In the field of dairy processing, how to efficiently and accurately separate fat and protein while ensuring nutritional quality is the key to improving product quality and production efficiency. With the dual improvement of quality standards and production capacity in the dairy market, traditional separation processes and equipment can no longer meet the needs of modern dairy companies.
In this context, disc centrifuges have become the preferred equipment for the dairy industry to achieve accurate separation of fat and protein with their advantages of high speed, high efficiency, continuity and high degree of automation. They are widely used in various dairy processing production lines such as pasteurized milk, milk powder, cheese, butter, whey protein, etc.
Overview of separation needs in the dairy industry
Physical and chemical properties of dairy raw materials
Raw milk is a natural emulsion whose main components include water, lactose, protein, fat, minerals and vitamins. Its characteristics are:
Fat is in the form of suspended oil globules with a particle size of 0.1 to 15 microns;
Protein is mainly casein and whey protein, which are partially bound to the fat surface;
Moderate viscosity, high emulsification stability, and not easy to naturally stratify;
Easily affected by temperature, acid, alkali, shear, etc., and sensitive to composition changes.
Common dairy separation process requirements
Degreasing or standardization of raw milk: need to efficiently separate fat without losing protein
Cream concentration or butter preparation: increase fat concentration and control water content
Whey protein recovery and purification: remove residual fat and impurities in whey
Clearance in cheese production: complete solid-liquid separation and retention of nutrients
Protein grading and purification in high-end infant formula: high separation accuracy, gentle and no damage to nutrition
The principle of disc centrifuge and its advantages in dairy adaptation
Introduction to the working principle of disc centrifuge
The disc centrifuge is a high-speed, continuous feeding and discharging sedimentation centrifugal separation equipment. Its core structure is a disc group – multiple conical metal sheets are assembled inside the drum. The feed liquid is rotated at high speed in the drum to form a centrifugal field. Different components in the liquid quickly settle between the discs according to the specific gravity difference to achieve separation.
Take dairy skimming as an example:
Raw milk enters the drum through the feed port;
Fat globules have a small specific gravity and are thrown to the center;
Skimmed milk has a large specific gravity and is close to the outer edge;
The separated cream and skimmed milk flow out from different outlets.
Typical dairy application case analysis
Case 1: Standardized raw milk skimming line of a large dairy group
Customer requirements:
Process 20 tons of raw milk per hour;
Control skimmed milk fat content ≤ 0.05%;
Require cream fat concentration > 40%;
Automated control, stable operation ≥ 22 hours/day.
Case 2: High-end whey protein purification project
A nutritional product company extracts whey protein as a functional food raw material, with the goal of reducing fat residue in whey and improving whey protein purity.
Technical difficulties:
Raw whey contains 0.3%~0.5% fat and high lactose concentration;
Conventional filtration method is unstable and costly;
Requires not to damage the active protein structure in whey.
As an important part of the food industry, the dairy industry is undergoing a profound transformation from “quantity-driven” to “quality-driven”. Disc centrifuges, with their high efficiency, reliability, hygiene and safety, are becoming an important driving force for this transformation.
As a professional disc centrifuge manufacturer, we have a complete product line, mature dairy separation solutions and rich customer case experience. We can provide global dairy companies with full-process services from equipment selection, installation and commissioning to after-sales maintenance. If you are looking for efficient equipment to improve the efficiency of fat and protein separation, please contact us. We are willing to be your partner in high-end dairy manufacturing!
