Pasteurizer

A pasteurizer is a continuous-flow heat treatment unit that holds liquid food at a defined temperature for a defined time, reducing the pathogen load to a safe level. Product is pre-heated in the regeneration section of the plate heat exchanger by the outgoing hot product, raised to target temperature in the heating section, held in the holding tube for the required time, and cooled in the final section. Heat regeneration is the economic backbone of this cycle: because heat from outgoing product is transferred to incoming product, steam and cooling loads drop significantly. The unit is configured in the 1,000 – 15,000 L/h range. Electrical consumption is 4.4 – 15 kW and steam consumption 70 – 210 kg/h depending on capacity. All product-contact surfaces are AISI 304 stainless steel and the process is managed via PLC; when temperature falls below target the product is automatically diverted, preventing under-processed product from reaching the filling line. Capacity is selected from the shift plan, not from daily volume alone. A plant processing 20 tonnes of milk per day needs roughly 2,500 L/h to finish in an 8-hour single shift, or 1,250 L/h across two shifts. An undersized unit extends the shift; an oversized unit makes temperature stability harder at low flow. The heat treatment profile also varies by product: drinking milk and fruit juice do not share the same time–temperature curve, and the holding tube is dimensioned accordingly. A pasteurizer does not work alone but as part of a line. A balance tank and feed pump precede it; filling or a process tank follows, depending on product. Integrated with a CIP unit, the cleaning cycle runs without dismantling the line. Increased heat regeneration ratio and automatic CIP integration are available as options. ProcessTürk delivers this unit both as a standalone machine and as part of a turnkey milk processing or fruit juice line. The system is engineered around your product type, target heat treatment profile, existing steam infrastructure and capacity goal.