cheese-making technologyf.licitationen.dk/2ak6hw08njrxjxga.pdf · milk is a valuable natural...

Cheese-Making Technology

Success with ALPMA

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The many different varieties of cheese which are typical of a country or a region, with their countless subtle varia-tions in taste, present a great challenge to ALPMA.Our specialists know which technology to use in order to maintain the unique charac-ter of each regional speciality. At the same time, they ensure that the quality remains at the highest possible level.

A worldwide taste.

Or is a new type of cheese perhaps to be developed instead of a traditional cheese?

With our long experience of cheese production all over the world, we are the right partner for you. The new product would combine the qualities of a long shelf life, appearance

and packaging with those characteristic qualities peculiar to a specific region. Of course, local preferences play an important role in developing this new taste.

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From a small scale production unit …

ALPMA already produces vats with capacities upwards of 400 litres for manual and semi-automatic operations. Using ALPMAs modular sys-tem, production can grow with the demand for the product. Already existing components can be easily integrated.

ALPMA – an investment into the future.

Cheese-making-line with tiltable vats for the production of soft cheese.

ALPMA has already developed and put into production hundreds of cheese-making plants all over the world. In recent years the continuous production of curd using the Coagulator has grown in importance. With this system capacities of up to 50,000 litres per hour can be achieved.

Cheese making plant for pressed Twarog.

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Constant water content, more precise filling capability and consistant quality coupled with an unsurpassed yield, ensure that ALPMA costumers are guaranteed success.

ALPMA offers solutions rang-ing from milk treatment through to packaging of the final product. The individual production areas are seam-lessly co-ordinated with each other, production control and data acquisition ensuring a smooth product flow.

Stacker, stack turner and climate tunnel in

a soft cheese plant.

Continuous Coagulator – soft cheese plant.

… to a fully automated system.

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The art of always delivering top quality.

A first-class product can only be produced from first-class raw materials. The preparation of the milk also plays an important role in determining the quality of the finished cheese.

With ALPMA installations you have everything under con-trol: From the pre-treatment

The essence of soft cheese production.

of the milk, via the prepara-tion of the curd, to the filling of the curd into the block-forms, from the climate- controlled drainage areas and de-moulding and into the maturing rooms. You guaran-tee your customers a con-stantly high product quality and an exceptionally good taste.

Naturally, a prerequisite is the absolute highest standard of hygiene. Problems with hygiene are assiduously avoided by the careful selec-tion of the construction mate-rials used for each machine, optimised engineering and production processes, as well as with the use of ingenious cleaning systems.

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Milk pre-treatment

Curd preparation

Wheydrainage

Filling Blockforms Mechanisation Salting De-moulding Maturing Cleaning

A computer generated layout of a complete

modern soft cheese production line.

Enjoy a continuous and reliable production process with an optimum capacity!

All over the world soft cheese producers trust the reliability and efficiency of ALPMA equipment.

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By the implementation of the Coagulator 2000 S ALPMA also expanded their range of competence to the produc-tion of yellow cheese. ALPMA yellow cheese plants stand for maximum yield,

The essence of yellow cheese production.

easily-cleanable hygienic design and unequalled availability – just as ALPMA soft cheese plants do.

Layout of an entire modern cheese making plant for the production of yellow cheese.

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Milk pre-treatment

Curd preparation

Wheydrainage


Taste, shape and structure – everything just perfect!

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Preparation leads to success.

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Milk pre-treatment

Curd preparation

Wheydrainage


It’s the milk that counts.

Milk is a valuable natural foodstuff. Working with it requires great diligence. Our treatment of milk, which prepares fat and protein content for the cheese-mak-ing process, is based on inter-nationally recognised hygiene guidelines. Consistent high quality is an essential prerequisite for optimal control of production.

Regardless of whether 10,000 or a million litres a day are processed – without an intel-ligent automation concept it is not possible to achieve this in an economically efficient manner. That’s why we can supply the following:

Milk reception unit and milk storage tanksEntire milk treatment areaSterilisation and in-line standardisation of fat-contentStandardisation of protein-content by Ultra-filtrationCasein-standardisation by Micro-filtrationCulture preparation and pre-ripening units.

