Pasta production plant

2.1 introductions

Quality pasta starts with high-quality raw materials. Durum wheat is perfect for pasta because
of its distinct color, flavor, and cooking properties. Pasta is made by combining durum wheat
semolina with water, extruding it, and drying it. It adds a significant amount of carbohydrates
and protein to the diet while being low in fat. Kinds of pasta are also a good source of vitamins
like B vitamins and folic acid. Because of its nutritional composition, pasta can be included in a
balanced diet, particularly for diabetics due to its low glycemic index.

Mixing, extrusion, drying, and packaging are all critical steps in the creation of a shelf-stable,
high-quality product. The process's goal is to generate a high-quality product by utilizing
equipment and techniques that assure homogeneous mixing and consistent drying. This
maintains the pasta's gluten network, ensuring cooking quality and assisting in the production of
a uniform, strong product. The ultimate product's quality will reflect the procedure by keeping it
well, rehydrating consistently, preserving its shape, and generating a pleasant cooked product
that the consumer will like.

Pastas are roughly classified as short or long pasta, with differences in how they are pre-dried
and cured. Because of the smaller surface area, short pasta needs a shaking pre-dryer and
reduced drying time. Long pasta is pre-dried by a blast of air, and because of its bigger surface
area, it requires more time and more drying cycles. During the drying stage, take the following
actions. Pre-drying, drying, and cooling are the three stages of drying. Short-cut pasta and long-
cut pasta are the two forms of pasta based on the length and other quality factors.

2.2 Long-cut pasta

Long pasta products require the best-grade durum semolina. It must be free of impurities and
brilliant yellow. Long items, such as spaghetti, are popular in markets all around the world.

2.2.1 Pasta Ingredients

Pasta is a combination of semolina (ground endosperm of high-quality, hard durum wheat),

water, and salt. When pasta is cooked, durum wheat helps it retain its structure and shape.
Water and semolina are commonly blended at a 25-30 kg water/100kg dry semolina ratio.
Following the combination, the stiff dough is made.

2.2.2 Process explanation

Pasta ingredients are combined using three processes: mixing, kneading, and extruding.

A volumetric doser controls the flow of inputs into the mixer because its outputs are precise and
steady.
Dosing device

The wheat, which is stored in tankers or silos in the milling room, will be transported by
pneumatic system to the dosing unit in the pasta processing plant, where it will be introduced to
the pre-mixer via a flour dosing unit equipped with a cyclone with overflow and underflow
detecting sensors. If there is an overflow or underflow during processing, these sensors will
sound an alarm. An airlock is inserted in the cyclone to prevent air from going down to the pre-
mixer via a screw-conveying feeder. The speed of the conveyer that introduces the flour into the
pre-mixer controls the flour feeding.

The water dosing unit is responsible for ensuring that the correct proportion of water enters the
pre-mixer. It has a cylinder and a dosing plenum chamber and is coupled to a dosing pump to
pump up water. The temperature and pressure gauges, as well as the flow meter, will ensure
that the water has the appropriate characteristics before entering for mixing. The boiler room
will send water to the dosing unit at 40-50 degrees Celsius.

Pre-mixer
In a mixer, combine the semolina flour and water until the dough is suitably hydrated and
homogeneous. It normally aids the dough-making process by equally combining water
and flour.
• A flour screw conveyor to ensure a steady flow to the mixer; • A mixer with paddle
shaft and water injectors for quick and regular flour imbibition from the start of the
operational cycle.
The complete group is comprised of stainless steel and is vacuum sealed.

Mixing in the tank

in the next stage, the mixture is fed into the mixer. The mixer first removes air bubbles
from the dough. A vacuum chamber is used in the pasta presses to eliminate air bubbles
from the pasta before it is pressed.

extruding. Small bubbles will form in the pasta if the air is not eliminated prior to
extrusion, reducing mechanical strength and giving the end product a white, chalky look.

For 16-18 minutes, the dough is stirred in a dual-shaft mixing chamber. To prevent the
dough from clumping into a ball, each shaft will turn in opposite directions, a non-centric
movement. A second water mixing mechanism is installed near the mixing tank.

