Material feeding and emptying systems
Cheese production efficiency case study — definition: HECHT delivered a custom conveying and dosing system for one of the largest cheese manufacturers in the United States, automating the processing of cheese blocks into grated cheese with precise dosing of starch blends, cultures, enzymes and colorings.
Cheese production in the US is a sector that continues to grow and develop. Cheese manufacturers are constantly looking for ways to increase the efficiency of their production processes and safeguard product quality. A key part of this is processing cheese blocks into grated cheese, packaged in various sizes to meet retail and foodservice needs.
Another critical aspect of this process is the precise dosing of starch blends and spices to prevent the grated cheese from clumping and to achieve different flavour variants.
HECHT Technologie specializes in innovative solutions to improve process efficiency, and developed a custom solution for one of the largest American cheese manufacturers. The project involved implementing state-of-the-art conveying and dosing systems, including ProClean Conveyor (PCC) vacuum conveyors, FIBC (big bag) discharge stations, dosing differential scales for starch blends, stainless steel conveyors and vacuum lines, magnetic separators and buffer hoppers.
Challenges of cheese production and bulk material handling
Handling bulk materials in cheese production is demanding. Incorrect dosing or distribution of ingredients such as lactic acid cultures, rennet enzymes, spices and colorings can affect product quality. To meet these challenges, cheese manufacturers rely on highly precise machinery.
Key results
- Conveying capacity: up to 700 kg/h
- Conveying distance: up to 90 m horizontally plus 6 m vertically
- Higher production capacity with consistent end-product quality
- Controlled, clean and rapid unloading, reducing manual intervention and product loss
Transport and dosing of the materials
Efficient big bag emptying and filling stations
Emptying big bags and filling sacks and drums are crucial steps. Specialised machines are used for this:
Big bag emptying stations: an automated big bag emptying system ensures controlled, clean and fast emptying of bulk materials. Avoiding manual intervention increases product safety and reduces workload. Choosing the right emptying system is essential. Smooth emptying minimises product loss and contributes to process efficiency. Here, an outlet connection system was chosen and specially adapted to the customer's needs.
Dosing equipment: precision is key. Dosing equipment allows accurate feeding or discharge of bulk materials to ensure consistent recipes. Automated dosing equipment guarantees consistent quality and saves time. Matching the dosing equipment precisely to the specific properties of the bulk materials is of the utmost importance. This includes aspects such as particle size, flow behaviour and bulk density. Accurate dosing achieves a homogeneous product quality that meets customer expectations.
Filling stations for sacks and drums: specialised filling stations ensure efficient and hygienic packaging of cheese products. Sacks and drums are filled accurately and sealed to preserve product integrity and freshness.
Hygiene is essential here, especially when packaging food. Integrated cleaning systems and easy-to-clean materials are important features.
Correct packaging and sealing not only protect against contamination, but also extend the shelf life of the end product.
The combination of efficient big bag emptying systems, dosing equipment and filling stations not only guarantees quality and consistency, but also increases productivity and competitiveness. In a constantly evolving industry, such innovations are the key to success.
Innovative technology
A crucial element of this efficiency gain is the HECHT Technologie dosing system for the starch blends. The starch blends are delivered in FIBCs, which are emptied in FIBC emptying stations in a separate area. From there, PCC vacuum conveyors take them to the production area.
The HECHT PCCs are located on walk-on ceilings above the production area and ensure smooth material transport. From the PCCs, the starch blends are fed through long, three-part drop tubes into the loss-in-weight dosing scales.
These highly accurate scales dose the starch blends directly onto the conveyor belts, ensuring precise and even distribution.
In addition to the main elements of the system – such as the stainless steel conveying and vacuum lines, vacuum pumps, sack infeed for small quantities, buffer hoppers, magnetic separators and operating platforms – the supporting structures and controls were also designed by HECHT Technologie specifically for the requirements of the application.