To accurately measure and control the coagulation process in cheese vats, it's hard to beat the Coagulation Sensor from Tetra Pak®. For one of our customers, who has used this sensor technology for several years, it has played a key role in improving process stability, increasing efficiency, ensuring consistent product quality, and unlocking new, continuous improvement opportunities. By measuring coagulation, it has helped the customer to gain knowledge and make decisions, based on data and on measurable facts, around process improvements.
What problems do the sensors solve?
The sensor is fitted to the vat and uses software algorithms to monitor the progress of the coagulation process. This information can be used to determine the optimum cutting time, when to automatically move on to cutting, and/or to get early warnings if there is an issue. The data is logged externally, which enables detailed process analysis and comparison between vats and batches. By preventing unexpected losses from the cheese vats, the investment is quickly justified. In addition, the sensor serves as a control tool to confirm that the curd is cut, and that it matches what the sensor indicates. With today’s production volumes, where cheese vats are filled once every 13 minutes, and where as many as a dozen vats are handled by the same operator, manual checking is no longer feasible. This makes a tool like the coagulation sensor extremely valuable. The operator only needs to glance at the screen to see if the coagulation process is progressing correctly. If no coagulation is detected, an alarm is triggered so operators can respond immediately and avoid further production delays. Another value perspective is peace of mind – the sensor provides quality and production assurance.
Tmax is a different measurement of enzyme kinetics obtained from the sensor data. It is the time from adding enzyme to the occurrence of the maximum brate of change of reflectance.
It is used to predict cutting time Tcut as follows:
Tcut = BETA x Tmax
BETA is constant selected by the cheesemaker who calibrates the system.
Tmax is very important, as it determines the maximum curd firmness (CF max). The goal is to align Tmax across all curd making vats. While deviations always occur in practice, the aim is to minimise the variations and keep the parameters as stable as possible. Cheese remains a natural product subject to many variables. By linking the data collected from the coagulation sensor to higher-level systems, the process data can be contextualised – and thereby help in gaining understanding and diminishing disruptions.
Are there alternative solutions?
When the aforementioned customer tried an alternative solution, they found it could not be integrated to communicate with the software of the cheese vats. It had limitations when it came to displaying relevant data for further process improvements. It used separate cables connected to a central cabinet, and it proved highly sensitive to signal interference and external influences. It also lacked the advanced curve processing with second derivatives that the Coagulation Sensor from Tetra Pak offers.
What factors influence Tmax?
Thanks to our obtained insights regarding the origin of fluctuations, we can help ensure that the variations in Tmax values are under control. The research on improvement areas is still ongoing, but here the 80/20 rule applies, in which the last 20% of the fine-tuning is related to the complexity of influential factors. Examples of interesting areas to explore further:
- Tmax influences
- Seasonal milk variations
- Influence from new rennet batches
- Impact of rennet quantity
Understanding these process influences is a long and continuous journey to, for example, identify the underlying causes of the graph's variations between different cheese types. If you, like our client, use semi-automatic rennet dosing, the coagulation measurement can start automatically via a valve sequence.
Is there a clear ROI for this investment?
The main driver for our customers is process assurance. The reasoning then becomes fairly straightforward: if the risk of errors in 2-3 vats can be prevented by the Coagulation Sensor, the investment pays for itself. The main risk factor is usually the human element, and the sensor can play a key role in providing operational certainty.
Summary for cheese producers considering the Coagulation Sensor from Tetra Pak
Once installed in the vats, the Coagulation Sensor runs without intervention. No maintenance is required, only cleaning when a contamination alarm is triggered.
Extracting Tmax values and working with a higher-level system take time. Therefore, it is sometimes hard to define the ROI of this product. The simple answer is that the sensor lets you avoid faulty vats (which is a quick calculation), but the real gain lies in process optimisation and uncovering unknown influencing factors that were not consciously monitored.
Want more information about the coagulation sensor?
Interested in planning a demonstration for your company?
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How data and automation boost the cheesemaking process
Cheesemaking is transitioning into a future where traditional craftsmanship meets modern automation. This is where data-driven insights from solutions such as the Coagulation Sensor from Tetra Pak give you better control of production and quality parameters, thereby enabling possibilities to optimise your processes. Your expertise is still what matters most – automation and digitalisation help you make the most of it.
Watch the video.
How data and automation boost the cheesemaking process
Cheesemaking is transitioning into a future where traditional craftsmanship meets modern automation. This is where data-driven insights from solutions such as the Coagulation Sensor from Tetra Pak give you better control of production and quality parameters, thereby enabling possibilities to optimise your processes. Your expertise is still what matters most – automation and digitalisation help you make the most of it.
Watch the video.
