Frequently Asked Questions
What does Thermaflo do?
We design, fabricate, and install the equipment used to make food and beverages.
Our work helps to put better quality and more diverse food products on the table for more consumers at a more affordable price.
We started off in 1992 (over 30 years ago!) building pasteurisers for dairy processing.
We’ve since expanded into almost any process where liquid foods or beverages are produced (like milk or juice), or food products that have a liquid component in the manufacturing process like butter, jams/sauces, cheese, mayonnaise, plant-based dairy alternatives or ice cream.
We also specialise in the design and manufacture of cleaning systems for food and beverage manufacturers, called CIP (clean in place) kitchens. These systems deliver the hot/cold water and cleaning chemicals to the right pieces of equipment at the right time to ensure food/beverage production stays hygienic.
With our experience in all kinds of food/beverages processes, we also offer a consultancy service food and beverage manufacturers looking to:
- Expand / scale up their production
- Move from a pilot plant or contract manufacturing into their own manufacturing facilities
- Choose the best equipment to upgrade their plant
- Reduce or improve their wastewater output
- Clean and reuse water in their plant
What kind of food and beverage manufacturers do you work with?
We work with a range of manufacturers; from artisan cheesemakers supplying their handcrafted cheese to their local farmer’s markets, right through to large multi-national companies who produce tens of thousands of litres of product per hour.
We have also completed bespoke projects for R&D organisations, and research food technologists wanting lab-scale equipment to develop new food and beverage products or extract useful compounds from other products.
What capabilities do you have?
We specialise in end-to-end turnkey solutions, so we have comprehensive in-house expertise for all stages of a project, from initial design through the install, commissioning and project management.
- Our team of process engineers work with clients to design projects, processes and plants.
- Our draftsperson takes these designs and turns them into 3D models.
- The workshop/mechanical team of stainless steel fabricators take these designs and builds the required equipment, tanks and pipework.
- Our electrical team will draw the electrical plans and wire up the equipment ready for commissioning and install. Where required, they will also program the automation and data collection systems.
- The mechanical and electrical teams work together to install the equipment on site.
- The lead process engineer will complete the final commissioning of the installed equipment and hand it over to the client and the operators.
What equipment do you supply?
Some of the larger pieces of equipment we supply are:
- Tanks / Product Reception
- Extraction solutions
- Pasteurisers / heat treatment solutions
- Separators/clarifiers/centrifuges
- Homogenisers
- Mixing and cooking machines
- Bottle fillers
- Tub fillers
- CIP Kitchens
- Membrane Filtration / Reverse Osmosis Systems
- And the wiring and pipework that connects the equipment to the rest of the plant
Where does your equipment come from?
If we don’t manufacture it ourselves, we use trusted and internationally available suppliers.
We have agency/distributor arrangements with a number of expert suppliers from around the world.
- For pilot plant/lab-scale equipment we work with Powerpoint International in Japan
- For separators/clarifiers we work with Frautech in Italy
- For homogenisers, we work with FBF Italia in Italy
- For automated pasta filata / stretch-curd cheese (Mozzarella, string cheese, ricotta, processed cheese etc) processes we work with MilkyLab in Italy
- For membrane technology (Reverse osmosis, membrane filtration) we work with European-based technology supplier, MMS Membrane Solutions.
- For bottle fillers we work with Filmatic in South Africa
- For tub fillers, butter wrappers, mini portion fillers, and end of line machines we work with Europe-based Trepko and Filmatic in South Africa
If you have your own preferred equipment supplier or plant to free-issue equipment we are also highly skilled plant integrators. Our teams will install and commission your equipment so it works seamlessly with your existing plant.
Do you sell second-hand equipment?
We specialise in new equipment, but our sister company, Proquip, would be happy to assist you with buying or selling second-hand equipment.
Questions?
Our process team are here to help!
Please contact us on 06 777 5300 or through our contact form.
“We purchased a 5,000L per hour fresh milk process line from Thermaflo to help us increase our production. After two years we saw ourselves needing to increase our production again, this time however it was our cheese that was in such high demand. After discussing the project in detail with one of Thermaflo’s process engineers they provided us with a proposal for an HTST pasteuriser capable of processing 12,000L per hour of fresh cheese milk.
Once we had settled on the final design the Thermaflo staff were very quick in completing the fabrication of the pasteuriser and then delivering it to our site. Once all the equipment arrived, Thermaflo staff travelled to Ashgrove to install and integrate the new pasteuriser with the rest of our plant.
Having arrived onsite it only took the Thermaflo staff 8 days to install, commission and train our staff how to operate the new pasteuriser. Whilst they were here, they also took a look at the rest of our plant and carried out work to increase the efficiencies of our entire process.
As Thermaflo have worked on our site before and provided us with equipment in the past we knew they would do a great job and this time round it was no different. I think Thermaflo are a very professional company with great customer service and I would not hesitate to recommend them to others.”