Stretching machines with dipping arms
Hot water stretching machines with dipping arms for production capacities of 100 - 3,000 kg/h.
GEA has developed its hot water stretching machines in partnership with the industry. For smaller producers and pilot-scale operation of up to 200 kg/h we have designed a range of all-in-one, compact hot water stretching machines with dipping arms that carry out stretching and molding in a single unit. Our continuous production systems have been developed for medium-to-industrial-scale capacities, and guarantee optimum processing and reliability. These larger-scale systems can be connected to any of the GEA range of molding units.
GEA continuous production machines feature double-walled feeding tunnels in which two counter-rotating carry out pre-stretching before the curd reaches the mixing chamber with dipping arms. Servo-motor drives with mechanical inverters guarantee accurate speed control and reliable operation, while delivery of hot water to the feeding tunnel and to the mixing vat is controlled precisely using manual micrometer valves. Adjustable piping configuration enables very fine control of the liquid level in the vat, while waste whey (and cleaning solutions) is recovered in a separate vat with strainer and centrifugal pump.
GEA machines are constructed using stainless steel AISI 304, and feature Teflon coating on augers, mixing arms and the machine body. Some models can be supplied with GEA’s innovative mechanical-chemical Vulcan treatment, which offers a permanent alternative to Teflon coating.
All GEA stretching machines include mechanical and electromechanical protection on dangerous areas to ensure operator safety. Hygienic design complies with the most stringent regulations, and facilitates efficient, effective cleaning to minimize water usage and machine down time.
Remote assistance by GEA engineers is also possible for PLC-operated stretching units.
Patented Vulcan non-stick treatment
GEA can offer its patented Vulcan non-stick treatment as a highly effective alternative to traditional Teflon-coating for metal surfaces that come into contact with product during many stages of stretched cheese production.
Vulcan represents an innovative mechanical-chemical technology that involves multiple rounds of mechanically polishing the metal surface at different pressures and angles. The process generates a non-stick surface that has a virtually limitless lifespan. This is a major benefit compared with traditional Teflon-coating, which may wear or even chip off and require periodic reapplication. Vulcan is also highly resistant to cleaning-in-place cycles.
Downloads
GEA Insights
Beyond the firewall: Securing what matters at GEA
Companies like GEA process and store large amounts of sensitive data. However, security incidents, from ransomware attacks to physical intrusions and industrial espionage, are ever-expanding. GEA’s effective protection of its business partners’ data – as well as its own proprietary information – is evolving into a competitive advantage. We spoke with Iskro Mollov, GEA’s Chief Information Security Officer, about what it takes to protect a global business in a volatile world.
Smart, stylish, circular: polycotton recycling with Circ
Resource-efficient fashion has been a long-sought ambition amid the fashion industry’s considerable contributions to global carbon emissions. The need to close the loop by recycling textile fibers into virgin-like materials is higher than ever but seemed like a distant dream until now: Circ, GEA’s American customer and pioneer in the field of textile recycling, might be rewriting the future of the fashion industry.
New food tipping point
Alternative proteins are promising – yet still expensive to produce. The usual response is that scaling up will solve this issue. But what if the solution was really about getting better, not just bigger? From more efficient, high-yield processes to upcycling waste heat, engineers are reshaping how we grow food.
