Solutions · Starch Storage
Starch is one of the finest and most cohesive food powders. PW Silo Systems designs aluminum and stainless steel starch silos with mass-flow discharge, fluidization, and blending – so your starch flows reliably instead of bridging in the silo.
Starch Storage at a Glance
A starch silo is a closed storage vessel for powdered starches – such as cornstarch, tapioca starch, rice starch, or blended starch. It keeps the starch protected from moisture and contamination and feeds it in a controlled way to mixers, cookers, scales, or packaging.
Starch is extremely fine and cohesive. It compacts, bridges, and forms rat holes if the silo is not designed for it. PW Silo Systems matches silo geometry, wall material, and discharge equipment to your starch.
Why Starch Is Demanding
Starch powders are among the most difficult food ingredients to discharge. Every challenge below affects uptime, product quality, and safety.
Fine starch compacts under its own weight. It forms bridges over the outlet or flows only through a narrow channel.
Starch absorbs moisture from the air and can cake on walls and at the outlet.
In coated carbon steel silos, flaking paint and steel particles can end up in the starch.
Fine starch dust is combustible. Filling and conveying release dust into the silo and its surroundings.
Deliveries differ, and a silo filled in batches forms horizontal layers of different quality.
Food plants often handle several starches side by side – including allergen-relevant or specialty products.
Silo Materials
Aluminum and stainless steel silos are widely used for flour, sugar, starch, and other food ingredients. Both materials offer high corrosion resistance, good hygiene, and a long service life.
Carbon steel is not an option for us: its coating is the only protection against corrosion. Once it wears, paint particles and steel can get into the product. Which of our two materials fits your starch silo depends on your product, your process, your cleaning requirements, and your site – we review it with you.
Your Starch Silo System
Silo, discharge, blending, filtration, and safety equipment are engineered as one system. That means fewer interfaces for your team and components that are designed to work together.
Storage
Concentric mass-flow discharge without asymmetric flow zones – as standard, site-assembled, indoor, or multi-compartment silos.
Learn moreBlending
Gravity blending and homogenizing with four technologies, including PW ConeBlend with a hopper that is quick to clean.
Learn moreDischarge
Air fluidization for uniform discharge of poorly flowing products – prevents bridging and can be retrofitted to existing silos.
Learn moreDischarge
Vibration from unbalanced motors breaks up cohesive forces, resolves caking, and keeps the outlet clear.
Learn moreFiltration
Dust separation during filling and conveying, in a hygienic design for the food industry.
Learn moreSafety & Monitoring
Rupture discs or explosion vents for combustible dust, level measurement for reliable monitoring of the silo content.
Learn moreStarch Types
Raw material, particle size, and modification change how a starch flows. All starches below are on our list of bulk materials tested in our lab.
Tested in our lab
Cornstarch, corn starch, maize starch
Cornstarch is the most widely used food starch – as a thickener, binder, and raw material. As a very fine powder, it benefits from fluidization at the outlet.
Tested in our lab
Food starch, edible starch
Food starch is used across bakery, sauces, confectionery, and convenience food. Silo and discharge are designed for the grade you use.
Tested in our lab
Blended starch, starch blend
Starch blends combine several starches or ingredients. Mass-flow discharge moves the entire silo content evenly, which supports a uniform product at the outlet.
Tested in our lab
Starch powder, native starch, modified starch
Native and modified starch powders differ in flow behavior. Discharge aids such as PW SpeedBlow or bin activators are selected to match.
Tested in our lab
Tapioca starch, tapioca flour, cassava starch
Tapioca starch is a gluten-free starch for bakery, snacks, and dairy alternatives. A dedicated silo keeps it apart from gluten-containing products.
Tested in our lab
Rice starch
Rice starch has a particularly fine particle size and is used in baby food, confectionery, and cosmetics. Fluidization at the outlet supports reliable discharge.
Also tested in our lab:
These starches are commonly stored in silos but are not on our tested list yet. Send us your material data and we will review the right solution with you:
Starch Check
Type in your starch or any other bulk material to see whether it has already been tested in our lab. The list covers 287 bulk materials.
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Service in the U.S.
With more than 40 years of experience in silo engineering, we support your starch silo project from the first design discussion to commissioning. We deliver to every U.S. state and install with our own qualified personnel.
FAQ
Answers to the questions plant managers, engineers, and buyers ask most often about storing starch in silos.
These starches are on our list of bulk materials tested in our lab:
Wheat starch, potato starch, pea starch, pregelatinized starch, maltodextrin, and waxy maize starch are not on our tested list yet. We review them with you based on your material data.
Both. Aluminum and stainless steel silos are widely used for starch and other food ingredients because they offer high corrosion resistance, good hygiene, and a long service life. Which material fits your project depends on your product, your process, your cleaning requirements, and your site. We review the options with you.
In a carbon steel silo, the coating is the only protection against corrosion. If it wears or flakes off, paint particles and steel can end up in your starch. That is why we build silos exclusively in aluminum and stainless steel.
Starch is very fine and cohesive. Our PW StoreLine silos use concentric mass-flow discharge without asymmetric flow zones. In addition, PW SpeedBlow fluidizes the starch with air to prevent bridging and achieve uniform discharge, and bin activators use vibration to break up caking and keep the outlet clear.
In mass flow, the entire silo content moves downward when material is discharged – not just a channel in the center. Your starch leaves the silo in the order it came in (first in, first out), and no product is left behind in dead zones where it could age or cake. Our PW StoreLine silos are designed for concentric mass-flow discharge without asymmetric flow zones.
Fine starch dust is combustible, and many bulk solids carry an explosion risk. For combustible bulk solids we supply explosion-protected silos designed in accordance with applicable codes and regulations. Venting devices – rupture discs or explosion vents – are selected for your silo, your product, and your application. Integrated filters and dust collectors reduce dust during filling and conveying.
Deliveries vary, and a silo filled in batches forms horizontal layers of different quality. PW BlendLine gravity blending silos homogenize the content so your production receives a consistent product. We offer four blending technologies; the right one depends on your starch and on whether you operate continuously or in batches.
Hygiene starts with the materials: aluminum and stainless steel offer good hygiene and corrosion resistance. In addition, our flat-roof designs support high cleanliness standards, PW SpeedBlow uses high air flow for cleaning, and the PW ConeBlend blending silo has a hopper that is quick and easy to clean – well suited to frequent product changes.
The right size depends on your daily consumption, delivery intervals, the number of products, and the space available at your site. PW StoreLine silos are available in a wide range of sizes and diameters, and silos too large for road transport are assembled on site. We size the system with you – without oversized investment.
Yes. We deliver to every U.S. state and support your project with silo transport, field assembly, silo installation and supervision, and site relocation of existing systems.
Very likely. Our silo systems are designed for nearly all free-flowing, granular, and powdered bulk solids. Send us your material details, and we will review the right storage and discharge solution with you.
Tell us about your products, required storage capacity, how the silo is filled and discharged, and your site conditions. Based on this, we work out the material, silo type, and configuration with you and send you a detailed quote.
Your Project
Whether you need a single starch silo, several silos for different products, or a complete system with blending and discharge, tell us about your requirements. We'll develop a solution that fits your product, your process, and your site.
Send a Request NowWhat Happens Next
Tell us about your bulk material, your process, and your site conditions.
We work with you on material, silo type, and configuration – based on a bulk material analysis if needed.
You receive a custom-engineered solution with a detailed quote.
