Case Study: Delivering High-Capacity Commercial Maheu Production

Introduction and Operational Challenges

For commercial Maheu producers, scaling up production volumes while maintaining strict product quality presents significant technical challenges. Traditional manufacturing setups rely heavily on steam pots fitted with internal heating coils. These conventional systems suffer from lengthy heating and cooling cycles, high energy consumption, and product burn-on, which create production bottlenecks and raise operating costs. To overcome these limitations, leading manufacturers are moving away from traditional methods and investing in advanced thermal processing technologies that offer rapid heat transfer and automated process control.

Working closely with the Take 5 team, DC Norris designed and commissioned a high-capacity commercial Maheu production system tailored to meet the company’s ambitious production requirements.

The complete installation features an exceptionally compact layout, occupying a footprint of just 4 x 7 metres. This demonstrates how efficient plant design can maximise output while minimising factory space requirements. Despite this small footprint, the system delivers remarkable capacity and operational efficiency:

High Output: The installation is capable of producing 18,000kg of fully hydrated and cooked maize per hour.
Rapid Processing: It enables the production of 6,000 litres of Maheu in just 20 minutes.
Minimal Labour: The system utilizes a single processing vessel operated by just one person.

System Components and Technology

At the heart of the Take 5 high-capacity system are several key technological innovations designed by DC Norris:

Multi In-Line Jet Cook™ Units: The system utilises four patented Multi In-Line Jet Cook™ units. Unlike traditional internal coils, this technology transfers thermal energy directly into the product, allowing the maize slurry to heat rapidly and uniformly to achieve consistent starch gelatinisation. Because heating and mixing occur simultaneously, grain hydration is completed much faster than with conventional methods.
Powder Induction System: A specially designed 1,000-litre powder induction system is capable of incorporating 600kg of maize flour in just two minutes.
Recipe Manager Software: The entire process is managed using DC Norris Recipe Manager Software. This software provides automated process control, monitors critical process variables (such as temperature, processing time, and ingredient addition), ensures repeatable product quality, and significantly reduces the need for operator intervention.

Conclusion and Broader Applications

The experience of Take 5 demonstrates how investment in modern processing solutions can deliver substantial operational benefits. By transitioning to direct thermal energy transfer and automation, the project demonstrates how manufacturers can dramatically increase production capacity while reducing labour requirements, improving process control, and making more efficient use of factory space—all without compromising the final flavour, texture, and mouthfeel that consumers expect.

Although developed specifically for commercial Maheu production, this same Jet Cook technology is also used successfully across a wide range of food manufacturing applications, including pet food, condiments and condensed milk. For manufacturers looking to modernise their operations, these advanced thermal processing systems provide a proven path to scaling production while maintaining consistent quality from batch to batch.