China — 2022 — Shanghai EasyReal Machinery Co., Ltd. (EasyReal, easireal.com) supplied a Pilot Plant of Dairy and Plant Based Beverage for Education for Sichuan University of Science & Engineering. More information about the university is available at https://www.suse.edu.cn/.
This project was built as a teaching and practice base. It helps students learn real production steps on a pilot scale. It also gives teachers a flexible platform for training, product trials, and research work. The line combines raw material treatment, heat treatment, fermentation, filling, and cheese processing in one connected system.
The pilot plant is mainly used for dairy milk, fermented dairy products, cheese, and plant based beverages. It can also support classroom work on recipe design, texture control, hygiene, and packaging.
• End user: Sichuan University of Science & Engineering (SUSE)
• Application: education and pilot-scale teaching
• Raw materials: dairy ingredients and plant protein materials
• Capacity: 200 kg/h
• Main products: pasteurized milk, UHT milk, fermented yogurt, cheese, and plant based beverages
• Packaging: pouches and glass bottles
• Project year: 2022
This pilot plant gives students a clear view of the full production process. They do not only read process theory in class. They can also see how tanks, pumps, heat exchangers, fermentation units, and filling systems work together.
This is important for food engineering education. Students need to understand how one process step affects the next step. For example, preheating affects homogenization. Homogenization affects texture. Fermentation affects taste and stability. Filling conditions affect hygiene and shelf performance.
Because the line is built at pilot scale, it is large enough for real process learning, but still flexible enough for classroom use and teaching trials.
The line supports several common product categories.
Dairy Products
Students can produce:
• pasteurized dairy milk
• UHT milk
• fermented yogurt
• cheese
These products help students learn the differences between low-temperature and high-temperature processing. They can also compare fresh-style dairy products with shelf-stable dairy products.
Plant Based Beverages
The line also supports plant based beverages made from plant raw materials and plant proteins. This is important because universities now teach both dairy and non-dairy product development.
In class, students can compare dairy milk and a dairy alternative side by side. They can see the difference in texture, color, flow, and stability. They can also learn why some dairy free drinks need stronger emulsification and homogenization.
The pilot plant connects several matched sections into one line. Each part supports the next part.
1) Raw Material Handling and Pre-Treatment
This section prepares the product before heat treatment, fermentation, or filling.
Main equipment includes:
• chilling tank
• preheating tank
• high pressure homogenizer
• high shear emulsifying tank
This section is useful for both dairy and plant based products. Students can learn how raw materials react to mixing, heating, and pressure. They can also see how milk protein behaves differently from plant proteins.
2) Heat Treatment Section
The line includes a fully automatic plate sterilizer. This section is used for controlled pasteurization or sterilization steps, depending on the product.
Students can study:
• heating curves
• holding time
• cooling effects
• process hygiene
This is one of the most important teaching sections in the line. It helps students understand why heat treatment is critical for safety, shelf-life, and product quality.
3) Cooling and Fermentation Section
After heat treatment, some products move to cooling or fermentation.
Main equipment includes:
• pre-cooling tank
• fermentation system
This section is used for yogurt and other fermented trials. Students can learn how fermentation temperature, starter culture timing, and holding time affect the final product.
4) Filling and Packaging Section
The pilot plant includes a filling system that supports:
• pouch packaging
• glass bottle packaging
This lets students study packaging methods for different products. They can also learn the effect of packaging on process flow, product protection, and presentation.
5) Cheese Processing Section
The line also includes cheese equipment:
• cheese forming machine
• cheese pressing machine
This gives students hands-on practice in cheese production. It also expands the value of the pilot plant beyond liquid products.
This project is not only about equipment. It is also about teaching goals.
Students can learn how to:
• handle dairy raw materials
• process plant based beverages
• compare dairy milk and dairy alternative products
• test stability in dairy free drinks
• understand the role of milk protein and plant proteins
• study emulsification and homogenization
• control fermentation and filling
• evaluate packaging choices
This is especially useful today because many universities teach both traditional dairy processing and new food product development. A modern teaching line should support both.
The pilot plant is also suitable for formulation classes. Teachers can use it for small pilot trials in dairy and plant based products.
One useful topic is reduced fat product development. Students can produce reduced fat dairy drinks and compare them with standard formulas. They can then check differences in body, mouthfeel, and stability.
Another useful topic is nutrition design. In some practice lessons, students may discuss how vitamins and minerals are used in beverage formulation. They may also compare the nutritional role of milk protein and plant proteins in dairy and non-dairy products.
Because the line works at pilot scale, students can connect textbook knowledge with real process results.
The pilot plant can support many teaching samples in one semester.
Examples include:
• pasteurized dairy milk
• UHT milk
• yogurt
• cheese
• plant based beverages
• dairy alternative drinks
• dairy free beverages
• reduced fat dairy drinks
For flavor training, teachers can also run special recipes. One simple example is a dark chocolate flavored plant based drink. Another example is a dark chocolate dairy alternative beverage. These examples are useful because students can study both flavor balance and physical stability in one test.
The pilot plant also supports broader classroom discussion. In many food engineering programs, teachers now discuss sustainability, raw material choice, and future product trends.
For example, plant based beverages are often used in class as a dairy alternative topic. Teachers may use these products to introduce general ideas about greenhouse gas emissions, supply chains, and food system change. The goal is not only to teach one recipe. The goal is to help students understand why product choice, process design, and raw material selection matter in the wider industry.
This makes the pilot plant useful not only for practical training, but also for modern food education.
The pilot plant also supports broader classroom discussion. In many food engineering programs, teachers now discuss sustainability, raw material choice, and future product trends.
For example, plant based beverages are often used in class as a dairy alternative topic. Teachers may use these products to introduce general ideas about greenhouse gas emissions, supply chains, and food system change. The goal is not only to teach one recipe. The goal is to help students understand why product choice, process design, and raw material selection matter in the wider industry.
This makes the pilot plant useful not only for practical training, but also for modern food education.
This pilot plant gives SUSE a practical and flexible education platform. It supports dairy teaching, plant based product learning, pilot trials, and product development practice in one line.
Students can move from theory to real process work. They can study pasteurization, homogenization, fermentation, filling, and cheese making on real equipment. They can also compare dairy milk, dairy free drinks, and other based beverages in a direct and practical way.
For universities that want stronger hands-on food engineering education, this type of pilot plant offers clear value.
Post time: Mar-12-2023
