Thermal Processing

How to choose in this category

Thermal processing covers equipment that heats, cooks, pasteurises or concentrates a product by evaporating water, and the boilers that raise steam for these duties. Preparation tanks, pasteurisers, vacuum evaporators, cooking kettles and steam boilers are links in one heat chain: steam pressure and flow limit the capacity of everything downstream.

Selection criteria

• Choose the heating method by product: free-flowing liquids suit plate or tubular heaters, while thick and sticky products need a jacketed kettle with scrapers, otherwise product burns on the wall.
• Pasteurisation temperature and time come from the product's microbiological target and the destination market's rules. Example: in the EU, high-temperature short-time treatment of raw milk requires at least 72 °C for 15 seconds (Regulation 853/2004).
• A vacuum evaporator boils water off at a lower temperature, limiting colour and aroma loss in tomato paste, jam and concentrates. Size it from the amount of water to evaporate together with the target dry matter.
• Steam boilers and pressure vessels fall under pressure-equipment rules (Directive 2014/68/EU in the EU); inspection and operating permits in the installation country are settled at the start of the project.
• Product-contact surfaces are stainless steel and designed for cleaning-in-place (CIP); in the EU, food-contact materials are governed by framework Regulation 1935/2004.