Cheese-Making Technology - Success with ALPMA
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Cheese-Making Technology
Success with ALPMA
A worldwide taste.
The many different varieties Or is a new type of cheese and packaging with those
of cheese which are typical of perhaps to be developed characteristic qualities
a country or a region, with instead of a traditional cheese? peculiar to a specific region.
their countless subtle varia- Of course, local preferences
tions in taste, present a great With our long experience of play an important role in
challenge to ALPMA. cheese production all over the developing this new taste.
Our specialists know which world, we are the right partner
technology to use in order to for you. The new product
maintain the unique charac- would combine the qualities
ter of each regional speciality. of a long shelf life, appearance
At the same time, they ensure
that the quality remains at
the highest possible level.
2
3
From a small scale production unit …
ALPMA already produces vats ALPMA has already developed
with capacities upwards of and put into production
400 litres for manual and hundreds of cheese-making
semi-automatic operations. plants all over the world.
Using ALPMAs modular sys- In recent years the continuous
tem, production can grow production of curd using the
with the demand for the Coagulator has grown in
product. Already existing importance.
components can be easily With this system capacities of
integrated. up to 50,000 litres per hour
can be achieved.
ALPMA – an investment into
the future.
Cheese-making-line with tiltable vats for the production of
soft cheese.
4 Cheese making plant for pressed Twarog.
… to a fully automated system.
Constant water content, more Stacker, stack turner
precise filling capability and and climate tunnel in
consistant quality coupled a soft cheese plant.
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.
Continuous Coagulator – soft cheese plant. 5
The essence of soft cheese production.
The art of always delivering of the milk, via the prepara- Naturally, a prerequisite is the
top quality. tion of the curd, to the filling absolute highest standard of
of the curd into the block- hygiene. Problems with
A first-class product can only forms, from the climate- hygiene are assiduously
be produced from first-class controlled drainage areas and avoided by the careful selec-
raw materials. The preparation de-moulding and into the tion of the construction mate-
of the milk also plays an maturing rooms. You guaran- rials used for each machine,
important role in determining tee your customers a con- optimised engineering and
the quality of the finished stantly high product quality production processes, as well
cheese. and an exceptionally good as with the use of ingenious
taste. cleaning systems.
With ALPMA installations you
have everything under con-
trol: From the pre-treatment
6
Milk Curd Whey Filling Blockforms Mechanisation Salting De-moulding Maturing Cleaning
pre-treatment preparation drainage
Enjoy a continuous and
reliable production process
with an optimum capacity!
A computer generated
layout of a complete
modern soft cheese
production line.
All over the world soft cheese producers trust the reliability and efficiency of ALPMA equipment.
7
The essence of yellow cheese production.
By the implementation of the easily-cleanable hygienic
Coagulator 2000 S ALPMA design and unequalled
also expanded their range of availability – just as ALPMA
competence to the produc- soft cheese plants do.
tion of yellow cheese.
ALPMA yellow cheese plants
stand for maximum yield,
Layout of an entire
modern cheese making
plant for the production
of yellow cheese.
8
Milk Curd Whey Filling Blockforms Mechanisation Salting De-moulding Maturing Cleaning
pre-treatment preparation drainage
Taste, shape and structure – everything just perfect!
9
Preparation leads to success. 10
Milk Curd Whey Filling Blockforms Mechanisation Salting De-moulding Maturing Cleaning
pre-treatment preparation drainage
It’s the milk that counts. Milk treatment unit
with centrifuge and
Milk is a valuable natural pasteuriser.
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.
Pasteuriser and
cream cooler.
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 Ultra-filtration
following: unit for protein
> Milk reception unit and standardisation
milk storage tanks of milk.
> Entire milk treatment area
> Sterilisation and in-line
standardisation of fat-
content
> Standardisation of protein-
content by Ultra-filtration
> Casein-standardisation by
Micro-filtration
> Culture preparation and
pre-ripening units.
Due to well-structured
operator screens in the
operator room you always
know what’s going on in
your dairy.
