Dairy High-Shear Blending Solutions

Dairy is one of the oldest beverage markets. At EnSight, we are proud to have been able to service the dairy market with top-quality high-shear blending solutions for decades. Let’s take a closer look at dairy blending solutions and what processors should consider when shopping for an OEM partner.

Dairy Processing Challenges

Any time you talk about blending any product, one of the first things to consider is viscosity and flowability. Too viscous and the blender won’t be able to actually move the material. In addition, the product has to be able to flow so that it can be pumped out of the blender.

Another consideration is how the product will react to being blended. Some ingredients, such as some non-dairy milks and protein powders, foam a lot when blended at high speeds. If the foam is too thick, it won’t be able to be blended either. In addition, the amount of foam a product produces will dictate how much product can be run at once and therefore, the size of the blender unit.

Many dairy processors need to maintain a certain temperature while blending. For some processes, such as ice cream reruns, the product will need to be kept slightly warm to help with flowability. For others, the product will need to stay below a certain temperature to protect the product and keep them from spoiling. In those cases, the processor might need to consider a jacketed blender, unless they only plan to pump in liquids that are the right temperature, and then not overblend the product to the point where the temperature rises above acceptable degrees.

And then there’s the quantity. Processors can batch or continuously blend their product. If they’re doing a batch blend, they will be looking at a larger blender to handle each batch when the ingredients are dumped in. If the processor wants to continuously blend the product, then they are constantly pumping ingredients into the blender. The blender runs constantly and the product is pumped out as it’s blended, being replaced by more ingredients so the blender never goes below capacity. Continuous blending will result in a smaller blender.

Exploring Our High-Shear Blending Solutions for the Dairy Market

Likwifier Dairy Processing Solutions

The EnSight Likwifier division has decades of experience helping dairy processors produce the perfect product. Our high-shear blenders have been utilized for cheese, ice cream, creamers and more. If it involves blending powders into liquids, our machines can do it. Likwifier blenders are especially adept at tough blending tasks, such as perfectly blending stabilizers into dairy.

In addition, we offer a variety of jacketed or non-jacketed models to meet particular temperature-control needs. Whether heating or cooling the ingredients in the blender, we can design a solution to help.

When working with a processor to develop a solution, our team will gather a variety of information to determine which blender model and size would work best. We’ll discuss the product and ingredients themselves, as well as temperature requirements. We’ll discuss continuous versus batch blending. If the processor is unsure which would work best for them, we can help with that by talking through the facility footprint (remember, batch requires a larger machine, which means more room is needed) and the quantity goals. We will use a proven formula to calculate the necessary blender size based on dispersion and flow rates. We can also tap into our other brands, i.e., A-One and Bridge, to build an even more complete solution with other machines like a dumper, colloid mill or in-line mixer. We can also customize the controls to automate the entire process as much as possible.

In the end, the processor ends up with a blender that will perfectly mix their product just right.

 

OEM Considerations

When looking for an OEM, dairy processors have a lot to consider.

For one, they want to look for food industry experience. It’s key to get a solution that is hygienically designed. Take a close look at the blender design and see if you can find spots where liquids can sit and microorganisms can grow.

Consistency is always key when blending beverages and other flowable products. Every batch needs to be blended to the same level, so processors should ensure their blender will do that time and time again for years.

Serviceability and parts are key as well. Processors want to keep blending as much as possible without down-time. If a machine is hard to service or hard to get spare parts for, it can result in a lot of downtime for repairs. Or, if the machine is too complex for in-house maintenance technicians, it could require workers with specific skills to maintain. This too can result in longer downtimes.

Of course, processors should look for a partner, not just an OEM who will build a machine without any further research. A true partner will look at the organization’s processes and product and offer solutions to meet their particular needs, including complementary machines that can increase quality and efficiency.

 

At EnSight, our team strives to develop high-shear blending solutions that will meet your exact needs. We have hygienically designed every blender specifically for the food processing industry. Each one is washdown capable. We even recently redesigned the legs of our blenders so they don’t have any harborage points, making them even safer for food processing facilities.

If you want to learn more about the Likwifier line of high-shear blending solutions and how they can help you improve your product and efficiency, contact our sales consultants.