Application Case of High Shear Emulsifier Homogenizer in Dairy Production
In large-scale dairy production, the homogenization process is a core link that directly affects product quality, stability and shelf life. A production facility specializing in liquid milk and dairy derivatives once faced persistent challenges in its homogenization section, which restricted production efficiency and product consistency. The introduction of high shear emulsifier homogenizers effectively addressed these issues, achieving noticeable improvements in production performance and product quality.
Background and Challenges
The facility operated two sets of homogenization equipment with a daily output of 240 to 360 tons, running continuously for 20 hours a day to meet market demand. Prior to the equipment upgrade, the existing homogenizers had the following problems:
- Insufficient homogenization efficiency: The traditional equipment could not fully break down fat globules in raw milk, resulting in uneven particle size distribution. The average particle size of fat globules remained at 3-5 μm, leading to obvious creaming phenomenon in products during low-temperature storage, with a separation rate of up to 8% within 7 days.
- High energy consumption and frequent maintenance: The equipment operated at a fixed speed without adaptive adjustment to raw material viscosity, consuming excessive electricity. The lubricating oil change interval was only 1,250 operating hours, requiring frequent shutdowns for maintenance, which reduced the overall production availability rate to around 85%.
- Poor product stability: Due to inadequate emulsification and homogenization, the sensory quality of dairy products such as milk beverages and cream showed significant batch-to-batch differences, including inconsistent texture and taste. The qualification rate of finished products was maintained at 88-90%.
- Hygiene compliance risks: The equipment cavity had structural dead corners that were difficult to clean, and residual materials easily caused microbial contamination. It failed to fully meet the GMP and GB 14881-2013 hygiene standards, requiring additional manual cleaning procedures that increased labor costs.
Equipment Selection and Technical Configuration
To solve these problems, the facility selected high shear emulsifier homogenizers with modular design, integrating advanced technologies to match its production needs. The key technical configurations are as follows:
- Multi-stage stator-rotor structure: Adopting a three-stage composite stator-rotor design with an adjustable gap of 0.05-0.2 mm. The rotor speed can be adjusted continuously within the range of 500-15,000 rpm through frequency conversion technology, generating a shear rate of up to 80,000 s⁻¹, which effectively breaks down fat globules and agglomerated particles.
- Jacketed temperature control system: The equipment cavity is equipped with a夹套式 temperature control structure, enabling precise temperature control between 0-120℃ with a fluctuation range of ±1.5℃. This avoids excessive temperature rise during high-speed shearing, protecting heat-sensitive nutrients in dairy products.
- Hygienic structural design: The cavity is made of 316L stainless steel with a mirror polishing finish, achieving a surface roughness Ra ≤ 0.8 μm. It adopts a quick-dismantling structure without dead corners, allowing complete cleaning within 5 minutes and supporting CIP/SIP cleaning systems to meet strict hygiene requirements.
- Intelligent control and protection: Equipped with an intelligent torque sensor and closed-loop control system, it can automatically adjust the rotation speed according to the viscosity change of materials, avoiding overload risks. The double mechanical seal structure prevents material leakage and ensures safe operation.
- Lubrication optimization: Matched with H1-grade food-safe lubricating oil, which is non-toxic and compatible with food production. It has excellent oxidation resistance and wear resistance, extending the lubricating oil change interval.
Implementation Effect and Data Analysis
After five months of trial operation and optimization, the high shear emulsifier homogenizers achieved significant improvements in production efficiency, product quality and operational cost control. The specific data are as follows:
1. Product Quality Improvement
The homogenization effect was significantly enhanced, with the average particle size of fat globules in dairy products reduced to 0.5-1 μm, and the polydispersity index (PDI) controlled below 0.15. The creaming separation rate of products during low-temperature storage was reduced to less than 1% within 30 days, and the emulsion stability was greatly improved. The sensory quality consistency of batches was significantly enhanced, with the finished product qualification rate increased from 88-90% to 99.5%.
2. Energy Consumption and Maintenance Optimization
The frequency conversion speed regulation and efficient shear structure reduced the unit energy consumption by about 5%, saving 55 MWh of electricity and reducing 33 tons of CO₂ emissions annually. The lubricating oil change interval was extended from 1,250 operating hours to 9,000 operating hours, equivalent to about three years of continuous operation under daily working conditions. This not only reduced the cost of lubricating oil and maintenance labor, but also increased the equipment availability rate to 96%.
3. Production Efficiency and Operational Convenience
The high shear efficiency shortened the single-batch homogenization time from 30 minutes to 15 minutes, increasing the overall production capacity by 30%. The intelligent control system realized automatic operation, reducing manual intervention and operational errors. The quick-dismantling and easy-cleaning structure reduced the cleaning time by 60%, ensuring the continuity of production and reducing the risk of cross-contamination.
4. Hygiene Compliance Upgrade
The non-dead-corner cavity design and food-safe lubricating oil fully met the requirements of GMP and GB 14881-2013 standards. Microbial detection results showed that the total number of colonies in products remained stable at a low level, eliminating hygiene compliance risks and reducing the cost of rework due to contamination.
Summary
The application of high shear emulsifier homogenizers has fundamentally solved the long-standing problems in the homogenization section of the dairy production facility. By optimizing the homogenization effect, reducing energy consumption and maintenance costs, and improving product stability and hygiene compliance, it has laid a solid foundation for the sustainable development of production. The modular design and intelligent control of the equipment also provide flexibility for future production expansion and product upgrading, adapting to the changing market demands for dairy product quality and safety.
In practical production, the performance of high shear emulsifier homogenizers is closely related to material characteristics, process parameters and operational management. Through continuous optimization of matching parameters and standardized maintenance, the equipment can play a greater role in improving production efficiency and product quality, creating more value for the production facility.
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