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Due to well-structured operator screens in the

operator room you always know what’s going on in

your dairy.

Pasteuriser and cream cooler.

Ultra-filtration unit for protein standardisation

of milk.

Milk treatment unit with centrifuge and

pasteuriser.

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Precision at every step.

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Milk pre-treatment

Curd preparation

Wheydrainage


Regardless if it is a continous process or a batch-process – cheese production is an extremely delicate business.

After the addition of the culture and rennet to the milk, a very important phase begins. Every single vibration could now affect the success of the process. The sophisticated technique of the Coagulator ensures a vibration-free coagulation zone. The curd coagulates in a compartment built by the belt and the spacing plates. The belt smoothly slides through the Coagualtor-vat on a fine film of water. The delicate coagulum it bears is precisely cut and gently, but intensively processed, sur-passing the manual skills of even the best cheese maker.

Everything is arranged for a precise and continuous pro-duction process in order to maintain a consistently high level of quality, whilst re-ducing losses to a minimum.

Continuous production is the key to the optimisation of the production processes.

Modern cheese vat in hygienic design with high capacity.

A traditional all-purpose unit for small dairies: The KBA-cheese vat.

With a Coagulator soft cheese and yellow cheese can be produced with high-est possible accuracy.

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Still the ALPMA Coagulator 2000 is the only fully continuously working curd preparation unit available on the market. Since the start-up of the first Coagulator unit in 1975 this system has constantly been improved. It provides high production reliability, while it is easily and quickly adjusted to the next cheese type.

Continuity brings results.

Foam-free infeed, precise dosing units and vibration-free transport ensure a smooth and homogenous coagulum.

Spacing plates ensure undisturbed coagulation and precise curd treatment within the com-partments.

Special longitudinal and rotating cross cutter ensure precise cut without loss of fines for bigger curd sizes.

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Milk pre-treatment

Curd preparation

Wheydrainage


For very small curd cubes longitudinal cutter and cross cut harp bring brilliant results.

In the syneresis zone a finely-tuned system of paddle and stirring devices ensures gentle, yet intensive, curd treatment. Curd heating and washing devices support the curd treatment process.

Pipe coil- and grid-stirrers for smooth stirring of the curd.

Paddle units for gentle curd treatment.

Stirrer with plate paddle for intensive curd treatment.

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What is important is what remains!

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Milk pre-treatment

Curd preparation

Wheydrainage


Correct whey drainage means neither too much nor too little.

The quantity of the remaining whey at the filler is an impor-tant factor in determining the type of cheese to be produced. Using the whey drainage drum and filter belts, this process can be exactly controlled. Whether set up as an individual unit or arranged in a line, they prepare the curd perfectly for the filling process.The machines are designed to the highest hygiene standards and are regularly cleaned during the production processes.

You too can profit of maximum yield!

The whey drainage drum, with its wedge wire screen sieve guarantees a gentle,

but correct drainage.

Here the drainage belt ensures exact whey drainage for blue cheese curd.

Whey drainage conveyor systems that are connected in series, are capable of continuously processing large volumes of curd.

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We do not do anything in half measures.

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Milk pre-treatment

Curd preparation

Wheydrainage


Curd filling is precise work.

The quality of the cheese is influenced very early in the production process by the qual-ity of the curd and the filling technique. Mistakes made here cannot be corrected later. We therefore pay close attention to the process steps at these stages.

Continuous curd supply is a basic requirement for exact and precise filling in order to ensure perfect quality. The filling procedures in turn affect weight, consistency, form and quality of the final cheese product.

ALPMA has developed a whole family of filling devices in order to meet demands required by the various types of cheese. Consequently, it is possible to define the right technology for every type of cheese.

Every portion’s a hit.

