Wyke Farms Cream Pasteuriser
Sycamore Process Engineering has completed another successful project for the renowned cheesemakers Wyke Farms with the design, manufacture, installation, and commissioning of a 4,000 l/hr cream pasteuriser. Wyke Farms are well known for the production of their famous cheddar cheeses that they have been producing in the heart of Somerset for over 160 years using a secret family recipe that is locked away in a safe on their farm.
Wyke Farms are committed to protecting the environment around them with their goal to create a sustainable working farm. The use of solar panels and the installation of their anaerobic digestor allows for the harnessing of natural resources.
Our extensive process engineering know-how in the pasteurisation of various raw products including milk, cream, and juices, has enabled the team to offer the best process solution to Wyke Farms. The expertise of our in-house design team has provided the most efficient process equipment to achieve low energy consumption with a fully automated solution.
After working with the customer to understand their requirements and to ensure they received the most efficient cream pasteuriser the design process commenced. In order to keep the heating and cooling duties to a minimum, we worked on maximising the regenerative effect of the cream pasteuriser. By consulting with the customer on their product specific thermal duties, we were able to ensure that 84% of heating energy was recovered in the regenerative section of the pasteuriser and used to pre heat the product prior to using steam as the energy source. Throughout the design process, Sycamore was able to utilise their relationship with Wyke Farms at all stages to ensure they were a key part of the functional design discussions and the final product features.
With the design being approved, the project then moved into the manufacturing phase where the in-house manufacturing team constructed the pasteuriser in our workshop in Sparkford, Somerset. The pasteuriser was designed, built, and certified to meet the UKCA Machinery Directive and to ensure our client had engineering peace of mind.
Throughout the process, team members were able to utilise their relationship with Alfa Laval as an Master Integrator to include the highest quality components for the project and incorporate the latest safety features such as double divert valves and pressure differential monitoring between product and services. The design of the cream pasteuriser allows it to be fully CIP’able, including the use of low flow Alfa Laval rotary spray balls in the cream balance tank helping towards quicker CIP times and efficient cleaning of the pasteuriser.
On completion of manufacture, Wyke Farms attended a factory acceptance test to ensure that their expectations for the process skid had been met before the site installation commenced.
Due to our strong partner and contractor relationships a team was formed of IC Electrical and automation partners, Au2mate. IC Electrical were able to design and manufacture the control panels that were mounted and pre-wired on the cream pasteuriser skid at our manufacturing facility to minimise the time required onsite during a limited shutdown period. Au2mate were also able to get ahead and utilise the time for pre-commission software checks at Sycamore before the cream pasteuriser was installed onsite to ensure it was ready to be successfully commissioned and handed over to our customer. The automation design allowed for the standalone operation of the plant while also providing everything required for an easy integration by the customer into their existing SCADA system on site.
Working for a progressive company such as Wyke Farms is always a rewarding experience. They are totally committed to creating a greener future and are an excellent benchmark for ourselves as we look to limit our impact on the environment.
For more on our pasteurisation abilities read here.
