Pasteurization vs UHT: How to Choose Milk Heat Treatment for Your Market
The choice between pasteurized and UHT milk is decided by your distribution chain, not your budget. A practical guide for new dairy plants.
Milk Pasteurization Equipment
Plate UHT Sterilizer
A continuous plate heat treatment system for milk and similar liquid dairy products.
- Capacity
- 1,000 – 10,000 L/h
- Models
- 6 sizes
- Heating
- Steam, 0.2 kg/L
- Contact material
- SUS304, Ra 0.6 μm
- Control
- Siemens as standard
1,000 – 10,000 L/h 
Real photos · our workshop
Plate UHT Sterilizer: photos
Overview
A continuous plate heat treatment system for milk and similar liquid dairy products. Product flows through a plate heat exchanger where incoming cold milk is warmed by outgoing hot milk, then through the heating and holding sections, and back through regeneration on the way out.
Regeneration is what makes a continuous system cheaper to run than a batch vat at steady volume: much of the heat put into the product is recovered from it again on the way out, so both the heating and the cooling load fall.
Six models cover 1,000 to 10,000 litres per hour. Steam consumption scales with capacity and is listed per model in the table below — the figure to check against your boiler before ordering rather than after.
Designed for
- Raw whole and skimmed milk
- Reconstituted milk from powder
- Yogurt base before fermentation
- Flavoured milk without particulates
Not designed for
- Products with particulates, which block plate gaps — a tubular system should be specified instead
- High-viscosity products beyond what a plate gap will pass
Who this equipment is for
- Dairy plants producing milk for ambient or extended-shelf-life distribution
- Yogurt producers heat treating base before fermentation
- Plants replacing batch heat treatment because daily volume has outgrown it
- Contractors and integrators building a dairy plant for an end client
Less suitable for: Very small volumes, and operations changing product several times per shift where changeover and cleaning would exceed production time.
How it works
- Milk enters a balance tank, which keeps a constant head of product at the feed pump.
- The feed pump moves milk at a fixed rate through the regeneration section, where incoming cold milk is warmed by outgoing hot milk.
- In the heating section, steam-heated water raises the milk to process temperature.
- The milk passes through the holding section, sized so that even the fastest-moving portion is held for the required time.
- A temperature sensor at the end of the holding section controls flow diversion, returning under-temperature product rather than letting it pass forward.
- Correctly processed milk gives up its heat back through regeneration, then passes through the cooling section on the way to storage or filling.
Machine structure
- Balance tank with level control
- Feed pump
- Plate heat exchanger with regeneration, heating and cooling sections
- Holding section sized to flow rate and hold time
- Hot water set
- Flow diversion valve with return line
- Temperature sensors at holding section inlet and outlet
- Control panel with Siemens components as standard
- CIP inlet and return connections
Technical specifications
| Model | Capacity | Steam consumption | Installed power | Dimensions (L×W×H) | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UHT-1000 | 1,000 L/h | 220 kg/h | 7 kW | 1800 × 950 × 2000 mm | 1,400 kg |
| UHT-2000 | 2,000 L/h | 400 kg/h | 9 kW | 1900 × 1050 × 2100 mm | 1,700 kg |
| UHT-3000 | 3,000 L/h | 600 kg/h | 7 kW | 1950 × 1100 × 2100 mm | 2,000 kg |
| UHT-5000 | 5,000 L/h | 1,000 kg/h | 7 kW | 2300 × 1300 × 2200 mm | 2,500 kg |
| UHT-8000 | 8,000 L/h | 1,600 kg/h | 7 kW | On request | On request |
| UHT-10000 | 10,000 L/h | 2,000 kg/h | 7 kW | On request | On request |
Steam consumption is proportional to capacity at 0.2 kg of steam per litre across the range. All contact parts SUS304.
Material and surface finish
- Product contact surfaces
- SUS304 stainless steel
- Frame
- SUS201 stainless steel
- Internal surface finish
- Ra 0.6 μm
- Welding
- Argon shielded
- Gaskets and seals
- Food-grade rubber
- Material documentation
- Material certificate supplied with every order
Power supply and heating
Heating is by steam. Steam consumption per model is listed in the specification table — check it against your boiler capacity before ordering, since retro-fitting boiler capacity is far more disruptive than sizing it correctly at the start.
