METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING PRESSED CHEESE FROM CURD

Abstract: Method for manufacturing pressed cheese from curd, whereby: (1) a curd block is supplied and (2) put into a prepared cheese vat and (3) a follower standing ready is placed on the cheese vat, after which (4) pressing is initiated, (5) after pressing, the follower is removed from the vat, (6) the pressed cheese is taken out of the vat by reversing the vat and (7) is removed to a brining bath, (8) the follower and vat are transported to a washing station and then (9) returned to their starting points. The method steps (2) to (8) inclusive are performed by a programmed industrial robot provided with a pivoting arm and arranged centrally in relation to the stations where these steps are performed.

Description: METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING PRESSED CHEESE FROM CURD The invention relates to a method for manufacturing pressed cheese from curd. Developments in the manufacture of pressed cheese in recent years have led to the building of very .large ins allations, whereby the automation and mechanization have been fully realized by making use of so- called "Hard automation". This cannot be used for smaller quantities of cheese because the cost of automation is not in proportion to the saving in manpower. The invention has for its purpose also to provide the possibilities for automation to processors of small quantities of milk by making use of modern pressing techniques and the use of an industrial robot. In general the following operations are necessary for the manufacture of pressed cheese from curd: (1) the supply of a curd block (2) the placing of a curd block into a prepared cheese vat (3) the making ready of a follower which is placed on the cheese vat, after which (4) pressing is initiated. After pressing, then (5) the follower is removed from the cheese vat (6) the pressed cheese is taken out of the vat by reversing the vat and (7) the cheese is removed to a brining bath, and (8) the follower and vat are transported to a washing station and returned to their starting point. - 2 - According to the method of the current invention the operations (2) to (8) inclusive are performed by an accordingly programmed industrial robot provided with a pivoting arm and arranged centrally in relation to the outer ends of supply and discharge conveyors associated with the operations (1), (2), (3), (7) and (8) as well as being arranged centrally relative to the place where the cheese pressing takes place. The lay-out of the pressing part of the cheese plant must hereby be adapted correspondingly and use is preferably made thereby of auxiliary equipment arranged to be loaded and unloaded by the robot. Thus according to a further refinement of the concept of the invention use can be made of so-called spring loaded cheese vats, the spring of which is tensioned by the robot. A cheese mould having such a built-in press has been proposed in an earlier Dutch patent application No.8402355, also in the name of applicant. As an alternative to the use of such vats, individual press cylinders can be arranged on the place where the cheese pressing takes place, the cylinders being first actuated after the placing of a cheese vat has been observed. The invention will be further elucidated in the following, with reference to the drawing. Fig. 1 is a schematic top view according to a first embodiment , fig. 2 is a schematic top view according to another embodiment , fig* 3 is a front view of a multiple press which can be used advantageously with the invention. In fig. 1 is shown a disposition of an industrial robot 1 provided with a pivoting arm 2 to which is attached a gripper hand 3, the robofbeing arranged centrally in the middle of a number of machines usual in a cheese-making plant. The disposition is such that robot 1, 2, 3 can perform all the operations associated with the manufacture of a pressed cheese. Indicated schematically with 4 is a curd draining and - - dosing machine. From this machine 4 runs a conveyor track A on which is carried a curd block which in the position Al can be picked up by the robot to be put into the cheese vat standing ready at the position Bl. The cheese vats are transported one by one by a conveyor track B to the position Bl where the still empty cheese vat stands ready. Each vat is washed beforehand in a washing tunnel B2. Indicated by B3 is the place where the robot has deposited an empty vat after this vat has been emptied at the end of the cheese pressing cycle. The vats pass through a circuit B which means that each vat placed at B3 is washed in B2 and transported to Bl. A second circuit is indicated with C. Here.Cl is the place where a follower or press cover is transported and set ready. C2 is a washing tunnel for the followers. C3 is the point where a follower removed from a vat is placed. The followers also pass through a circuit C, so that a follower placed at C3 is washed in C2 and transported to Cl. It is possible to combine the washing tunnels B2 and C2, this possibility probably not requiring any further explanation for a person skilled in the art. Designated by D is a cheese pressing system which can be loaded by the robot 1, 2, 3 and which possesses a form adapted to the movement of the pivoting arm 2. In this respect there are two conceivable alternatives, namely: (a) the robot (1, 2, 3) takes a curd block from the position Al , places it at position B2 in a cheese vat, onto which is placed a follower taken from position Cl, and puts the thus filled and covered mould on a fixed place in the press D. The press can be provided with a conveyor member which itself then conveys the filled and covered cheese moulds inwards beneath the presses. This alternative is not illustrated. (b) the robot (1, 2, 3) places each filled and covered cheese mould in a different position in the press D in which the robot is aware via the memory in the control system (not shown) that at that moment- there is no cheese mould. Especially in the latter case it is advantageous to - - give the press a circular contour, as is apparent from the top view of fig. 1 and 2, whereby the robot 1 is then arranged in the middle point of the circle. The press D consists then, as fig. 3 shows, of a circular cylindrical curved frame 29 having a number of levels, for example three, indicated in fig. 3 by 30, 31 and 32, and vertical uprights 5 so that compartments 36 are formed for accommodating a cheese mould 34, separate press cylinders also being arranged against the ceiling of these compartments 36. In fig. 3 only two press cylinders are shown, in compartments 31/3 and 32/2. In each compartment 36 a presence detector (not shown) can be arranged which observes the placing of a cheese mould by the robot in that compartment, only after which the respective press cylinder 35 is actuated. This operation probably requires no further explanation. The individual press cylinders 35 can also be omitted from the compartments 36 and use can be made instead of a cheese mould having a built-in press, as proposed in the Dutch patent application no. 8402355, and to which reference is made in this respect. After placing the follower on the cheese vat the robot then tensions the spring or pumps the air cushion up to pressure, subsequently placing the filled cheese mould in a compartment 36. A cheese mould 34', 35' equipped in this way is shown schematically in compartment 31/4. In both cases after completion of the set pressing cycle the robot collects the cheese mould from the respective compartment 36 of the multiple press D, whereby the required pressing time is determined by the control system of the robot. Returning to fig. 1, the unloading station is indicated by El, this station serving for temporary placing of the cheese mould (cheese, cheese vat and follower) that has been collected from multiple press D by the robot. The robot removes the follower and places it on C3, then reverses the vat above the discharge conveyor E- and unloads the cheese from the mould. The cheese is transported via this conveyer E to a brining bath (not drawn). The cheese vat is taken by the robot from position E to the location B3 and the robot thereby completes all the operations necessary in a mechanized method for the manufacture of pressed cheese from curd. While in the embodiment as according to fig. 1 the outer ends Al , Bl, B3, Cl, C3 and El of the various supply and discharge conveyors are arranged centrally around robot 1, so that the pivoting arm 2 is required to do as little swinging as possible, with the curd supply A and cheese discharge E in the middle and both circuits B and C on the outside, outlined in fig. 2 is an embodiment having the said outer ends in one line, the curd supply A and cheese discharge E on the left-hand side and the circuits B and C adjacent to them on the right. The operation is otherwise identical to that described on the basis of fig. 1. Should the cheese need a standstill period in order to achieve the optimal pH value, the robot then replaces the mould after removing the cover in the rack of the press, without otherwise giving the instruction to press, and performs the other operations later. It is noted that it can be advantageous for a cheese-making plant not to place the robot on the ground (indicated with 40 in fig. 3), but to suspend it from the ceiling or from a supporting structure. During the frequent cleaning of the floor of the cheese plant essential in the dairy industry the robot is then spared as much as possible. In order to switch from one type of cheese to another the total programming of the device can be altered by changing a program pre-recorded on the tape in the control of robot (1). This undoubtedly requires no further explanation.