The semi-automatic filling device permits

exact dosage, accurate hygienic filling and

accurate control of the draining whey without significant loss of curd.

Extremely soft varieties of curd with a large grain size are placed gently in the moulds, layer by layer, by means of immersion filling.

Large Feta-blocks can be filled automatically

using exact filling techniques, whilst

maintaining a high standard of performance

and a high capacity.

The fully automatic, inclined row filling device

gently fills the moulds with soft curd. Multiple

formats – simple to handle – permit the rapid conversion from one type

of cheese to another.

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Curd filling is precise work.

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Milk pre-treatment

Curd preparation

Wheydrainage


If the edges of your yellow cheeses should be tight and smooth. If curd texture should be regular. If only typical gas holes may be visible at the cut surface. If the filling device for curd and whey should be as small and com-pact as possible. If it should be easy to clean. If filling should be exact and repro-ducible.

Then the award-winning technique of ALPMA’s FORMATIC-filler will redound to optimum results.

FORMATIC working

diagram:

Layout of aFORMATIC-line with two basic

units.

1. Filling plate is lowered into empty mould.

2. Valve opens.

3. Curd and whey mixture flows into mould.

4. Filling volume is reached, the valve closes.

5. Filling/pressing plate presses the cheese.

6. Pressing level is achieved.

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1

Function follows Form.

Blockforms have a great deal of influence on the shape, dry matter content and final weight of the cheese. There-fore, the mould development programme at ALPMA is par-ticularly important.

Moulds can come in many shapes and sizes, but they are always unique.

Twarog

Extensive on-site testing is usually the only way to find the right mould. The arrange-ment and drainage properties of the holes and grooves are often decisive. Tenths of milli-metres can be critical here!

The use of genuine food-grade synthetic materials permits a full range of design options, from the improvement of traditional moulds into mar-keting-compatible appli-cations with company logos.

Limburger CheeseBrie Feta

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Milk pre-treatment

Curd preparation

Wheydrainage


The individual steps in the production of the Blockforms:1 The design and construction of the correct shape and surface structure on a tooled template.2 Fully functional three-dimen- sional prototype for tests of drainage characteristics.3 The finished negative form is ready for injection moulding.4 The cheese mould after removal from the injection moulding machine.

Moulds can come in many shapes and sizes, but they are always unique.

The special construction of the ALPMA Blockforms is a major factor in preventing whey drained from the upper cheeses from dripping onto the lower ones during the drainage phase. The Blockforms are easily stacked. Thanks to spe-cial centring pins, even high stacks remain extremely stable.

The bases of the moulds are structured so that they are identical on both upper and lower surfaces. This means that when the cheese is turned, the mould retains the same drainage characteristics. By stacking of the Blockforms a chimney-effect is achieved by which a constant climatisa-tion takes place inside the stack. As the curd is in direct

contact with the mould for a long time, this brings particu-lar challenges to meeting the highest standards of hygiene and also the cleaning pro-cesses of the moulds. The plastic materials chosen for the moulds meets all the guidelines set down by the American FDA.

So let the moulds shape your cheese.

Blue Cheese Caciotta HavartiEsrom

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Climate Control.

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Milk pre-treatment

Curd preparation

Wheydrainage


Your cheese is happy here.

The ALPMA climate-control conveyor systems offer the best chance to control the specific drainage characteris-tics of each cheese type. The development of the cheese rind and the growth of bacte-ria are best influenced by means of warming, steaming or by cooling. The combination of the fans help the chimney-effect of the stacked Block-forms to offer unrivalled, even drainage of the cheese. This has the very positive effect of reducing variations in the cheese weights to a minimum.

Who likes pushing their own trolley?

Our conveyor systems not only take care of all the work of moving the products, but also fulfil essential technological tasks as well: The carriage system used for carrying pro-ducts enables tasks to be

The fans in the climate-controlled tunnel support the chimney effect within the Blockform stack. The air then passes through a heat exchanger system, from where it is returned to the circulation process.

carried out strictly according to schedule. This extremely flexible system offers endless variations of use. The produc-tivity of your company also will benefit from the environ-mentally friendly cleaning system and its rapid turn around facility.