Voltage and frequency are specified per order. Motors and control components are selected accordingly.
Voltage options: 380 V / 50 Hz · 220 V / 60 Hz · 415 V / 50 Hz · 440 V / 60 Hz · Other supplies on request
Automation and control
Control components are Siemens as standard. If your maintenance team and your local supplier already work with a different platform, we build to the brand you specify instead — Schneider, Mitsubishi and others can be quoted.
This matters more than it looks. A control fault on a line running perishable product has to be resolved the same shift, and that is far easier with a part your local distributor holds than with one shipped from China. Tell us your preference at the enquiry stage and we will quote accordingly.
Optional configurations
| Option | When it makes sense |
|---|---|
| Automatic temperature recording | Required in some markets and requested in most commercial audits |
| Additional cooling section | Where chilled water is limited or the final temperature must be lower |
| Integrated CIP skid | Where no central CIP system exists |
| Specified control brand (Schneider, Mitsubishi or other) | Where your maintenance team and local suppliers already work with one platform |
Not sure which model fits your throughput?
Send your daily volume and your site conditions. We will recommend a model and explain the reasoning — including a smaller machine than you asked for, if that is what makes sense.
Why buyers choose it
- Heat recovery through the regeneration section reduces energy per litre compared with batch heat treatment.
- Every litre receives the same thermal treatment rather than every batch — which matters when you have to demonstrate consistency to a customer or a regulator.
- Automatic flow diversion means under-processed milk cannot reach the filling stage without an operator noticing.
- Steam consumption is published per model, so the utility load can be checked against your boiler before you order.
- The circuit is cleaned in place, so there is no daily dismantling.
Delivery, packing and installation
- Lead time
- Standard models 20 days; custom builds 20 days; complete lines 40–45 days
- Packing
- Fumigated wooden crates carrying the IPPC mark
- Incoterms
- EXW or FOB Qingdao
- Documents
- Commercial invoice, packing list, certificate of origin, material certificate, English operation manual and drawings
- Installation
- Our engineers travel to site. Typical on-site installation and commissioning is 4 days. Travel and accommodation are covered by the buyer.
- Training
- Delivered on site during commissioning: operation, routine maintenance, and a working session on your process flow.
- Warranty
- 2 years on structural parts (tanks, frames, pipework and fabricated assemblies). 1 year on electrical and electronic components (motors, controls, sensors, PLC and HMI). Excludes misuse, incorrect installation, operation outside specified conditions, lack of maintenance and normal wear parts.
Information we need to quote
- What product, and at what fat content?
- Litres per hour, and hours per day?
- What heat treatment temperature and hold time does your local regulation require?
- What is your boiler capacity in kg of steam per hour?
- Local voltage and frequency?
- Chilled water availability and temperature?
- Where does the treated product go next — filling, a tank, or fermentation?
Questions buyers ask
How do I check whether my boiler is big enough?
Compare its output in kilograms of steam per hour against the steam consumption listed for the model you are considering — 220 kg/h for the 1,000 L/h system up to 2,000 kg/h for the 10,000 L/h system. If your boiler also serves CIP or other equipment, add those loads. Undersized steam shows up as temperature fluctuation and repeated flow diversion, not as an obvious failure.
Plate or tubular — which should I choose?
Plate exchangers give more heat transfer area in less space and cost less for the same duty, which suits clean, low-viscosity milk. Tubular exchangers handle viscous products and products with particulates without blocking and run longer between cleans, but take more space and cost more. If your product range may expand into thicker products later, that is worth deciding now.
What is a holding section and why does its length matter?
It is the section where product stays at temperature for the required time. Its length is calculated from your flow rate: at a higher flow rate product passes through faster, so the section must be longer to give the same hold time. This is why a system cannot simply be run above its rated capacity — the temperature would still be reached, but the hold time would be too short.
Can it be built for 60 Hz supply?
Yes. Voltage and frequency are specified per order, and motors, control components and heating elements are selected accordingly. Confirm your local supply when you enquire — converting after delivery means changing parts.
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