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Milk powder canning Equipment

Industrial canning is an important packaging step within the food processing industry for items such as beverages and tinned products. Automatic dosing and weighing systems portion out your product before distributing it into separate cans. A can seamer then folds the lid over the flange of the container, hermetically sealing the can. Some manufacturers opt for an additional plastic cap allowing consumers to re-close the can after the lid would have been peeled off.

Canning

Basically, to make milk powder, you need to remove the water content from the liquid milk and turn it into powder. How to do it? After pasteurizing and homogenizing the milk, milk’s water content is removed through filtration, evaporation, and drying. You have then to cool and sieve it before filling the containers. Here's how you get milk powder.

Milk powder

The wide variation of materials and dimensions used in the food canning industry present challenges for the manufacturing process.


<h2>Seam aluminium food cans as well as steel, plastic or composite applications</h2>
The Ferrum F408, F410 and F412 high, medium, and slow speed machines seam at speeds of up to 1200 cans per minute and are equally well-suited for manufacturing cans.
They can be configured for 8, 10 and 12 seaming stations, with speed ranges from 200 to 1200 cans/minute, ie. mid to high-range capacities.
Incorporating Ferrum's Easy Rider seaming technology together with an automatic and loss-free oil lubrication system, non-stop 24 hour operation is attainable.

High performance can seamers for the food industry

Flexible can seaming equipment is required to adapt for product-specific variations in food canning.


<h2>Seaming aluminium, steel or plastic food cans</h2>
From soups to pineapple to chilli, the Ferrum F400 series can seamers satisfy the special requirements of the food processing industry.
The modular machines can be configured for 3 to 6 seaming stations and speed ranges from 60 to 600 cans/minute, ie. low to mid-range capacities.
The separate seaming spindle drives and their motorized height adjustment are controlled from the integrated operator panel with digital display.

Can seamer for food products

Packaging of food products, but especially those for babies, like infant formula, isn’t just about extending shelf life, it’s just as much about preventing it from going bad, exposing for example mould. This asks for very secure packaging parameters when sealing the product.


<h2>Seaming food products under modified atmosphere</h2>
The V-matic 127-3 by Swiss Can Machinery is a seaming machine that can seam cans, often filled with food products under a modified atmosphere. The seaming station that can evacuate, aerate and seam starts of by feeding the cans into the machine through a conveyor belt. The can is then placed into position in the vacuum-gassing chamber. To start the vacuum-gassing process, the chamber is hermetically closed so oxygen can be taken out of the can and nitrogen can be added in accordance with ratio the product demands. The whole chamber moves to the next station if the desired level of oxygen is reached. Only then is a lid added and the can seamed in a vacuum environment.

The sizes of the cans for this seeming machine can differ if they have a maximum diameter of 127 mm. The evacuating and aerating pressure is individually adjustable through a touch screen. The speed of the seaming rollers is independently adjustable.

Seaming machine for infant formula cans

Having separate equipment for different process steps like filling and closing, can put a brake on growing the volume of your production line. When expending your canned coffee business, having separate machines for each step can be time consuming.


<h2>Filling and seaming cans or jars with the same machine</h2>
The Matic 101 CFCGP by Swiss Can Machinery is a can and jar filling and closing machine for powdered products. The process of filling and closing the can or jar starts of by placing the jar on the conveyor belt, that will feed the filled vessel onto a turning table. The filling and dosing is done with a precise servo drive, the produce is fed via a horizontal auger with level control and a vibrator makes sure the powdered material in the cans doesn’t stick to anything else. Each can or jar is weighted separately and automatically before it is capped or seamed.

The jars are moved onto a screw capping device (caps are destacked at their own station) and discharged if not capped correctly. Cans move to the seaming station, where a spindle applies pressure so that the seaming rollers can seam the can in separate stages. The can or jar diameter must be between 50 and 100 mm.

Can filling equipment

When producing canned food products, especially those for infants, complying to hygiene standards does not on its own exclude contamination with or spoilage through microorganisms or fungus. Before the filling and sealing start, the process line has long begun and so leaves room for spoilage if hygienic measures are not taken to prevent water vapor and moisture.