11Precision at every step. 12
Milk Curd Whey Filling Blockforms Mechanisation Salting De-moulding Maturing Cleaning
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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 A traditional
even the best cheese maker. all-purpose unit
for small dairies: The
Everything is arranged for a KBA-cheese vat.
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.
With a Coagulator
soft cheese and
yellow cheese can be
produced with high-
est possible accuracy.
13Continuity brings results.
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.
Special longitudinal and rotating cross cutter
ensure precise cut without loss of fines for
bigger curd sizes.
Spacing plates ensure undisturbed coagulation
and precise curd treatment within the com-
partments.
Foam-free infeed, precise dosing units and
vibration-free transport ensure a smooth and
homogenous coagulum.
14Milk Curd Whey Filling Blockforms Mechanisation Salting De-moulding Maturing Cleaning
pre-treatment preparation drainage
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.
For very small curd cubes longitudinal
cutter and cross cut harp bring brilliant
results.
Stirrer with plate paddle for intensive curd
treatment.
Paddle units for gentle curd treatment.
Pipe coil- and grid-stirrers for smooth
stirring of the curd. 15What is important is what remains! 16
Milk Curd Whey Filling Blockforms Mechanisation Salting De-moulding Maturing Cleaning
pre-treatment preparation drainage
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 The whey drainage drum,
and filter belts, this process can with its wedge wire screen
be exactly controlled. Whether sieve guarantees a gentle,
set up as an individual unit or but correct drainage.
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!
Whey drainage conveyor systems that are connected in series, are Here the drainage belt ensures exact whey drainage for blue
capable of continuously processing large volumes of curd. cheese curd.
17We do not do anything in half measures. 18
Milk Curd Whey Filling Blockforms Mechanisation Salting De-moulding Maturing Cleaning
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Curd filling is precise work. The semi-automatic
filling device permits
The quality of the cheese is exact dosage, accurate
influenced very early in the hygienic filling and
production process by the qual- accurate control of the
ity of the curd and the filling draining whey without
technique. Mistakes made here significant loss of curd.
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 Large Feta-blocks can
ensure perfect quality. The be filled automatically
filling procedures in turn affect using exact filling
weight, consistency, form and techniques, whilst
quality of the final cheese maintaining a high
product. standard of performance
and a high capacity.
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.
The fully automatic,
Every portion’s a hit. 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.
Extremely soft
varieties of curd
with a large grain
size are placed
gently in the
moulds, layer by
layer, by means of
immersion filling.
19Curd filling is precise work. 20
Milk Curd Whey Filling Blockforms Mechanisation Salting De-moulding Maturing Cleaning
pre-treatment preparation drainage
If the edges of your yellow FORMATIC
cheeses should be tight and working
smooth. If curd texture should diagram:
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 1. Filling plate is lowered into empty 2. Valve opens.
should be exact and repro- mould.
ducible.
Then the award-winning
technique of ALPMA’s
FORMATIC-filler will redound
to optimum results.
3. Curd and whey mixture flows into 4. Filling volume is reached, the valve
mould. closes.
5. Filling/pressing plate presses the 6. Pressing level is achieved.
cheese.
Layout of a
FORMATIC-line
with two basic
units.
21Moulds can come in many shapes and sizes, but they are always unique.
Twarog Brie Limburger Cheese Feta
Function follows Form. Extensive on-site testing is The use of genuine food-grade
usually the only way to find synthetic materials permits a
Blockforms have a great deal the right mould. The arrange- full range of design options,
of influence on the shape, dry ment and drainage properties from the improvement of
matter content and final of the holes and grooves are traditional moulds into mar-
weight of the cheese. There- often decisive. Tenths of milli- keting-compatible appli
fore, the mould development metres can be critical here! cations with company logos.
programme at ALPMA is par-
ticularly important.
