Hardening vats
The hardening vat is the last component in the processing line for pasta filata cheeses, which contains cold water to cool the products prior to packaging. GEA offers a range of robust, hygienic, modular hardening vats that can be configured to meet any cheese type or production throughput.
The cheeses arriving from the molding machine are transferred into the vat via a loading hopper. The products are conveyed along the vat from one end to the other by a system that combines a crank-operated series of oscillating stainless steel beds at the base of the vat, and a series of adjustable water jets above the vat. The oscillating beds can be set at different cycles that either keep advancing the products through the vat, or retain them in one position for a required length of time. At the end of the unit the cheeses are extracted automatically using a motorized belt.
GEA systems can be tailored to fit any plant layout. To reduce footprint we can also design and configure hardening vats constructed on two or more levels. Vertically configured solutions feature a pneumatic lifting system to transfer products between levels.
Features of GEA hardening vats include pipework and centrifugal pump for recycling of cooling water by recirculation through a heat exchanger. The pump also recovers cleaning solutions after a cleaning cycle. Electrical controls are housed in a waterproof panel.
Downloads
GEA Insights
GEA reports profitable growth for 2025 and expects accelerated revenue growth
GEA’s past fiscal year was one of significant growth and further profitability gains. In particular, the technology group substantially increased order intake, with all divisions contributing here. GEA also made progress in all Mission 30 strategic growth areas. In addition, GEA met key interim targets under its climate plan ahead of schedule. Major milestones in fiscal year 2025 were admission to the DAX index, the award of one of the largest contracts in the company’s history, and streamlining of the corporate structure.
How SmartParc is rewriting the rules of food production
Thanks to a new SmartParc manufacturing site, food processors in the U.K. are cutting their running costs and emissions. With GEA heating and cooling technology at its core, this collaborative production model demonstrates how innovation is accelerating the industry’s net-zero ambitions.
The food science playground
“Brewing eggs is like brewing beer.” It’s the kind of comparison that makes you smile – and then it clicks: Something complex suddenly feels simple. Through this personal film, set in the agricultural heartland of the U.S., we explore precision fermentation and the real-world work it takes to turn an idea into food.
