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. Vats with capacity 1000-2,000 kg product can be supplied, and both the vat and strainer for whey recovery incorporate level feelers.
The auger can be programmed precisely to rotate either continuously or intermittently. This rotation feeds the curd to the curd cutter unit, which is attached to the distal part of the vat. The cutter comprises guides that move the curd to a blade with knives that cut the curd in parallel pipedal strips. The blade is driven by a pneumatic system that can be programmed to regulate the frequency of the downstroke.
The timing of the auger rotation and the blade downstrokes are set independently to each other, so that the thickness of the cut curd slices can be adjusted precisely. The cut curd is then conveyed by means of an auger loader at the end of the accumulation vat, to the stretching lines. GEA can supply a bi-directional chute with pneumatic control and two sonar feelers, to feed two stretching machines simultaneously.
The GEA feeder unit is constructed from AISI 304 stainless steel, and features electro-mechanical drives and a waterproof control panel.
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