Sona Machinery’s RKB 30A becomes first ribbon batch blender in India to be BIS certified

New Delhi: Sona Machinery, one of the leading Indian players in agro-processing equipment manufacturing, has received a BIS certification for its RKB 30A blending machine. With this, the RKB 30A has become the first ribbon batch blender in India to be certified by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS).

The certification comes at a time when governments at all levels have been pushing to ensure rice fortification to combat the loss of nutrient-rich superficial layers during rice milling and polishing. The central government has launched initiatives to oversee rice fortification while governments in states such as Andhra Pradesh and Haryana have also launched schemes that prioritise paddy distribution to rice millers with the technological capability to blend fortified rice kernels (FRK) with milled rice.

As the country’s first mechatronic ribbon batch blender with BIS certification, the RKB 30A steps in to address this need-gap. The machine is manufactured with S.S-304 (IS:6911 food grade steel) and combines mechanical, pneumatic, and PLC systems to control and measure rice fortification. With its Precise Load Cell, fully automated operation, and gentle folding action, the machine ensures perfect blending and delivers a homogenous mixture of the required fortification without damaging the rice. It also fortifies, weighs, and bags rice at a single station to enable seamless operations.

Speaking on the certification, Vasu Naren, Managing Director & CEO, Sona Machinery, said, “As a staple food for more than 65% of the population, rice finds extensive use in most households and food security programs in India. Fortifying rice, therefore, is critical to avoid deficiency and malnutrition that might arise due to loss of nutrients during its cleaning and polishing. Central and state governments are also prioritising rice millers which offer consistent and quality FRK blending. The RKB 30A was designed to address this growing market demand for quality rice blending and fortification machinery. We are delighted that this state-of-the-art machine has received a BIS certification. Not only does it underscore the clear technological and operational advantage that our focus on innovation enables but also provides an additional guarantee of quality, trust, and safety for our customers.”