FOOD PRODUCTION PLANT

The design of a food production plant is built on food science and technology, the core principles of chemical engineering and the practical experience of food engineers, chemical engineers and food specialists. For a food production plant, Makfen provides solutions from process design to commissioning, whether the need is to expand or modify an existing facility, set up a line for a new product or build a complete turnkey plant.

Key Parameters in Food Production Plant Design

Food plant design also takes into account experience and advances in fields such as materials science, mechanical engineering and operations management. Process design covers the evaluation and analysis of process alternatives and the synthesis of the most suitable option. When planning a new food factory, the Makfen team, which pays close attention to hygiene requirements, works from parameters such as plant location, product and process behaviour, food hygiene, plant safety and the ability to adapt to future product or capacity changes.

Typical Process Steps in Food Processing Lines

Although they vary by product group, a food production plant generally includes the following unit operations:

• Raw material receiving, storage and weighing
• Preparation steps such as washing, sorting, size reduction or dissolving
• Mixing, emulsification and homogenisation
• Heat treatment such as cooking, concentration, pasteurisation or sterilisation
• Cooling, resting and intermediate storage
• Transfer of the product to the filling and packaging line

Different product groups such as sauces, jams and marmalades, dairy-based products, confectionery fillings or ready-meal components require these steps to be configured with different combinations of equipment.

Batch and Continuous Production Systems

Production lines in food plants fall into two categories: batch and continuous systems. In high-capacity factories, continuous systems are preferred because costs are more predictable and the operation can be controlled more effectively. In small-capacity production, batch systems are used because food processes are complex and the products handled are varied and produced in small quantities. In a batch plant, effective design and the right choice of equipment allow capacity to be maximised, and intermediate storage tanks between unit operations keep production controlled and continuous.

Principles Applied in Process Design

• Production speed: Production should be completed as quickly as possible to reduce the risk of microbiological spoilage and contamination and to prevent loss of quality (for example, prolonged heat treatment causes vitamin loss).
• Heat treatment: To prevent loss of quality, the heat treatment applied to the product should be kept to the minimum required for food safety. Where cooling is needed, the temperature should be kept at the highest value that product safety allows in order to save energy (for example, in the cold chain).
• Standardisation: In production and control, standardisation is the factor with the greatest influence on the quality of both total output and each individual product.
• Sanitation: From raw material to finished product, observing hygiene rules on production lines, machinery, buildings and personnel is essential for reliable production. For this reason, equipment is built to a hygienic design that is easy to clean, leaves no dead zones and can be cleaned by CIP.

Turnkey Food Plant Installation

Makfen treats environmental impact as a design parameter in food production plant projects, building solutions that reduce energy and water consumption and the waste and wastewater load into the process design. Project engineering, equipment manufacture, installation, piping, instrumentation, insulation, electrical installation, performance testing and commissioning are all carried out on a turnkey basis. Stainless steel process equipment is manufactured at the Dilovası facility, and carbon steel equipment and auxiliary systems at the Gebze facility.

Scope and Equipment

• Process design, plant layout and process flow diagrams based on product and capacity
• Process tanks, cooking vessels and agitated vessels in AISI 304/316L stainless steel with FDA-compliant materials
• Jacketed or coil heating/cooling systems and thermal insulation
• Hygienic piping, pump and valve assemblies
• CIP cleaning systems
• Weighing, dosing and PLC-based automation systems
• Material certificates, test reports, and operating and maintenance documentation

To request information and a quotation for a food production plant, please contact Makfen through our contact page.