The answer to the second question first: In modern milk powder production, maximum hygiene is essential - otherwise there is a risk of quality losses and production downtime. Quite apart from this, cleanliness is of course the hallmark of any food manufacturer, especially with a product as demanding as milk powder.
Milk powder - a sensitive product
Milk powder is produced by evaporating the liquid from milk and is used in a wide range of applications in the food industry. During production, the milk goes through several process stages such as pasteurisation, evaporation and spray drying.
Industrial milk powder production often presents a particular challenge: the filters in the industrial vacuum cleaners used often have to be removed and washed, which is not only time-consuming but also leads to a rapid decline in filter performance - a problem that required an innovative solution.
The right technology
With this in mind, the answer to the first question is clear: milk powder must be extracted using special industrial vacuum cleaners that meet the highest hygiene requirements and are easy to clean at the same time. Numerous design measures ensure that product quality and operational safety are equally guaranteed.
Ruwac solution!
Ruwac adapted an existing range of suction cups to the high hygiene requirements of the milk powder industry, including the use of a new filter design. Instead of the conventional pocket filters, rigid polyethylene filters, the so-called OMIKRON filters, are used, which are characterised by a long service life, a hygienic design and high temperature resistance. And very importantly, the filters can be easily dismantled using a bayonet lock and cleaned in autoclaves - a decisive advantage for daily practice.
The pilot devices were extensively tested in a leading milk processing plant and found to be good. The practical results were so convincing that several production sites ordered further industrial vacuum cleaners with OMIKRON filters and also retrofitted existing devices accordingly. The Ruwac modular system proved to be particularly advantageous: the drive, housing and chassis continue to be used and only the filter unit is replaced.
With this special solution, milk powder manufacturers not only play it safe in terms of hygiene and product safety, but also in terms of efficiency and cost-effectiveness.
The fact that we are exhibiting at the 15th BERLIN MILK FORUM 2025 on 13 and 14 March 2025 shows just how important this topic is.