Cheese Making Equipment

Dairy>Liquid Processing Systems

CHEESE MAKING EQUIPMENT

A full supply of pasta filata cheese making technology – from milk processing through to packaging – makes GEA a competent provider of pasta filata cheese plants. GEA is your partner in design, engineering and manufacturing of complete production systems for soft/fresh (mozzarella), semi-hard (scamorza) and hard pasta filata cheeses (pizza-cheese, kashar, provolone, kasseri).

Products

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Batch drainage and maturation DMC systems with auger

GEA offers a versatile portfolio of state-of-the-art automated curd drainage and maturation systems used in the production of various types of pasta filata cheese. Batch type DMC systems are available with capacities up to 2,000 kg.

GEA offers a modular system of brining vats that can be configured on either one or multiple levels and different shapes, to match production rate and plant layout.

Continuous curd drainage and maturation tunnel systems

Automated, continuous curd drainage and maturation systems to produce various types of pasta filata cheese. The continuous drainage and maturation tunnel system from GEA is designed to produce large quantities of a single type of curd.

GEA curd cutter units are constructed around an accumulation vat with a sloping chamber. A rotary auger at the end of the accumulation vat transfers the curd to an adjustable rotary cutter. This cuts the curd into small pieces, the thickness of which can be changed by adjusting the position of the cutting knives. The auger speed is also adjustable to vary the amount of curd passing through the cutter. Whey is removed and collected in a recovery vat equipped with grilled strainer. A pipe then connects this vat to the downstream stretching machine.

Cylindrical coagulators for curd processing

GEA offers a portfolio of flexible, reliable hydraulic setting vats for the production of a wide range of pasta filata cheeses, including mozzarella, mozzarella balls and braids, pizza cheese, provolone or scamorza. We can configure systems with capacities of 3,000–5,000 liters of milk per cycle, to meet all the requirements of small, medium and large-scale manufacturers.

Drum molding machines

GEA drum molding machines can be configured with 2, 4 or 6 auger feeders, to meet any process or production requirement and capacity.

Dry Salt Dosage Systems

GEA offers a versatile portfolio of reliable and robust dry salt dosage systems for dispensing precisely measured quantities of salt to stretched curd cheese. Addition of salt after stretching and before molding prevents issues with curd structure, elasticity and shelf-life that can otherwise occur due to poor water absorption.

Feeder units from GEA comprise an accumulation vat into which the curd is transferred, either by hand or automatically, and which contains a 500 mm auger to transfer the curd to a pneumatically controlled curd cutter unit.

A complete system comprises an initial module that houses the motorization for conveying products through the vat, a number of central, cold water-filled 4 m vats through which the cheeses are transported, and a final module that includes the extraction belt for removal of the cooled cheeses.

Hot water heaters for cheese

GEA has developed a portfolio of water heaters to meet any production requirement and capacity for pasta filata cheese processing.

Hot water stretching & Molding unit with dipping arms

GEA has developed the all-in-one MINICOMPACT system of all-in-one stretching and molding units for smaller dairies and for pilot- or R&D-scale production of stretch curd cheeses. The MINICOMPACT batch machines comprise curd dicer, cooker-stretching vat with dipping arms, and cheese molder in a single unit, with the capacity to process up to 100 kg/h.

Hydraulic setting vats

GEA offers a portfolio of flexible, reliable hydraulic setting vats for the production of a wide range of pasta filata cheeses, including mozzarella, mozzarella balls and braids, pizza cheese, provolone or scamorza. We can configure systems with capacities of 3,000–5,000 liters of milk per cycle, to meet all the requirements of small, medium and large-scale manufacturers.

Liquid salt dosage systems

GEA offers a comprehensive portfolio of technologies for the dosing of precise quantities of liquid salt solutions, and accurate temperature regulation.

Molding and pre-hardening units

GEA molding and pre-hardening units are used for the mass production of dry pasta filata type pizza cheeses and kashkaval.

Molding machines for provolone and caciocavallo

GEA has developed a portfolio of versatile, automated machines for molding provolone cheeses at capacities of up to 1,200 kg per hour, and caciocavallo cheeses at throughputs of 600 kg per hour. Available with multiple molding sections, all GEA systems feature PLC control.

Steam Stretching Machines – Batch type

Steam stretching offers an alternative to hot water stretching for the production of many different types of pasta filata cheese, including fresh mozzarella, braids, loaves for pizzerias, scamorza or caciocavallo. GEA offers a range of steam stretching machines for batch production for capacities up to 1,000 kg/h.

Steam Stretching machines – Continuous Type

Using this technique the steam is incorporated into the product, so no stretching water or whey are generated as by-products. This minimizes the need for liquid recovery, skimming or cooling, and can enable energy savings of 30%. Steam stretching can also increase production yields by up to 1% when compared with hot water stretching.

Stretching machines with dipping arms

Hot water stretching machines with dipping arms create elongated, overlapping cheese fibers that are particularly suited to producing soft, fresh mozzarella cheeses, including balls and braids. GEA offers a complete portfolio of hygienic, versatile and user-friendly batch and continuous systems to meet any industry requirement, and production capacities of 100-3,000 kg/h.

Stretching machines with rotary paddle

Hot water stretching machines with rotary paddles are ideally suited to producing dry and hard cheeses that have an elastic and fibrous texture, including dry mozzarella for pizza, scamorza and provolone. GEA has worked with industry to develop a series of seven versatile Combi machines with rotary paddles, which can meet production requirements of 500-6,000 kg/h.

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