Deliver a consistently good product to your customers!

A clearly arranged and effortlessly accessible system of climate tunnels makes production and maintenance much more easy.

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Top Quality Stackers.

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Milk pre-treatment

Curd preparation

Wheydrainage


Storage space is valuable and expensive.

Consequently, one should make the best use of what’s available – stack the racks high! The ALPMA Stacker can utilise space so well that Block-forms, turning sheets, turning plates and racks are precisely stacked together without the risk of falling. The parts can be lifted directly from the floor or taken off the conveyor system.Many cheese-making plants already make use of well-proven belt stackers. For places where room is restricted we have developed a special

Belt stacker for Blockforms.

A CIP-cleanable belt stacker in an auto-matic production line.

A lifting-pawl stacker at the end of a ripening rack turning plant.

Space saving CIP-cleanable lifting-pawl stacker.

stacker with lifting pawls. Constructed from materials which conform to dairy stand-ards and CIP-cleanable, stackers and de-stackers can be perfectly integrated into your fully auto-mated production line.

Stackers save you expensive space.

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Round and round we go!

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Milk pre-treatment

Curd preparation

Wheydrainage


Time to think about turning.

Stack turners or single turners are, depending on the tech-nology and involved mould materials, effective solutions to support drainage and shaping of the cheeses. As a rule, trays are placed in the single turner. They can also be stacked and turned. Blockforms are only turned as a stack. The turning pro-cess is programmable so that the required shape and sur-face characteristics are achieved.

We tailor our solutions to your company size and capacity.

The turning device is capable of turning cheese moulds with plateau-system and

racks as well as empty Block-forms, e.g. for cleaning.

The very space-saving mechanical stack turner

MSW is the access to semi-automatic cheese

production.

The automatic stack turner in CIP-execution.

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Let’s make things hum ...

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Milk pre-treatment

Curd preparation

Wheydrainage


Your cheese requires a nice, closed rind? This depends largely on the correct pres-sure and its duration.

All around the pressing line ALPMA designs applications for classic yellow cheese mould handling as well as for handling the pressing lids and the de-moulded cheeses.

A sophisticated control unit ensures exact compliance with all important process parameters.

Pressing unit and storage for empties.

Moulds inside the pressing unit.

Yellow cheese in “Euro-Block”-format

after pressing.

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The all-rounders.

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Milk pre-treatment

Curd preparation

Wheydrainage


As an alternative the ALPMA Manipulator offers a robot’s functionality and additionally, due to its execution in stain-less steel and plastic, is fully suitable for the set-up in cheese-making plants with-out any hoods or covers needed for other robots.

The Manipulator substitutes several

individual machines, thus saving a great

deal of space. De-stacking, turning

and re-stacking can be carried out in one

single sequence.

Safe turning of cheese moulds using the tray system.

With a special ALPMA cover, also industrial robots can perform high-dynamic processes in a cheese-making plant.

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The Salt of life.

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Milk pre-treatment

Curd preparation

Wheydrainage


Salt not only adds taste, it also protects the surface of the cheeses.

Brine bath and dry salting units have proved essential methods in fulfilling the special requirements of each local variation.As well as being a useful means of salting cheese, brine baths offer a means of control-ling the cheese temperature and the culturing of the bacte-ria, thus influencing the final taste.

Dry salting unit.

Those who operate large brining units know just how important it is to have an efficient flow. The coordina-tion of the loading and unloading, as well as the length of time the cheese is in the bath and the overall space requirements are expensive and require detailed planning.The dry salting machine is particularly suitable for com-pact shapes and requires very little space.

We plan for your success.

Large capicity brine bath for soft cheese.

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Sensitivity demands automation.

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Milk pre-treatment

Curd preparation

Wheydrainage


The suction heads remove the cheeses from the Block-forms gently and reliably and place them carefully on to the racks. The empty Blockforms are then taken to the cleaning unit.

