Layouts And Operating Criteria for Automation of Dairy Plants Manufacturing Ice Cream and Ice Cream Novelties

Excerpt from the report: The purpose of this study is to provide information to operators of ice cream plants to assist them in improving their operating procedures and plant layouts and in making use of automated methods in building new plants and remodeling existing ones. The objectives of the study were to (1) develop plant layouts showing the types and arrangement of equipment essential for automation and highly mechanized operations and (2) show how the plant operates. The report does not attempt to compare actual costs of operation in nonautomated and automated plants. Estimated costs of additional equipment required for an automated plant are based on the author's knowledge and experience in this field. The primary objectives of the principles and layouts developed in this study were (1) to reduce the labor required in receiving the mix ingredients and in processing, packaging, storing, and loading out ice cream and novelty products; (2) to maintain the quality of the products manufactured; (3) to remove the drudgery of plant work owing to manual methods or to poorly mechanized methods; and (4) to reduce in-plant loss by automatic control over mix standardization and processing.