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Automation of the pressing section

Cheese pressing is one of the main processes in the production of hard and semi-hard cheeses. Deviations in pressure, time of pressing from those required in the technology may become in the future cheese defects. To eliminate errors, the pressing process can be automated. Operator errors when pressing lead to a deterioration in the quality of the cheese

When pressing the cheese on a manual press, the operator puts the cheese moulds on the press, sets the pressure, time marks and goes on to perform another operation. There is no guarantee that the operator has set the exact pressure and that he would turn off the press strictly after the required 30 or 50 minutes. As there is no control over the actions of operators.
Operator errors entail a violation of production technology. This affects the appearance of the cheese, its taste and further maturation. Deterioration in product quality leads to loss of customer loyalty and lower sales. And such errors are not tracked down. But they can be prevented by automating the pressing process.

Automation of the pressing section ensures compliance with the production technology

You can automate the pressing section with any type of press with an automatic control panel. The automatic control panel is designed to provide the required pressing mode. The operator fills the entire press or desired sections with moulds and closes the filled racks. Next, the operator must select the section, the pressing recipe and start the process.

On the automatic control panel, you can choose one of two programs:
1. Step-by-step pressing program: the operator adjusts the step-by-step pressing program, setting the required pressure and time under this pressure at each step. This program is used for pressing all hard and semi-hard cheeses.

2. Manual entry of pressing time and pressure. This program differs from manual control in that the press removes pressure in exactly the specified time.
At the end of pressing there is an alarm. Then the pneumatic cylinders return to their original position. The operator can complete the operation being performed and then return to the press to unload it.

To change recipes, the system requires you to enter a password

Ensure compliance technology allows having saved recipes. Access to editing and creating new recipes is protected by a password, which is usually known only to the production technologist. This allows you to be confident in the exact observance of technology at the site of pressing.
The system notifies you if the current pressure does not match the required one
During operation, the system controls the compliance of the current pressure with the specified one. In case of a deviation above the permissible value, a message is displayed on the screen and the audible alarm is activated. If the pressure of the compressed air at the unit inlet has decreased, the system also reports this.

All pressing indicators control

The system allows you to control the operation of the pressing section. The system saves an archive of messages and operator actions. In addition, you can see a pressure graph  and track the process compliance with the selected recipe.

Archives can be stored from several days to several months. It is also possible to automatically transfer the archive to one of the computers of the local area network.

Automation of the pressing section doesn’t demand heavy financial expenses

If we compare the two presses with and without control panel, we get the following. A vertical press of 6 sections with a control panel costs only 20% more expensive than usual one.

By automating your production, you get confidence in the observance of technology, reducing errors and waste, the ability to control production and influence the quality of the cheese.