Factory information

Cane handling

Efficient receiving keeps fresh cane moving. From calibrated scales to automated feeders, the LASUCA yard turns deliveries into reliable throughput for the mills.

Scales tuned for modern hauling

The cane yard operates a Fairbanks platform scale for tractor wagons and truck trailers, alongside a dedicated 100-ton Fairbanks cane scale installed in 1992. These calibrated stations keep inbound weights accurate, traceable, and ready for ticketing.

Cane arrives in chain-net wagons or trucks and is routed to one of two stationary dump stations or three direct-feed dump tables. Payloaders equipped with Cameco grabs and cleanup buckets keep the yard moving between loads.

Cane unloading at LASUCA

Automated flow to the carrier

Each dump table is controlled by load cells on the main carrier, automating cane flow to match mill demand. Cane is washed before it reaches the carrier, improving cleanliness and preparation while reducing wear.

A 70-foot drive-through rear truck dumper, commissioned for the 2002 crop, handles 50-ton loads at a 63° tilt. Operators can feed the main carrier immediately or divert to yard storage via apron conveyor when inventories need to build.

Automated cane handling equipment
Cane preparation knives

Preparation built for throughput

Cane is conditioned by three sets of preparation knives, each tuned for consistent fiber size and extraction:

  • 1
    First knife – 1000 hp, 600 rpm, 32 blades cutting 20 inches from the carrier slats.
  • 2
    Second knife – 1400 hp, 600 rpm, 54 blades trimming within one inch of the slats.
  • 3
    Third knife – 1400 hp, 600 rpm, 96 blades making the final three-quarter inch cut.

The carrier angle and belt magnet were upgraded in 1995 to complement the knife modifications and keep magnetic debris away from the first mill.

Explore more factory systems

Milling equipment

Six-mill tandem, hydraulic drives, and Donnelly controls that power extraction.

Steam plant

Bagasse-fired boilers, natural gas backup, and ash handling infrastructure.

Clarification

Heaters, multifeed clarifiers, and vacuum filters conditioning raw juice.

Evaporation

Pre-evaporators, triple effects, and automated vacuum pans concentrating syrup.

Centrifugals

Automatic batch and continuous machines polishing every massecuite grade.

Crystallizers

Receiver capacity and continuous banks keeping massecuite conditioned.

Pan supply tanks

Balanced syrup and molasses storage that feeds the pan floor.

Bagasse storage

Covered storage and reclaim systems feeding the boilers year-round.

Final storage

Warehouse and tank capacity that stage raw sugar and molasses for shipment.

Vacuum & condensing

Spray ponds, ejectors, and injection pumps supporting stable vacuum.

Fire protection & utilities

Emergency pumping and sprinkler systems safeguarding the factory.