Energy efficient grinder for plant-based milk

Buying pre-processed materials, such as flour, and handling and dispersing them to produce plant-based milk can be complex and costly. While it could be beneficial for smaller-scale production, working with big batches requires more control over material costs and consistency in product quality.

Efficiently pre- and fine-grinds grains, nuts, and legumes for making beverages

The MD Disc Mill & MZ Toothed Colloid Mill from ProXES offer enhanced control over product quality when choosing in-house grinding over using pre-processed materials. It has a wider range of options, fine grinds, and long-term savings on raw material costs. The two-stage industrial-scale grinding skid pre-grinds the material and then fine-grinds it to an expected particle size ranging from 400 – 600 µm.

There are two grinding concepts: the first is using the hopper pump to continuously dose raw materials and water. It is suitable for high throughput applications, such as industrial soy and oat lines. It is also possible to dose raw material via the mill hopper and add water directly to the grinder. This ensures a higher level of flexibility with moderate throughput.

After grinding, the slurry goes through enzymatic treatment, where the large fibers are separated to make the correct formulation for the product. Follow-up steps include UHT treatment, as well as buffering and filling the cartons with the finalized plant-based milk.

The technology can be installed while upgrading an already existing processing line or designing a new one.

Benefits

  • Higher production yields
  • Low energy use
  • Consistent performance regardless of raw material type
  • Universal use from grain-, and legume- to nut-based products