Claims: - 6 - CLAIMS 1. Method for manufacturing pressed cheese from curd, whereby: (1) a curd block is supplied and (2) put into a prepared cheese vat and (3) a follower standing ready is placed on said cheese vat, after which (4) pressing is Initiated. After pressing, then (5) said follower is removed from said vat, (6) the pressed cheese is taken out of said vat by reversing the vat and (7) removed to a brining bath, and (8) said follower and vat are transported to a washing station and returned to their starting points, characterized in that the operations (2) to (8) inclusive are performed by an accordingly programmed industrial robot provided with a pivoting arm and arranged centrally in relation to the outer ends of supply and discharge conveyors associated with the operations (1), (2), (3), (7) and (8) as well as being arranged centrally relative to the place where the cheese pressing takes place. 2. Method as claimed in claim 1, characterized In that use is made in pressing of spring loaded cheese vats, the spring of which is tensioned by the robot. 3. Method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that individual press cylinders are arranged on the place where the cheese pressing takes place, said cylinders being first actuated after the placing of a cheese mould has been observed by the robot. 4. Method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that use ' is made of a press which itself transports the moulds to the place of pressing. 5. Apparatus for performing the method as claimed in - 7 - one or more of the claims 1-4, characterized by an industrial robot (1) which is accordingly programmed for said method, is provided with a pivoting arm (2), a gripper hand (3) and a memory, and is arranged centrally in relation to the outer ends of supply and discharge conveyors (A, B, C, E) as well as being arranged centrally relative to the place (D) where the cheese pressing takes place. 6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 5, characterized in that the press (D) has a substantially circular cylindrical form (29), whereby the robot (1) is arranged in the centre of the cylinder. 7. Apparatus as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that the press (D) comprises a number of levels (30, 31, 32). 8. Apparatus as claimed in any of the claims 5 to 7, characterized in that the robot (1) is suspended and does not stand on the floor (40). 9. Apparatus as claimed in one or more of the claims 5 to 8 inclusive, characterized in that in order to switch from one type of cheese to another the total programming of the apparatus can be altered by changing a program pre¬ recorded on the tape in the control of the robot (1).

Inventors: BRENS ANTOON, BRENS, ANTOON
Applicants: ESMIL HUBERT BV, ESMIL HUBERT B.V.
Application year: 1986
Main classification: A01J25
IPC codes: A01J25