Authors : W. Jitjaroen, A. Jitjaroen, A. Suvannakita and O. Bunthawong
Abstract: A prototype in-line stirred yoghurt machine was designed and constructed for use in SME dairy plants and education establishments. The prototype consisted of mixer, pre-heater, pasteurizer, cooler, incubator and filling systems all necessary processes were aggregated within a 2.8 m2 steel base. The operation of production was controlled by a set of Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) and/or one personal computer. Testing was done with a yoghurt mix. Results showed that the pasteurization system, using heat from a small gas burner transferred to the flowing raw milk through heat exchangers, destroyed all pathogenic microorganisms. Thereafter, the yoghurt mix was incubated in an insulated stainless steel tank at 42°C for 3 h, then cooled to 20-25°C over 30 min and total acidity of product was not >0.76%. Production capacity was approximately 100 cups h-1 by one operator. Overall, it was felt the prototype offered significant advantages in terms of its small size, portability and ease of operation. The 73% energy efficiency will also offer significantly reduced production costs.
W. Jitjaroen, A. Jitjaroen, A. Suvannakita and O. Bunthawong, 2014. Performance Efficiency of In-line Stirred Yoghurt Machine Modeling for Use in SMEs. Journal of Engineering and Applied Sciences, 9: 243-248.