Everybody needs to get out some time.

And you want this to happen quickly and gently. The load-ing of the maturing racks is carried out by means of a vacuum demoulding unit.The vacuum used to with-draw the cheese from the Blockforms is very small, and does not damage the delicate skin of the raw cheese. The suction devices are con-

structed according to the highest hygiene standards and are simple to clean.

Ask for a better solution!

With a simple handle the format sets can be changed easily, similar to a drawer.

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Mature ideas.

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Milk pre-treatment

Curd preparation

Wheydrainage


Cheese needs peace to mature.

Continuity is also important during the maturing process. The cheese can only ripen to its desired delicate flavour when it is matured in consist-ent climatic conditions, with the corresponding tempera-ture, humidity and air circula-tion. The highest standards of hygiene are essential if the maturing process is not to be disturbed. For this reason, manual operations should be avoided. Mechanised maturing room processes in combination with climate-control equip-ment offer the best possible conditions.The disturbance that can occur during transport to other levels can be avoided by use of the multi-storey lift.

Leave nothing to chance!

While saving space and with no exchange of air, the cheese stacks are raised via the multi-storey lift to the maturing room.

The transfer device brings the stacked racks to the

conveyors. The racks pass through the maturing

room in meandering route.

High-capacity soft cheese turning-line.

Camembert with nice mould on maturing rack.

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A clean affair.

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Milk pre-treatment

Curd preparation

Wheydrainage


One run through and every-thing is clean.

The rack cleaning unit (see photo left) guarantees not only high operational capacity, but also the best possible cleaning results. It is particu-larly important to us that we offer both environmental protection and savings on energy. For these reasons we switched from a high pressure system to a soaking process. Obstinate, stuck-on mould or the remains of salt are loos-ened by the soaking process and then washed out in the

The Blockforms are cleaned in the ALPMA Cleaning System

to the highest and most modern standards of hygiene.

A schematic showing the steps in a pass through wash-tunnel:

cleaning zone. The racks leave the sterilisation area germ-free and ready for re-use in production. And of course, all of this takes place in one fully automatic single passage.

The cleaning of Blockforms is made simple by the mainte-nance and cleaning friendly ALPMA processes.

Starting position – loadingVapour removal

1st Pre-rinseDrying

2nd Pre-rinseDrying

Cleaning areaDrying

Rinsing-offVapour removal

Removal position

Whether loaded singly by hand, or in stacks by a fully automated system, whether the wash cycle is single or multi-phase, the modular construction of the cleaning units allow each unit to be customised to your needs. It also ensures that your Block-form are always perfectly cleaned. Least possible input for highest possible cleaning capacity.

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Make use of our know-how.

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You live and learn!

Whether you are looking to refine your product or want to develop something new for your range. Whether you have “old hands” to become famil-iarised with the new ease-of-use- technology, or new workers in the field of cheese-making: ALPMA is the perfect contact.

The ALPMA training centre, the trial cheese production, our close connections with the dairy technical colleges – all of these are modules in our wide ranging educational concept.

Use our training offer to ensure your success.

Your experience at the know-how of ALPMA specialists are

the key to the highest possible cheese quality.

Original displays on the touch screen help to make the operation

of the machine understandable and the lesson clear.

Tailor made, transportable test machines designed for the production of different cheese types complete our

test equipment.

Welcome to Alpenland!

The ALPMA headquarters in Rott am Inn is approximately an hour’s car drive from Munich airport. Close by is the Alpenhain Camembert Plant, a sister company of ALPMA.

Should you wish to learn more about our company and range of products, please come and visit our headquarters.

Alpenland Maschinenbau GmbHAlpenstrasse 39–43D-83543 Rott am InnGermany

+49/80 39/4 01 - 0 +49/80 39/4 01 -2 95 [email protected] www.alpma.com

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cheese-making technologyf.licitationen.dk/2ak6hw08njrxjxga.pdf · milk is a valuable natural...

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