<h2>Cleaning cans with a rotating ion blower nozzle</h2>
The Empty Can Cleaning ECC 153 by Swiss Can Machinery is, as the name implies, a machine that cleans cans before they are filled. The machine is mostly designed for canned pharma and (infant) food products. Empty cans are placed upside down on a roster under which is a rotating ion blower nozzle that is connected through a hose with the part of the machine that blows out ionized compressed air.

Clean, compressed air blows out the cans, leaving odourless and residue-free clean air with the help of a 0,01 µ particle filter and an activated carbon filter. This helps in <a href="https://making.com/baby-food/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">making baby food</a> products as safe as possible.

Ionized air system for cleaning of baby food cans       

When starting out in the canned product business, you do not necessary want to invest in industrial scale equipment, as the batches you work with are not that big and ask for a different approach.


<h2>Sealing smaller batches with two seaming rolls</h2>
The S1 Manual by JK Somme seams canned fruit like for example lychees or guava but can also seam cans with other food products like chocolate or teas and even non-food products like canned t-shirts, candles or perfumes. The machine has a turntable plate on which the can is placed. After that, a first roller unfolds the curl of the lid over the can, the second roller irons the seam and tightens it. The machine is equipped with a seaming spindle with one rotary seaming chuck. This creates an airtight seal and will protect the product in the can from leaks. Up to 15 cans per minute can be seamed.

Can sizes are flexible, diameters from 52 to 222 mm can be handled by the sealer, with heights being between 20 and 300 mm. Tooling changeovers to work with a different kind of can, can be done during the same shift. The semi-manual machine is a good fit when working with smaller batches, like for example in pilot series, for a start-up, universities or laboratories.

Semi-manual can sealer

Automatic seaming of cans of craft bear can be quite the hassle with the movement from the centrifugal effect that traditional rotary machine cause. Product could spill very easily.


<h2>Seaming without moving the cans</h2>
The ROBOT by JK Somme is a non-revolving can seamer that does not make use of rotary seaming. The fully mechanical round can seamer is used for both wet and dry canning applications, but especially fitting for people wanting to seam cans with liquid in smaller batches, like for example craft beer, but also tuna flakes, condensed milk or sticky sauces. The cans do not move while the seaming operation is in place. They are placed on a straight belt, a lid is placed on and the seaming head closes the lid by pressing down, all without the use of a common rotary clincher. The closed cans then come out at the other side. The use of plain seaming chucks without grooves avoid the loss of lacquer on the seam walls, eliminating any chances for rust to grow.

The can sealer can seal a wide range of round cans and the tooling changeover is fairly quick, allowing to can a small can of energy drink the one week and a larger craft beer the next week. Depending on can shape and size and the product, up to 60 cans per minute can be seamed. The sealer works with rounds cans that have a maximum diameter of 214 mm.

Medium scale round can seamer

Tin plate thickness for cans has gradually reduced over the years, which makes it a hassle to use new cans on old can seamers. This forces operators to keep lower chuck pressure and slow down the machine to avoid chuck slippage.


<h2>Reducing slippage problems by using gear driven lower lifters</h2>
The SAGA M series (consisting of three machines, available with 4, 6 or 8 spindles) by JK Somme has gear driven lower lifters, allowing to seam thinner metal thickness at higher speeds. Gear driven lower lifters result in an increased capacity of seamed cans per minute and it reduces the slipping of the seaming chuck.

The machine will seam cans with pet food, sliced mango, almond paste or a wide range of other canned products. Seaming with this series can be executed atmospheric, with steam vacuum, undercover gassing, liquid nitrogen dosing or clinching. A filled can made of tinplate or aluminum is placed on a belt and lifted up. During a compression stage, force is provided to hold the can that is being sealed against the seamer chuck. The can is then fed to the first roller while the chuck keeps the lid attached to the can while the seamer turntable moves the can upwards towards the chuck. Vacuum sealing machines suck oxygen from the can and put nitrogen gas in before resuming the sealing process. After this, the lid is put on the can and double seamed by the two rollers. The first roller folds the lids curl towards the flange of the can. The second roller tightens the sealing by compressing the hooks of the lid and the flange of the can.