1 2
22Milk Curd Whey Filling Blockforms Mechanisation Salting De-moulding Maturing Cleaning
pre-treatment preparation drainage
Blue Cheese Caciotta Esrom Havarti
The special construction of the The bases of the moulds are contact with the mould for a
ALPMA Blockforms is a major structured so that they are long time, this brings particu-
factor in preventing whey identical on both upper and lar challenges to meeting the
drained from the upper cheeses lower surfaces. This means highest standards of hygiene
from dripping onto the lower that when the cheese is and also the cleaning pro
ones during the drainage turned, the mould retains the cesses of the moulds. The
phase. The Blockforms are same drainage characteristics. plastic materials chosen for
easily stacked. Thanks to spe- By stacking of the Blockforms the moulds meets all the
cial centring pins, even high a chimney-effect is achieved guidelines set down by the
stacks remain extremely stable. by which a constant climatisa- American FDA.
tion takes place inside the
stack. As the curd is in direct So let the moulds shape your
cheese.
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
3 4 moulding machine.
23Climate Control. 24
Milk Curd Whey Filling Blockforms Mechanisation Salting De-moulding Maturing Cleaning
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Your cheese is happy here. carried out strictly according
to schedule. This extremely
The ALPMA climate-control flexible system offers endless
conveyor systems offer the variations of use. The produc-
best chance to control the tivity of your company also
specific drainage characteris- will benefit from the environ-
tics of each cheese type. The mentally friendly cleaning
development of the cheese system and its rapid turn
rind and the growth of bacte- around facility.
ria are best influenced by
means of warming, steaming Deliver a consistently good
or by cooling. The combination product to your customers!
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- The fans in the climate-controlled tunnel support the
ducts enables tasks to be chimney effect within the Blockform stack. The air then
passes through a heat exchanger system, from where it is
returned to the circulation process.
A clearly arranged and effortlessly accessible system of
climate tunnels makes production and maintenance much
more easy.
25Top Quality Stackers. 26
Milk Curd Whey Filling Blockforms Mechanisation Salting De-moulding Maturing Cleaning
pre-treatment preparation drainage
Storage space is valuable and stacker with lifting pawls.
expensive. Constructed from materials
which conform to dairy stand-
Consequently, one should ards and CIP-cleanable, stackers
make the best use of what’s and de-stackers can be perfectly
available – stack the racks integrated into your fully auto-
high! The ALPMA Stacker can mated production line.
utilise space so well that Block-
forms, turning sheets, turning Stackers save you expensive
plates and racks are precisely space.
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
A lifting-pawl
stacker at the end
Belt stacker of a ripening rack
for Blockforms. turning plant.
Space saving
CIP-cleanable
lifting-pawl
stacker.
A CIP-cleanable belt
stacker in an auto-
matic production line.
27Round and round we go! 28
Milk Curd Whey Filling Blockforms Mechanisation Salting De-moulding Maturing Cleaning
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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.
The turning device is capable
As a rule, trays are placed in of turning cheese moulds
the single turner. They can with plateau-system and
also be stacked and turned. racks as well as empty Block-
Blockforms are only turned forms, e.g. for cleaning.
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 very space-saving
mechanical stack turner
MSW is the access to
semi-automatic cheese
production.
The automatic stack
turner in CIP-execution.
29Let’s make things hum ... 30
Milk Curd Whey Filling Blockforms Mechanisation Salting De-moulding Maturing Cleaning
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Your cheese requires a nice, Pressing unit and
closed rind? This depends storage for empties.
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 Moulds inside the
parameters. pressing unit.
Yellow cheese in
“Euro-Block”-format
after pressing.
31The all-rounders. 32
Milk Curd Whey Filling Blockforms Mechanisation Salting De-moulding Maturing Cleaning
pre-treatment preparation drainage
As an alternative the ALPMA The Manipulator
Manipulator offers a robot’s substitutes several
functionality and additionally, individual machines,
due to its execution in stain- thus saving a great
less steel and plastic, is fully deal of space. De-
suitable for the set-up in stacking, turning
cheese-making plants with- and re-stacking can
out any hoods or covers be carried out in one
needed for other robots. single sequence.
With a special ALPMA cover, also
industrial robots can perform
high-dynamic processes in a
cheese-making plant.
