The dairy industry is an important part of the food industry. It includes production of everything that can be made from cows’ milk, including cheese, yogurt, butter, ice-cream, whey products, and of course all the different types of milk, from milk that is pasteurized and packaged in bottles or cartons, to dry skim-milk and canned condensed milk.
However it is a complicated industry with many potential impacts from climate to global trade factors, quotas and of course feed, production and all the other costs involved that never remain static.
While dairy farming takes place in all American states, the top dairy-producing states between 2014 and 2016, based on numbers of cows, were California and Wisconsin. California though has been hit by recent drought, and milk production has been adversely affected. The Midwest on the other hand is reportedly increasing its milk production, particularly in the Great Lakes region.
Reports from industry specialisits state that export markets of dairy products in general are down.
Nevertheless, those in the dairy industry continue to strive for the best quality production possible, while aiming to decrease costs. Automated equipment and good quality used machinery both help in this endeavor.
Used Manufacturing Equipment for the Dairy Industry
When it comes to equipping a farm or manufacturing dairy business, the options are vast and varied, not only in terms of the processing to be carried out, but also the volumes to be processed.
Equipment includes:
- Separators, some of which incorporate sterilizers that enable manufacturers to separate the milk so that both skimmed milk and cream may be produced.
- Homogenizers that stabilize the fat emulsion in milk and prevent it from separating once processing is complete. Homogenization also helps to keep the milk white and creates a flavor that is more full-bodied, at the same time ensuring better stability of products made from cultured milk.
- Cheese processing equipment that includes waterless stainless steel cheese cookers, custom stainless steel tanks, hard and semi-hard pre-press machines, rotator line systems, form washing solutions, automated brine systems, and whey vertical fillers.
- Butter processing equipment including butter churns, silos, stainless steel jacketed butter trolleys, mixing tanks, and tub filling machines for butter and margarine.
- Milk pasteurizers and plants of various sizes, including stainless steel plate heat exchangers.
- Evaporators and dryers that are used to process skim milk, milk and whey, and milk for making condensed milk. There are various types and sizes of machines to meet varying needs.
- Filling machines that play a vital role in primary packaging, including bottle lifter conveyors, bottle inspection machines, bulk cream filling systems, butter and margarine tub filling machines, pot fillers, and machines that both fill and close containers.
- Standardization system machines that can be integrated into the processing plant. These are particularly useful for controlling the fat content of skim milk and cream.
- Ice cream mixing plants and freezers.
- Conveying and palletizing equipment and systems that enable manufacturers to continually move ingredients and finished products.
SMB Machinery and the Dairy Industry
Our dairy industry customers are based in various parts of the US including Florida, California and Washington, and include producers of milk, cheese and ice cream. The Dairy Farmers of America (DFA) marketing cooperative that represent thousands of dairy farmers from every part of the industry, are also customers.
If you are operating in this important industry and need good quality used equipment for your business, have a look at what we currently have to offer in our inventory. Alternatively contact us to see how we can find what you need as quickly as possible.
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