The machine can handle round cans up to a 99 mm diameter, with heights up to 120 mm. Changing to another can shape is quite fast and can be done manually by unscrewing three main bolts and rotating a pinion located on the roof of the machine, which will move the complete seaming turret as well as the lid feeder till it reaches the desired height. Of the three machines, the 4M can seam up to 300 cans per minute, the 6M will do up to 450 can per minute and the 8M will go up to 600 cans per minute.

High speed can seamer

Masterpack Group is a leading developer of high-end packaging solutions for big bags, and flexible intermediate bulk containers (FIBCs) used to protect, store and transport bulk and delicate goods worldwide.

Like superheroes, we all have our own personal kryptonite to face... but unfortunately, the dairy powder is burdened with more than just one adversary.

Temperature, humidity, light exposure, and oxygen are the four factors that can impact the quality of milk powder during storage and transportation, compromising its nutritional value, color, and flavor.

Big bags, also known as Flexible Intermediate Bulk Containers (FIBCs), can take on the challenge of adequately storing milk powder while maintaining its freshness and shelf life.


<h2>Safety First: The stringent regulation of milk powder in infant formula</h2>
We spoke with Tim De Winter, Managing Director of <a href="https://www.masterpackgroup.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Masterpack</a>, a Dutch company specializing in creating FIBCs in combination with Modified Atmosphere.

“<em>The implementation of BRC certifications and adherence to ISO 10,000 clean room standards is essential to minimize the risk of contamination and guarantee the safety and quality of milk powder throughout its journey</em>,” says Tim.

FIBCs come with a liner that protects milk powder from any type of contamination. The fabrics and materials used for the liner undergo migration tests to prevent harmful substances from entering the powder during transportation.

“<em>Our FIBCs are tested worldwide, including the EU, US, Japanese, and Chinese markets. By meeting the standards of these four major markets, we cover about 99% of the required tests. This means we can deliver to the rest of the world, including South America and Russia, where most tests are already covered</em>,” explains Tim.
<h2>Ensure the shelf life during long-distance travel</h2>
Milk powder is hygroscopic, meaning it readily absorbs moisture from its surroundings and is sensitive to temperature and oxygen.

“<em>Modified atmosphere big bags prevent powder degradation during long-distance transport. To preserve quality and prevent clumping, humidity must stay below 65%, while oxygen levels must be kept under 4% to maintain taste, flavor, texture, and prevent discoloration</em>” continues Tim.

FIBCs are equipped with a UV stabilizer that prevents the bag from breaking down when exposed to light.

“<em>Destination country determines the liner color – black or blue -  based on the country's sunlight exposure. It’s different if you ship your bag to the Middle East or the Netherlands</em>,” claims Tim.
<h2>Reducing food waste in transport by 50% with recyclable bags and oxygen monitoring</h2>
Masterpack leads the fight against food waste. With non-invasive sensor technology on the big bag, Masterpack monitors oxygen levels during transportation by protecting and preserving milk powder. This could reduce food waste by more than 50% in the supply chain, as 30-40% of all food generally goes to waste.

Big bags are also made of 100% recyclable polypropylene. The challenge, though, lies in the liner's recycling difficulty due to PA and EVOH layers.

“W<em>e are actively working on developing a greener liner. The concept involves removing the PA layer and utilizing PE while retaining the EVOH layer, which constitutes less than 5% of the material</em>,” concludes Tim.

This approach leads to the creation of a sustainable film. Be prepared because the market launch of sustainable film is just around the corner!

Preserve your milk powder during transportation. Big Bags: “Challenge accepted!”

