Dairy products

Ice cream, yoghurt, desserts

The task

acceptance of incoming products from sacks, big bags and tank trucks
screening and storage of the main components
high plant capacity
preparation of minor components to be added by hand into mixers
automatic feeding of mixers with bulk and medium components
strict requirements for cleaning and hygiene
end-to-end documentation, tracking + tracing, prompts to guide operators

The Solution

Automated handling of raw materials in the manufacture of dairy products (ice cream, yoghurt, desserts)

The raw materials are delivered in big bags, sacks or bulk tankers, i.e. it must be possible to fill the storage silos from any of the receptacles mentioned. Big bag and sack discharge stations are available in addition to a tank truck connection for direct filling. Cyclone screeners are arranged below the discharge stations and screen the raw material before it enters the storage silo.
If the storage silos are filled directly from the bulk tanker, a type-TW 650 vibrating screen is integrated in the conveying line.
Depending on the raw material, the silos and the filler pipe are fitted with integral explosion protection and can be uncoupled from the next system with a rotary valve.
AZO vibration bottoms ensure a steady discharge from the storage silos. Frequency-controlled dosing screws take care of dosing the raw materials into the following AZO vacuum conveyor.
The raw materials enter the vacuum conveying scales, which are above the mixer lines, via the pneumatic conveying system. These materials are distributed from the individual silos to the mixer lines via pipe diverter valves. Two weighing containers are provided for each mixing line. This allows a high throughput and makes optimum use of plant availability, as the feeding vessels can be filled during the mixing process on both sides.
An operator-controlled manual weighing station is installed on the same level as the vacuum conveying scales above the mixer lines and is responsible for adding micro quantities into the mixing process. The raw materials are pre-weighed manually into small receptacles and labelled. The ingredients are identified and discharged into the mixer via a discharge base in accordance with the formulations saved in the process control and instrumentation system.
The entire plant is designed with the special ViwateQ finish in order to satisfy the strict requirements for hygiene. The ViwateQ finish provides a surface that is ideal for cleaning, in particular when using the wet cleaning method.
The entire plant can be controlled and monitored using the AZO process control and instrumentation system. The controls ensure end-to-end documentation and tracking and tracing of manufacturing process.