Goldpeg rolls out pilot cooker for R&D needs
Suitable for food products that can pass through a pump and cook in a single pass, from processed cheese to dips for snacks, thepilot system uses as its backbone the firm's “renowned direct steam injection”, the RotaTherm continuous cooker.
According to the Victoria-based company, the pilot system forward feeds and cooks, with options for a range of cooling set-ups, including flash de-aeration,
Precise process control and even heating
Quick – 20 seconds – and even heating are among the benefits highlighted by the Australian firm for its continuous cooking system.
In addition, the company claims its product can deliver precise process control, 'excellent viscosity' management, formulation flexibility, a pause capabilityand, in production, long runs.
"These advanced benefits and features of the RotaTherm give food manufacturers a truly competitive edge," claimed the Moorabbin-based firm.
In terms of turnover, the product has a daily throughput of 800 to 1200 kilograms based on a throughput range of 100 to 250kg per hour. The cooking temperatures, added the company, span 20 to 145°C, as well as vacuum or indirect cooling to 60°C.
The RotaTherm systems are available in configurations for pasteurisation, UHT and aseptic, with throughput rates from 100 kg per hour up to 7,500 kg per hour.
Product needs define cooker size
The size of the RotaTherm cooker is dependent on the product needs, the throughput rate and the requirements for cooking temperatures.
According to Goldpeg, its cookers can be set up for the following configurations: Low cooking temperatures; pasteurisation - temperatures from 63°C up to 100°C; for UHT /sterilisation temperatures requiring from 100°C to 145°C; and aseptic conditions.
Sterilisation and UHT kills the microbes and their spores while the aseptic system maintains the sterility of the product to ensure safe food and to deliver longer shelf life.
In terms of tracking the process, the industrial cooker equipment is supplied with the company's control system, available on a variety of PLC (Programmable Logic Control) platforms that can be programmed with various levels of automation - from manual setting to full recipe programming with a green ‘go’ button.
And with regards to tech details, the instrumentation, automation and control consist of remote reading indicators; PLC operating through a touch screen with stop, start and speed controls; auto and/or manual controls; reporting and diagnostic screens.