Food

Milk can be consumed as a stand-alone product (whole, low-fat or skim) or can be the starting point for food industry products such as cheese, butter, yogurt, condensed milk, and ice cream. In order to process milk and other dairy products, you need specialized dairy production equipment which then encapsulates different processes such as pasteurization, homogenization, and fermentation.

Dairy

Our food chain starts in the soil, growing crops and livestock. But between the fields and the stores, there is a line of industrial food processing equipment. Processes may be as minimalistic as cleaning fruit and as complex as homogenizing milk alternatives made from pressed legumes. In each case, processing technology is an important link in the food production chain.

With the right processing machines, almonds, cashews, pine nuts, hemp, coconut, oat and soy can be processed into healthy plant-based milk. To produce it, grind the raw materials, screen, soak and mix them till you obtain a milky white liquid.

Plant-based milk

The building blocks of matter have driven the imagination of philosophers, scientists, and artists for millennia. But, for manufacturers, these elements have a more concrete existence as powders. Powder processing technology conditions these primary materials to create a vast range of products, from chemicals and foods to pharmaceuticals and ceramics.

Powder

Large-volume producers of single-serve packs, such as sugar sticks, instant coffee, and instant soup, continuously pack different product sizes into cartons. Intelligent and flexible infeed systems are needed to ensure your products integrate smoothly into the carton line at higher speeds.


<h2>Pack stick packs or flow packs into cartons continuously</h2>
The VENTO Cartoner from Mpac is a carton packaging system with a smart infeed system suitable for single-serve products such as condiments or coffee and milk powders. The unit is made of hygienic stainless steel materials. It has an open design for easy visibility of product flow and quick access to the components in case of maintenance and cleaning.

The entire system is servo-driven and coupled directly to its components for minimum maintenance and long operating life. It is designed to operate 24/7, allowing maximum production yield, and is equipped with an advanced intelligent machine interface that provides information on machine status, maintenance, and changeover controls based on product application. The processes include carton erecting, loading, transportation, and closing. Changeover for different carton sizes and types can be done quickly and automatically.

High-speed Cartoner For Single-Serve Products

Sugar is the fuel that drives photosynthesis in plants. The leafy organisms constantly convert water and carbon dioxide into glucose. But it takes manufacturers specialized sugar processing technology to extract the sweet crystals from them. Today, most sugar products are derived either from sugarcane or sugar beet.

Sugar

Mayonnaise is created by blending oil with eggs, and then flavoring with vinegar, mustard, herbs, and spices. The eggs are a natural emulsifier that creates a uniform mixture. Ingredients are pumped into mayonnaise manufacturing equipment. First, a dynamic mixer maintains the desired level of emulsification of the mixture, which then moves on to packaging and bottling once reaching a satisfactory consistency.

Mayonnaise 

Ketchup processing begins with tons of tomato paste that is mixed and heated together with sugar, vinegar, and spices in a cooking kettle. After cooking, any remaining fibers and particles are filtered out. Once it reaches the right viscosity, your tomato ketchup production process is finished and ready for packaging and transport.

Ketchup

White, black and brown seeds from the mustard plant are the key constituents of this colorful and classic condiment. The various mustard production technology includes a mixer that mixes the mustard seeds with a handful of other ingredients and a mill that finely grinds the seeds to impart their characteristic flavor.

Mustard

Mpac Group is an industry leader in packaging automation, cartoning, and case-packing technologies.

Its complexity begins with the term itself, which has no clear and precise definition in the industry. As Jan Verweijen and Frank Jeurissen from the Mpac Group explain, the big question is always: is it a sachet or a stick pack?

“What is what” is defined by the way it is sealed, not by its width or length. A stick pack is a product with three seals, one of which is in the middle, lengthwise. Instead, a sachet is a four-sided sealed product with no seal in the middle.

First introduced in Japan in the 70s to pack sugar, these single-use sticks are now used to pack everything you can think of. But what impact does your product have on the cartoning process?


<h2>The first step is to find the right balance.</h2>
Stick packs are first filled vertically; this means that all the product is on the bottom.

