| The KS Heating System UHT is designed as a two-stage, direct and continuous operating sterilisation system for prolonging the shelf life of processed cheese, processed cheese preparations and similar products. For continuous operation, there is a prerequisite of minced, mixed and standardised raw materials. For these processing steps, KS offers wide range of machines such as cheese block breakers, belt conveyors with metal detector, cheese grinders, silos, standardisation mixers with NIR – online analysis system, storage bins, creaming tanks, CIP technology and a complete processing control. The KS Heating System UHT consists of a preheating part, in which the cold cheese mixture is heated to approx. 85°C using direct steam injection. The following, frequency controlled dynamic tube mixer ensures even mixing of cheese premix and steam condensation.
Possible foreign objects in the product can be removed via a Duplex product filter. The now liquid cheese can release excess gases in a product silo. The cheese is fed into the UHT system from this silo, by means of a frequency controlled product pump.
A further direct steam injection heats the cheese up to max. 145°C.
Next comes a heat retaining zone, where deactivation of clostridia spores is ensured. After this heat retaining zone, the cheese is continuously cooled down to approx. 90°C using expansion cooling under vacuum. The evaporated water (exhaust vapours) from this is turned into condensation in the tube condenser, using cold water.
After UHT sterilisation, the processed cheese is extremely liquid and not suitable for filling. The viscosity therefore is increased to the desired level in the KS creaming tank, using controlled mechanical agitation via an agitator and a creaming paddle. It is then monitored by a viscometer.
For long operation cycles – e.g. a three shift operation – this is set out in two parallel circuits, both for the preheating area and the UHT area. Switching between circuit A and circuit B is automatically done via valves, or can be controlled manually via change over bend – depending on production hours and the recipe. Circuit A, which was in use until that point, is then cleaned automatically by CIP, making it ready for the next cycle.
The preheating stage can also be used for continuous pasteurisation of fresh cheese, fresh cheese preparations and processed cheese slices.
The entire system is cleaned automatically via a CIP system.
|
