Multi-ingredient handling, as the name suggests, involves processing a large number of ingredients. As the variety and quantity of products used increase, the size of the dosing station in conventional systems grows significantly—both in terms of space and cost—since each product typically requires its own dedicated dosing hardware. To address this challenge, the MIH concept relies on interchangeable storage containers that are only activated when the specific product they hold is called for in the recipe. Unused containers can be stored outside the dosing area, freeing up valuable space. This approach not only minimizes the footprint of the active dosing zone but also reduces the total number of dosing components needed, limiting them to just the ingredients currently being processed.
The most common storage containers are:

• IBC (Intermediate Bulk Container)
• FIBC (Flexible IBC)
• Big bag
• Octabin
• IBC with backfill chute
• Silo

Manual transportation
The manual transport carried out by the worker is the most flexible solution within the MIH system. In addition to moving containers by hand, this also includes any activity performed using man-controlled transport aids, such as pallet trucks.
Conventional conveyor technology
Classical conveyor technology in the narrower sense includes floor-based conveyors such as roller conveyors or chain conveyors. These highly reliable transport systems are particularly well-suited for handling high-volume material flows. For this reason, classic conveyor technology is primarily used for transporting the premix IBCs—and not for managing the storage containers themselves.
Automated Guided Vehicle
Automated guided vehicle systems (AGV systems) rely on a varying number of transport vehicles depending on the scenario and task. The focus is primarily on freely oriented systems, which can mimic the functions of manual transport thanks to their flexibility and scalability.
While flat AGVs are used to transport premix IBCs that pass under the load, lifting AGVs are also employed for the more challenging handling of storage containers.