The Tetra Pak® Mould Handling system is an advanced solution used for pressing and forming of semi-hard and hard cheeses in closed presses with complete mould and lid handling.
Working principle
The curd blocks, leaving the draining forming equipment, are collected in a mould. After the mould is covered with a lid by the lid placer the moulds are conveyed to the final pressing section in closed execution where the curd block is pressed to shape the cheese, and to form a uniform rind around the cheese by a gradually increasing pressing force. Downstream in the final pressing section the cheeses are de-moulded in the de-moulding line and conveyed to a brining system. The moulds and lids are turned upside down before they are cleaned by the rinsing machine and are ready to be re-used again.
The Tetra Pak Mould Handling system is PLC controlled. The closed final presses are cleaned in place.
Highlights
Capacity:
Up to 100 tonnes/day
Applications:
Semi-hard cheese
Multiple mould formats
Flexible Mould Handling systems are available if you want to produce cheeses of different shapes. The mould handling including the Laude moulds areas designed in such a way to handle different mould types in one Mould Handling system. Cheese mould types what are not in production can be stored in the storage unit.
Individual pressing
In this system, the pressing plates are activated by individual pneumatic cylinders. This means that each cheese receives the same pressing force, resulting in an even end product quality.
Enclosed presses
The presses are enclosed, which helps maintain a stable production environment with regard to temperature, moisture and hygiene. For cleaning, all the moulds are removed from the line and stored separately. The enclosed presses make it possible to employ efficient CIP cleaning – which maximizes uptime.
Dual-level cleaning tunnel
The moulds and lids are conveyed into the cleaning unit after each use. The cleaning process begins with pre-rinsing, using water from the previous final rinsing. Main cleaning then takes place, maintaining a stable temperature and concentration of cleaning agents. The last step is final rinsing with fresh water, to ensure that all the detergent is removed. This water is then led back to the start of the cycle for use in the next pre-rinse – thereby reducing water consumption. The tunnel itself is cleaned after each production cycle. The capacity of the cleaning tunnel is adapted to match line capacity.
Mould storage unit
When the equipment needs to be cleaned or when different mould formats are being used, the moulds are removed and stored in this unit. Built on several levels, this storage unit makes efficient use of the space in your plant. And with one shelf per level, the moulds are kept safe.