Integrated smoking, heat treatment and cooling in industrial food production

Industrial food production often consists of several processing stages that need to work together. For smoked and heat-treated products, the process may include drying, smoking, cooking and subsequent cooling.

How these stages are organised affects the overall production flow. Rather than evaluating each individual machine separately, it is therefore important to consider how products are transported and handled from one processing stage to the next.

Multiple stages in the same production flow

When planning a production line, each processing stage needs to be considered in relation to both the product and the surrounding equipment.

A process may, for example, include:

• drying
• smoking
• heat treatment
• cooling
• further transport to the next stage of production

The exact process varies depending on the product and production requirements. The important consideration is how the different stages work together as part of the overall production flow.

Smoking and heat treatment

Industrial smoking uses controlled processes to treat products under defined conditions. Depending on the equipment and product, the process may include several different stages.

Smoking and heat treatment can take place in the same equipment or be organised in other ways depending on the design of the production facility.

When planning a solution, both the processing requirements of the product and its practical handling through production therefore need to be considered.

Cooling as part of the process

After smoking and cooking, products may need to be cooled before being transported to subsequent stages such as packaging or refrigerated storage.

Protech’s intensive cooling system is designed to cool products after smoking and cooking. The equipment uses forced air circulation to provide uniform cooling, while temperature is controlled throughout the process.

Cooling can also be integrated with other processing equipment depending on the design of the production flow.

Transport between processing stages

When several processing stages are connected, transportation between them becomes an important part of the system.

In batch production, products may for example be transported on trolleys between different parts of the process. In other solutions, transportation between processing stages can be automated.

Protech’s semi-continuous smoking and cooling system is an example in which smoking and cooling sections are connected and the trolleys are transported automatically between the sections.

This makes it possible to combine several processing stages within a connected system while the products continue to be handled on trolleys.

Batch, semi-continuous or continuous processing

Industrial food production can be organised in different ways.

In batch production, a defined quantity of products is processed in separate production cycles.

In a semi-continuous solution, parts of the handling between processing stages can be automated while products continue to be processed on trolleys.

In continuous production, products are instead transported continuously through the processing system.

The appropriate approach depends on factors including the product, required capacity, process requirements and the organisation of the overall production line.

Consider the complete process when selecting equipment

When planning new processing equipment, it is important to consider more than each individual machine.

Factors to consider include which processing stages the product needs to pass through, how it will be transported between those stages and how the equipment will work together with the rest of the production line.

By considering the complete production process, manufacturers can better evaluate which type of solution is appropriate for their specific operation.

Protech provides equipment for smoking, cooking, drying and cooling, as well as solutions that combine multiple processing stages.

Learn more

Semi-continuous smoking/cooling
https://protech-ab.se/en/product-range/semi-continuous-smoking-cooling/

Intensive cooling
https://protech-ab.se/en/product-range/intensive-cooling/

Protech product range
https://protech-ab.se/en/product-range/

Contact Protech
https://protech-ab.se/en/contact/