Safe turning of cheese moulds
using the tray system.
33The Salt of life. 34
Milk Curd Whey Filling Blockforms Mechanisation Salting De-moulding Maturing Cleaning
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Salt not only adds taste, it Those who operate large
also protects the surface of brining units know just how
the cheeses. important it is to have an
efficient flow. The coordina-
Brine bath and dry salting tion of the loading and
units have proved essential unloading, as well as the
methods in fulfilling the length of time the cheese is in
special requirements of each the bath and the overall space
local variation. requirements are expensive
As well as being a useful and require detailed planning.
means of salting cheese, brine The dry salting machine is
baths offer a means of control- particularly suitable for com-
ling the cheese temperature pact shapes and requires very
and the culturing of the bacte- little space.
ria, thus influencing the final Dry salting unit.
taste. We plan for your success.
Large capicity brine bath for soft
cheese.
35Sensitivity demands automation. 36
Milk Curd Whey Filling Blockforms Mechanisation Salting De-moulding Maturing Cleaning
pre-treatment preparation drainage
Everybody needs to get out structed according to the
some time. highest hygiene standards
and are simple to clean.
And you want this to happen
quickly and gently. The load- Ask for a better solution!
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-
With a simple handle the format
sets can be changed easily, similar
to a drawer.
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.
37Mature ideas. 38
Milk Curd Whey Filling Blockforms Mechanisation Salting De-moulding Maturing Cleaning
pre-treatment preparation drainage
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 transfer device brings
the corresponding tempera- the stacked racks to the
ture, humidity and air circula- conveyors. The racks pass
tion. The highest standards of through the maturing
hygiene are essential if the room in meandering route.
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!
Camembert with nice High-capacity soft cheese
mould on maturing rack. turning-line.
While saving space
and with no exchange
of air, the cheese
stacks are raised via
the multi-storey lift to
the maturing room.
39A clean affair. 40
Milk Curd Whey Filling Blockforms Mechanisation Salting De-moulding Maturing Cleaning
pre-treatment preparation drainage
One run through and every- cleaning zone. The racks leave Whether loaded singly by
thing is clean. the sterilisation area germ- hand, or in stacks by a fully
free and ready for re-use in automated system, whether
The rack cleaning unit (see production. And of course, all the wash cycle is single or
photo left) guarantees not of this takes place in one fully multi-phase, the modular
only high operational capacity, automatic single passage. construction of the cleaning
but also the best possible units allow each unit to be
cleaning results. It is particu- The cleaning of Blockforms is customised to your needs. It
larly important to us that we made simple by the mainte- also ensures that your Block-
offer both environmental nance and cleaning friendly form are always perfectly
protection and savings on ALPMA processes. cleaned. Least possible input
energy. For these reasons we for highest possible cleaning
switched from a high pressure capacity.
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:
Starting position – loading
Vapour removal
1st Pre-rinse
Drying
2nd Pre-rinse
Drying
Cleaning area
Drying
Rinsing-off
Vapour removal
Removal position
41Make use of our know-how. 42
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 Your experience at the know-
the dairy technical colleges – how of ALPMA specialists are
all of these are modules in the key to the highest possible
our wide ranging educational cheese quality.
concept.
Use our training offer to
ensure your success.
Tailor made, transportable
test machines designed for
the production of different
cheese types complete our
test equipment.
Original displays on the touch
screen help to make the operation
of the machine understandable
and the lesson clear.
43Alpenland Maschinenbau GmbH
Alpenstrasse 39–43
D-83543 Rott am Inn
Germany
+49 / 80 39 /4 01 - 0
+49 / 80 39/4 01 - 2 95
info@alpma.de Welcome to Alpenland!
www.alpma.com
The ALPMA headquarters in Should you wish to learn
Rott am Inn is approximately more about our company
an hour’s car drive from and range of products,
Munich airport. Close by is the please come and visit our
Alpenhain Camembert Plant, a headquarters.
sister company of ALPMA.
Käsereitechnik-BR-750e-KO-09/2008You can also read
