Dutch Automation & Technologies was responsible for the installation and commissioning of a large scale cocoa grinding plant for one of the largest cocoa producers in Ghana in April 2025.
The project consisted of the complete placement, integration and start up of:
- 1 × PG6000 pre grinding system
- 2 × CAO4000 grinding lines
This installation formed part of a major production expansion focused on increasing grinding capacity, improving process stability and creating a reliable continuous production environment for industrial scale cocoa processing.
Our scope covered the full on site execution phase, starting from equipment placement through to commissioning and operational handover.
The installation involved the positioning and integration of multiple large scale process systems, including associated pipework, pumps, motors, instrumentation, electrical infrastructure and control equipment within a live industrial production environment. Due to the size and complexity of the systems, careful coordination between mechanical, electrical and automation activities was required throughout the project.
Dutch Automation & Technologies was directly responsible for:
- Placement and installation supervision of the grinding systems
- Electrical and automation integration support
- PLC and control system commissioning
- Drive and motor commissioning
- Instrumentation verification and testing
- Process commissioning and tuning
- Fault finding and troubleshooting during start up
- Production testing under operational conditions
- Final optimisation and operational support during handover
Commissioning of a cocoa grinding installation at this scale requires far more than simply starting machinery. The complete process must operate as one stable continuous production system, with close control over temperatures, product flow, grinding performance and process stability.
During commissioning, extensive testing and optimisation were carried out to ensure stable production conditions, reliable operation and consistent end product quality. This included system verification under operational load, process adjustments during live production and coordination between multiple process sections to achieve stable throughput across the entire installation.
The project was executed in a demanding industrial environment with tight planning requirements and a strong focus on minimising delays during the start up phase.
Projects such as this demonstrate the capability of Dutch Automation & Technologies to deliver practical, hands on support for large industrial process installations worldwide, from mechanical placement through to full commissioning and operational production support.