Before entering the stick packs into the cartons, you need to evenly divide the product over the left and the right side of the stick packs. This step is called equalization and it is done by horizontally shaking the product to redistribute the contents inside the sticks.

“<em>If the weight is not evenly distributed, all the stick packs will slide off toward one corner of the box leading to an unstable formation that can damage the sticks</em>.” Frank points out.

For mere mortals, powder is powder, but for the experts, coffee powder, for instance, has a different structure than cocoa powder.

“<em>Liquids do not need equalization as the fluids divide automatically.” </em>Jan explains.

In addition, the sticks must have a minimum size, usually around 80 or 90 millimeters, to be cartoned horizontally and the shorter the sticks, the more difficult to keep them stable.
<h2>On edge vs. random orientation - Which side do you stand on?</h2>
Premium single-use products, such as coffee or pharmaceuticals, are often packed with the brand name and description always facing the consumer.

“<em>When this is the case, we use a paddle conveyor that brings each stick pack on a single edge so that when pulled out of the box, the branded face is the first thing the consumer sees,</em>” says Jan.

Frank adds: “<em>In 90 percent of cases, manufacturers choose speed over where the stick pack is facing. With random orientation, you can easily speed up to 900 sticks per minute</em>”.

“<em>Our bomb bay system counts each stick individually and puts them together in the quantity the producer requires; then it drops the sticks into the bucket conveyor</em>.” continues Jan.

To prevent damage, the bomb bay system consists of multiple drop levels, and the sticks need to be always dropped at a limited height - no higher than 250 mm.

As every stick has two ends, cartoning single-serve packs may seem easy, but as Jan and Frank explained, the journey from equalization to orientation and bomb bay dropping is not exactly a piece of cake.

Unpacking the world of stick pack cartoning

Cosmetic

Pharmaceutical

With over one-third of the population consuming it daily in different forms, coffee is one of the most popular processed beverages worldwide. Not only serving as drinks, but coffee is also often regarded as a culture. Coffee manufacturing is a knowledge-intensive industry. Coffee beans from different regions will reveal different tastes, while the level of caffeine could also be different. When it comes to coffee bean processing, the range of roasts varies from light golden brown all the way to dark. The method of tasting coffee differs between countries, habits, and tools.

Coffee

According to a legend, Cleopatra soaked her sails in her perfume so that Mark Antony could smell her ships before they arrived. This is to say that, from soaps and shampoos to perfumes, conditioners and pomades, cosmetics have always been highly valued and used for their properties of aesthetic enhancement. Cosmetics are a broad class of topical agents applied for various purposes such as cleansing, protecting, beautifying, or otherwise altering your appearance. As a result, a wide array of processing equipment is used in the cosmetics industry.

Cosmetics

Eating is more than just nutrition, but we have found ways to increase the nourishing power of our foods. Nutraceuticals manufacturing, from vitamin C powder and probiotics to omega 3 oil, is a concentration of natural ingredients and health supplements that complement our diets. While dietary supplements are not quite haute cuisine, the process of extraction and purification is no less a blend of science and art.

Nutraceuticals

Sauces bring personality to a dish. From a spicy, dense Zhoug to a tangy, runny Suero, sauces add an extra dimension of flavor, texture, and mouthfeel. But developing recipes into industrial products with long shelf lives and consistent tastes is a complex process. Specialized sauce making equipment prepares and combines the ingredients into delicious, high-quality foods. The result is a sauce ready to elevate meals.

Sauce

<span style="font-weight: 400">Spice manufacturing is one of the world's oldest trading products. The word spice refers to any dried part of a plant other than the leaves and is used for seasoning and food coloring. Spices are made from dried barks, roots, berries, and twigs, while green leafy parts of plants are considered herbs. Well-known examples include cinnamon, chilies, star anise, ginger, garlic salt, turmeric, cumin, or pepper, as well as pre-mixed blends such as Masala, Five-Spice Powder, or Old Bay.</span>

Spices

Find production technology for Milk powder canning, and connect directly with leading machine manufacturers worldwide