Storci’s great experience allows the creation of egg storage and dosing systems according to the different needs of pasta factories.
We offer three types of systems: manual, semi-automatic and automatic management.
Today, our technical director, Mr Alberto Serventi tells us about an innovative semi-automatic system designed for one of our customers, Grandi Pastai Italiani S.p.A. of Correggio (Reggio Emilia).
“As part of the pasta factory project,” explains Serventi, “we installed here a system that allows different types of egg to be received and dosed on three pasta production lines, even simultaneously.
Eggs used for the production can come from external tanks, mobile internal tanks or from two fixed internal tanks that allow the mixing of egg with tomato or spinach powder”.
These internal tanks are placed in a dedicated refrigerated cell, which also houses the entire dosing unit, which is made up in detail of: a matrix of “mix proof” type valves for managing the liquid flow; batteries of peristaltic pumps that guarantee a precise and constant dosage of egg; process tanks; sensors and detection systems.
Inside this cell we additionally find the receiving group from external tanks which, by means of lobe pumps, allows the product to be sent to the internal tanks for the various mixing or to directly feed the lines.
Sanitary safety is guaranteed by a CIP washing system which automatically manages all the washing phases at different temperatures, with soda-based and sterilizing solutions, ensuring the sanitization of the system in a completely automatic way after each production cycle. The plant includes the tanks for water, soda and sterilizing solutions, the steam circuit necessary to heat the soda solution and the delivery pumps for the washing liquids.

Which are the advantages of the system?

Continuity of production. Each production line can be alternatively fed by two dosing pumps: a dedicated specific one for each line, or an auxiliary one capable of interacting alternatively with all three production lines. This configuration makes it possible not to interrupt production on a line by switching to the use of the second feed pump; at the same time the previously used egg circuit can be washed.
Waste reduction. When you want to finish the production, through a pipe emptying system, it is possible to finish dosing all the eggs still present in the production circuit, recovering them completely and preventing from being discarded.
This can be considered as a significant economic savings.
Ease of use. The management of the system, both in the production and washing phases, is controlled by a central PC and an intuitive synoptic diagram. The only manual operations to be performed consist in the connections of the flexible piping to put the various dosing and washing circuits in communication.
Safety. The safety of the system is guaranteed by several types of control which act simultaneously to verify and prevent any involuntary errors by the operator. Before executing any command, the program checks the closure of all the hatches of the tanks via safety microswitch and the current position of the involved valves. The correctness of each connection made with the flexible piping is constantly checked
by software using special sensors. Furthermore, thanks to the use of “mix-proof” valves, it is possible to manage the flows of egg and washing liquids in the various circuits of the system, ensuring that they never come into contact.
Disinfection. The technical choices adopted ensure the accessibility of the sanitizing fluids to all the elements of the circuit that have come into contact
with the product. The plant is then cleaned and sterilized with fully automatic cleaning cycles, leaving the operator free to carry out other activities.
Respect for the environment. The CIP system is able to recognize the washing liquid present in the circuit by means of conductivity probes, allowing the
total recovery of the soda and sterilizing solutions, thus avoiding unnecessary waste and ensuring maximum respect for the environment.