinations for throughs and lifted bran and other particles 4.6 Ensure purifier stock is free from flour |
5. Set settings for scratch or sizing system | 5.1 Set scratch equipment or sizing rolls according to operator instructions 5.2 Monitor performance of scratch and sizing rolls |
6. Set settings for reduction passages | 6.1 Set each set of reduction rolls for desired flour and capacity of succeeding reduction passages 6.2 Monitor covers on sifters for effective dressing from each reduction roll 6.3 Monitor flake disrupters and impact detachers where fitted 6.4 Set and monitor reduction settings to achieve required starch damage 6.5 Specify collection conveyors and bins for each flour stream |
7. Set settings for final production stages | 7.1 Specify use of flour divides for blends 7.2 Monitor redressing equipment according to workplace procedures 7.3 Monitor weighing, infestation destroying, and metal removal equipment according to work health and safety and operating procedures 7.4 Send finished flour to packing or storage according to workplace requirements |
8. Monitor mill equipment | 8.1 Check flutes and rolls for wear and defects 8.2 Monitor temperature of reduction rolls and performance of water cooling if used 8.3 Check automatic roll adjustment and protection mechanisms are working correctly 8.4 Adjust mill settings when required for effect of breakdowns and urgent maintenance |
9. Monitor mill performance | 9.1 Ensure all grain and flour tests are carried out to required schedule and procedures 9.2 Adjust settings where required for variation in grain, grist and atmospheric conditions 9.3 Monitor milling and invisible loss per production period |
Foundation Skills
This section describes those language, literacy, numeracy and employment skills that are essential for performance in this unit of competency but are not explicit in the performance criteria.
Skill | Description |
Reading | Interpret mill flow diagrams Interpret food safety, food labelling and other regulations affecting flour mills |
Writing | Record flour milling equipment status on paper-based and electronic media |
Numeracy | Estimate break roll percentages through visual examination, hand stratification and test sieving |
Navigate the world of work | Interpret and follow regulatory requirements and seek clarification or other assistance when required Identify and describe own skills, knowledge and experience within context of job role Seek advice and feedback on current work performance |
Interact with others | Communicate production requirements and technical information to other employees Use effective communication skills to allocate tasks and provide feedback to team members Use appropriate vocabulary, including technical language directly relevant to role Recognise personal strengths and challenges associated with interacting with others in the workplace |
Get the work done | Perform contingency planning for equipment breakdown, including failure mode effects analysis Adjust break rolls to take into account number of break stages, grist composition, specification of finished product Maintain a clean and hazard-free work area Maintain hygiene standards and wear required personal protective equipment Maintain quality specifications across flour milling operations in the workplace |
Sectors
Grain processing (GRA)