A huge air distributor destined to be part of the new $212 million fourth dryer at the Fonterra Edendale milk-processing site was delivered to the plant yester-day.
Site manager Keith Mason said the air distributor was the major component of the milk dryer.
It would be fitted on top of the No 4 dryer chamber before the roof was put on the building, he said.
The air distributor would channel the heated air into targeted areas in the dryer.
The large piece of machinery was made by Crown Sheetmetal in Invercargill and had taken 12 weeks to make, he said.
When asked the dimension of the component, Mr Mason said it was bigger than the three existing dryers but he was unsure of exact measurements.
"It's big," he said.
The new dryer will be capable of manufacturing 29.1 tonnes of milk powder per hour.
The other, smaller dryers had a capacity of 14 tonnes per hour.
It was envisaged the fourth dryer would be ready for commissioning at the end of June and pro-duction could start on September 4, he said.
The company had made forecasts for the increase in milk volumes for the next four years based on the dairy growth experienced in the region during the past few seasons, Mr Mason said.
