FDBusiness.com

BMI (Bayerische Milchindustrie eG) was founded over 60 years ago. The organization brings together independent dairies and milk-supplying cooperatives to produce a variety of fresh dairy products including over 60 million tonnes of cheese every year. The GEA plant will expand BMI’s production capability of pizza cheese by around 2.5 tonnes/hour for the supply of pizza cheese in 15kg Euroblocks to industry worldwide.

The contract with GEA is for the extension of one of BMI’s three cheese lines. The scope of supply includes: the revision of the existing salt system, cooker and stretcher; two GEA CMT DMC modules; and a GEA de Klokslag brining system. The individual components will be brought together to form a continuous production line using GEA piping, engineering and control systems. Assembly work will begin on site in January 2018 and GEA engineers will commission the project in March 2018.

BMI already has experience of working with GEA equipment and is currently working with the company on another project for the production of Cheddar cheese. This familiarity and experience of working with GEA was undoubtedly a contributing factor in the decision to use GEA technology and expertise however, according to Carsten Müller-Stein, GEA Project Manager, it is GEA’s ability to bring together the different elements of the project, from a single source, with the necessary engineering work, project management and commissioning, that is the key to GEA’s offering to the dairy industry.

“Now we have the opportunity of working with our other cheese specialists in GEA on a combined project in this way,” explains Carsten Müller-Stein. “Because we know each other and the relevant technologies so well, and understand fundamentally how they can be engineered to provide a seamless system, our customers can be guaranteed the outcome they require. We take total ownership of the project and we are ultimately responsible for delivering. The customer has only one point of contact for everything.”

GEA’s combined cheese-making experience and scope of supply provides for the mechanization of the production processes for fresh mozzarella, pizza cheese, provolone, scamorza, kashkaval and a wide range of hard and semi-hard cheeses. This, combined with GEA’s extensive engineering experience and research capabilities, provides a unique offering for cheese manufacturers worldwide.