Benefits
The Tetra Pak® Long Former is a fully automated and continuous system for whey drainage, pre-pressing, accurate cheese block formation and mould filling in one sequence specially designed to produce long blocks of cheese up to 1m for slicing and portioning. The Tetra Pak Long Former is suitable for production of hard and semi-hard cheese types.
Quick facts
Unit for draining and moulding for long, semi-hard cheese
Capacity
800 – 1600 kg/h (depending on cheese type and dimensions)
Applications
Semi-hard cheese
When size matters
- Minimizes waste when producing cheese for slicing and cutting
- Control of drainage and precision cutting give consistent quality throughout each cheese block
- High-quality cheese and whey thanks to the gentle treatment of cheese and “self-cleaning functionality”
Features
Thin draining sections
Maintains high whey quality
Whey is removed inside the column, via three draining sections. The short distance between the perforated plate and the wall of the draining sections (only 8-10mm) ensures turbulence in the whey flow. Without the need for external pumps, whey is constantly exchanged, keeping the curd fines in motion and preventing sedimentation. This means there’s no curd build-up over time, which limits the growth of microorganisms during production and enables a shorter CIP cycle. The whey is constantly refreshed, ensuring quality remains high and stable.
Dosing and cutting system
Accurate weight and precise block cut
A dosing plate controlled by a servo drive precisely doses the curd blocks, which are then cut by a rapidly moving knife. This minimizes mechanical damage and leaves the surface of the curd smooth. The height of the dosing plates can be adjusted in small increments (0,2mm) to get the exact size of block portion required, and the right software will do the rest.
Curd block forming
Accurate moisture distribution and high-quality appearance
When making long cheese it’s essential that, when sliced, the block shows a consistent quality all the way through. From start to finish, every step in the Tetra Pak® Long Former is designed with this objective in mind. The final touch comes after cutting, when the block is gently pressed up against the closed knife, compacting and deaerating its upper side. At the same time, the plate below compresses the block’s lower side. The curd block is then smoothly transferred to the front of the machine.
Automation system
Monitors production and compensates for disturbances
The advanced control software is programmed to continuously monitor production and minimize the effects of any unexpected disturbances on the line. Since the composition of cheese changes rapidly, it is important to compensate for any deviation in production by e.g. adjusting cutting height. The control system does this automatically, without the need for operator intervention.
