As global demand for dairy products continues to grow, dairy processing companies are facing a “double challenge”: on the one hand, they need to improve production efficiency and ensure a stable supply of products; on the other hand, they need to ensure that the natural nutrients in dairy products are not destroyed, thereby increasing product added value and meeting consumers’ high standards for health and nutrition. In this competition of technology and quality, tubular centrifuges, as key separation equipment, are becoming an indispensable “nutrition guardian” in the dairy industry with their high-speed, gentle and precise separation performance.
The “pain points” and “difficulties” of dairy separation
Dairy is a natural complex emulsion containing fat, protein, lactose, minerals, water and other components. The density difference between these components is small and the particle size is fine, so the following problems are very likely to occur during the separation process:
High temperature or high shear causes protein denaturation;
Oxidation or demulsification of milk fat affects taste and nutrition;
Incomplete separation affects product clarity and stability;
Long separation time and low efficiency affect production rhythm.
Although traditional gravity sedimentation, plate and frame filtration, disc centrifugation and other methods have been used in some links, they are often unable to cope with the processing needs of dairy products that are sensitive to temperature and have variable ingredients. Especially in the following key process links, traditional equipment is prone to nutrient loss:
Milk sterilization: Too high temperature causes protein denaturation
Fat separation: Long-term stirring causes the fat mass to break
Protein extraction: Incomplete separation of particles leads to low purity
Post-processing of fermented milk: Excessive shear force affects the survival of active bacteria
Therefore, it is urgent for the dairy industry to find a technology that can quickly and accurately separate solids and liquids without destroying the original nutrients. Tubular centrifuges stand out in this demand.
What is a tubular centrifuge?
A tubular centrifuge is a device that uses high-speed rotation to generate strong centrifugal force to separate components of different densities. It is mainly composed of a slender drum, a drive system, a feeding system, and a liquid discharge device. Compared with a disc centrifuge or a horizontal screw centrifuge, a tubular centrifuge has the following core advantages:
High speed (15,000–20,000 rpm) and strong centrifugal force (up to 20,000g or more);
Large aspect ratio and high separation accuracy;
Closed structure to avoid air oxidation;
No stirring, no shearing, low temperature operation, suitable for separating temperature-sensitive materials;
Continuous feeding and continuous liquid discharge, suitable for large-scale production.
The workflow is as follows:
The milk to be separated enters the drum through the feed port;
Under high-speed rotation, heavy solids or milk fat are thrown to the drum wall, and the light liquid phase flows out from the center;
After separation, the solids are deposited on the drum wall and cleaned regularly by manual or automatic means;
The liquid product enters the downstream process (such as homogenization, sterilization, etc.).
No loss of nutrients: the key guarantee mechanism of tubular centrifuge
1. Low shear force design to protect the structure of milk fat and protein
The fat globules in dairy products are extremely susceptible to shear damage. Traditional stirring or pumping separation equipment will break the milk fat globule membrane during operation, causing emulsification or oxidation reactions, resulting in a decrease in flavor and nutrition. However, there are no mechanical stirring parts inside the tubular centrifuge, and the material flows at a uniform speed in a closed pipe, with almost zero shear force, which effectively protects the integrity of the milk fat structure.
2. Low temperature operation to prevent protein denaturation
Whey protein, casein, etc. are extremely sensitive to temperature. Excessive operating temperature can cause protein denaturation or even precipitation. The tubular centrifuge generates less heat during operation, and can be used with the cooling system to achieve low-temperature separation (<40°C) to ensure that the nutrients are not destroyed.
3. High speed and high efficiency, shortening processing time
High speed means a shorter separation cycle, and the residence time of dairy products in the equipment is shortened from tens of minutes in traditional methods to a few minutes or even tens of seconds. The extremely short contact time reduces the oxidation probability of nutrients and ensures the freshness and nutritional activity of the product.
4. Precise separation to improve purification efficiency
The tubular centrifuge can achieve precise separation of particles with a particle size of less than 0.1 micron, and can effectively separate whey protein, microbial cells, impurity precipitation, etc., greatly improving the efficiency of dairy purification and providing technical support for the development of high-end products such as functional dairy products and protein beverages.
Application scenarios: Multiple roles of tubular centrifuges in dairy processes
1. Milk pretreatment (sterilization, impurity removal)
Remove bacteria, impurities, and sediments to improve subsequent sterilization efficiency;
Low-temperature operation protects active ingredients.
2. Skimming and milk fat classification
High-speed rotation achieves precise skimming;
Adjustable speed is used for graded milk fat separation (production of whole-fat, low-fat, and skimmed milk).
3. Post-treatment of yogurt and fermented milk
Remove insoluble particles and bacteria to extend shelf life;
Does not affect the activity of probiotics and ensures product functionality.
4. Whey protein extraction
Separate protein from whey;
Deep purification is achieved with a membrane filtration system.
5. Cheese whey concentration and clarification
Remove precipitated impurities and improve whey utilization;
Can be used for subsequent processing of protein beverages, lactose products, etc.
Industry Trends: New Directions for Dairy Equipment under Nutritional Orientation
Under the increasingly obvious consumption trend of nutrition orientation, dairy processing equipment will be upgraded in the following directions in the future:
Intelligent: Through real-time sensing and monitoring of speed, temperature, flow rate, etc., intelligent adjustment of operating parameters to ensure nutritional stability;
Modular production line: Combined with membrane separation, homogenization, sterilization and other equipment, a “whey-protein-fat” fine processing chain is formed;
Green energy saving: The new rotor structure reduces energy consumption and optimizes the heat recovery system;
Multi-stage centrifugal combination technology: Tubular centrifuges can form a front-end and rear-end combination with disc-type, horizontal screw and other equipment to achieve coarse separation + fine separation.
Protecting the nutrition of dairy products starts with separation
As the global dairy industry moves towards high-end, nutritional and functional development, dairy companies must start from the source process to ensure that every drop of dairy products retains the natural taste and health power. As the core equipment in the separation process, the tubular centrifuge is protecting the nutritional code in dairy products in an efficient, gentle and intelligent way.
We firmly believe that a truly high-quality tubular centrifuge is not only a high-speed industrial equipment, but also an amplifier of the value of dairy products. It not only separates the ingredients, but also accurately retains every bit of health and every drop of quality.
