Fluidised and liquid product industries are increasingly adopting continuous pasteurisation and sterilisation processes using heated plate, tubular or scraped surface heat exchangers followed by cooling and aseptic filling. Slow and uneven heating, over-processing of part of the liquid and crusting (fouling) are typical problems in these equipment which rely on conventional heat transmission methods.
All these problems can be eliminated by using Stalam’s “RF/L” equipment, which has been specifically designed for the continuous pasteurisation and sterilisation in the tube of liquids and other fluidised (i.e. pumpable) products, even with suspended particulates. The “RF/L” system ensures high productivity and energy efficiency levels, outstanding product quality, full guarantee of inactivation of micro-organisms with the minimum possible modification of the product sensorial and physical-chemical characteristics.
There are several leading European food processors who have for a number of years successfully run production lines incorporating Stalam “RF/L” equipment with a typical throughput of 2,000 kg/h.
The fluid substrate to be treated is continuously pumped through one or more tubes made of a food-grade RF-transparent material and having a suitable diameter according to the specific product. The tubes are placed between especially designed electrodes (these are also different according to the tube diameter and the physical characteristics of the product). The product passing through the tubes is directly heated by the RF field, based on the well known principle of dielectric losses.