GEA Diessel Units in the Dairy Industry

Complete equipment for milk reception and processing

As a result of many years of experience in the development and application of different metering techniques and in plant construction, GEA Diessel has become an expert in the manufacture of complete self-contained units. Such units may be complete metering devices for volumetric or mass flow measurement, or measuring sections with regulating devices for proportional regulation by volume or by mass, in each case installed complete on a base frame. All the components are connected together and are tested at the factory before delivery and installation.

GEA Diessel units essentially include the following:

  • de-aeration system;
  • volumetric or mass flow meter;
  • product pumps;
  • control valves;
  • inspection glasses and nonreturn valves;
  • analysis systems;
  • process computer;
  • printer.

Where required for the particular application, the units can be manufactured as systems suitable for weights and measures approval. The advantages of such complete units are:

  • they are functionally inspected and tested before delivery;
  • all inlet and outlet ports are clearly determined in advance;
  • they require only a short installation time. The surrounding pipework can be installed in advance to fit exactly;
  • commissioning time is reduced;
  • costs are minimised and can be reliably calculated.

Mobile units on collection tankers

GEA Diessel builds mobile metering equipment for the metering of conductive liquids (conductivity > 5 µS), especially for the metering of milk being collected by tanker under weights and measures approved conditions. Such equipment typically has a measuring accuracy of +/- 0.5%. Even in the accuracy category required by the weights and measures authorities, product throughputs of up to 60,000 l/h and more are achieved.

Features of the mobile units:

  • compact design;
  • highly accurate metering and repeatability;
  • weights and measures approval for the entire unit;
  • simple to operate;
  • kind to the product during conveyance;
  • high degree of flexibility for customised applications.

Mobile units on tankers
Sampling unit

Such units offer complete solutions, covering everything from the sampling itself to the identification of the sampling bottle with automatic bottle transport.

Double sampling, taking overall and individual samples.

Stationary milk reception

The stationary metering unit is intended for the emptying of tankers. A weights and measures approved unit is available for the reception of milk which is to be paid for through a verifiable accounting procedure. Particular features of this unit are the design of the air separator and the arrangement of the centrifugal pump: the pump is positioned downstream of the air separator, which enhances the separation performance and contributes to accurate measurement.

Features of the reception unit:

  • metering, display, monitoring and recording of volume, temperature, date/time, driver number and sample bottle number
  • unit has weights and measures approval 
  • control of the pump and of sampling
  • print-out showing all relevant data
  • data transfer to computer

 

Stationary reception equipment with sample turntable

 

Units for blending yoghurt and fruit

With continuous blending units, liquids can be blended continuously inline in the desired proportions, even if they are of differing viscosities. No mixing tanks are required. The products are blended by a suitable mixer directly in the pipe. For the regulation/conveyance of the blended products, frequency-regulated rotary piston pumps are used. These self-priming rotary piston pumps work with low flow speeds, and so are kind to the product, do not create froth, and can be used to convey both liquids and viscous media.
The GEA Diessel unit for blending products of different viscosities also accommodates the fruit container. There is thus only a short priming distance before the viscous fruit mixture reaches the rotary piston pump.

Features:

  • kind to the product;
  • products with viscosities of up to 1,000,000 cP can be processed;
  • homogeneously blended product, no mixing tanks required;
  • high accuracy through the use of precision metering technology;
  • digital regulation;
  • product container stands on the unit.

Unit for blending yoghurt and fruit

 

Over the last few years it has become more and more obvious that completely prefabricated and pre-tested units are preferable to plant constructed on site. The unit structure allows the construction of a technically perfect plant and guarantees the optimum use of the metering and analysis technology employed.
The proper functioning of the unit under various operating conditions can be tested at the manufacturer’s, and appropriate settings made. Long commissioning and testing times and unpleasant surprises during commissioning are things of the past.

 

The author:
Wolfgang Zenker, sales engineer with GEA Diessel GmbH Food & Beverage

Published in: European Dairy Magazine 2006

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