Ricotta Flocculators
The Flocculators are the starting point of the Milk Innovation Ricotta Production Plants, and they function by means of steam injection. They are manufactured entirely in AISI 304 steel and have multiple advantages, amongst which: ease of installation, reduced manpower requirements, energy savings and excellent productivity thanks to their coordinated use of the Ricotta Drainage Vat.
Ease of installation
As all the Flocculators are assembled and prepared in the factory before shipping, once they are delivered it is sufficient to position the machinery and assemble it again, the only fabrication work left is connecting the whey, water and steam feeds.
Reduced manpower requirements
The plant is designed to require a maximum of two people to manage the whole line. In plants with double Flocculators, the advantage becomes even bigger, as synchronizing the filling of one Flocculator with the emptying of the other can optimize the time required for production.
Energy Savings
When two Flocculators are present, using an heat exchanger allows to transfer heat from the used whey being removed from one flocculator, to the fat whey being loaded in the other tank, with the double advantages of reducing energy consumption and of shortening production times.
Maximum Productivity
Thanks to the bottom-draining design of the Flocculators, the whey and the Ricotta suspendend in it are transferred inside the Drainage Vat where they are separated, allowing to recover all of the product, enhancing the yield and reducing waste.
Furthermore, washing is made easier by the flocculators' construction: an accurate cleaning is possible by just using the spray balls inside the tank, with minimal labor requirements.
Automated Version
There's an automated version of the Flocculators available, that further reduces the labour and time requirements for production. The use of recipes allows an higher standardization of the product, allowing to better satisfy the requirements of large-scale distribution, and the addition of a touch-screen interface makes it easier to use the plant, consequently reducing training time for new operators. The automated washing cycle ensures a through cleaning and require minimum manual work.
Advantages of the automated version:
- Easy-to-use control panel with PLC and Touchscreen.
- Further reduction of labour requirements.
- Speedier production batches.
- Automated washing program.