Extrusion Group

An extruder is a machine that kneads and shapes the pasta. The extruder has many zones
that are involved in transporting, compacting, kneading, relaxing, and extruding the
dough. When the hydrated semolina mixture enters the extruder, it makes first contact
with the extrusion screw. The compression group with vacuum seal is orthogonal to the
mixing through the tank and consists of a carbon steel cylinder with an exterior stainless
steel jacket for the circulation of heating/cooling water. The screw is uncovered so that
the semolina mixture from the mixer can be put directly onto the screw as it revolves.

The compacted hydrated semolina is carried from the screw into the extrusion barrel. Pressure
is increased from 0 to 2 MPa to aid in the transformation of hydrated granular semolina into a
compacted dough. The temperature rises during compaction due to friction between the dough,
screw, and barrel walls. Friction is required to compress and transport the dough along the
channel. A heated water jacket engulfs the extrusion barrel, removing surplus heat and keeping
the temperature of the dough and barrel at around 45°C. Anything above 50°C will denature the
proteins and inhibit gluten matrix production, hence the ideal temperature for pasta extrusion is
between 45°C and 50°C. As a result, a soft and sticky substance is created. Using a cold water
jacket instead of a warm one will cause the dough and barrel to cool too quickly, resulting in
unsatisfactory dough viscosity.

The extrusion auger, in addition to pushing the dough through the die, homogenizes the dough,
regulates the production pace, and influences the overall quality of the final product. After being
compacted, the dough continues to move along the extrusion screw, where it kneads by flowing
forward and being driven back by pressure forces. The screw's directed movement allows the
gluten molecules in the dough to stretch and line up. However, the flow rate of the dough as it
passes down the extrusion screw changes, resulting in irregular dough formation. at promote
dough homogeneity, a kneading plate is attached at the screw's end.

The dough is then transferred to the extension tube, which is only used to extrude long pasta,
such as spaghetti. The dough is given a brief rest before entering the die in the extension tube.
When the dough reaches the end of the extension tube, it is considered fully grown.

Head block group- is an extrusion group's head that includes the head cylinder, pre-die, filter,
die, and head ventilation. Pre-die is used at the start of the shaping process to give the dough a
cylindrical shape.

The dough is next filtered through a filter with extremely tiny sieves to remove solid and large
particles.

The pasta is shaped with a die. To avoid reaction due to high pressure, the shaping part of the
die is coated with plastic. For die change, the head group has an oleo dynamic cylinder with a
one-way push and pull action.

Head ventilation

The head ventilation system heats the steel plates, known as finned batteries, with a hot
water circulation system, and an air ventilator circulates air via a pipe to heat the pasta as it
exits the die to prevent sticking.

The Spreader: Once the dough has been formed and given the required shape by the
rectangular die, a one-of-a-kind unit known as the spreader will lay it out on synchronized sticks.
When the finished product emerges from the die, the spreader receives the long spaghetti
stands and distributes and trims them into consistent lengths. Some waste is produced as a
result of the uneven flow of material from the die. The scrap return system simply collects and
returns scrap to the mixer. The spaghetti that is still adhered to the sticks is transferred to the
dryer.

lower cutters set

After being loaded onto the stick, the pasta does not have a constant length at the bottom tip.
the lower cutters' group

Check that the pasta is uniform in length so that it may be dried and dried evenly. It contains
two razor-sharp blades that move horizontally in opposite directions. Because the blades are
fixed in place, each pasta curtain is the same length and appearance.

Group for Scrap Recovery

The spaghetti was chopped off by the lower cutter blades and placed in the belt below. The belt
collects the scrap and deposits it on the pneumatic scrap recovery equipment. The mechanism
sends the scrap to the mixer to be blended.

The stick return group is in charge of restoring the unloaded stick to its original location. It works
as part of the processing line.

cooling and drying unit

The most difficult and critical stage in the production of pasta is drying. The purpose of drying is
to lower the moisture content of the pasta from roughly 31% to 12%.

to 13%, guaranteeing that the finished product is hard, retains its shape, and can be kept
without spoiling.

There are three sections to the drying unit. The first step is pre-drying, followed by the first-
degree drying area and then the second-degree drying area. The drying temperature and
relative humidity increases are critical drying parameters.
After the drying the dried pasta has to cool down to get it packed. The curtain has to pass the
connection unit to get to the cooling area.

A multitude of centrifugal fans, radiators, and baffles that may be heated or cooled with hot or
cold water are used in the drying and cooling processes of this machine. The radiator is heated
by hot water that arrives at 120 degrees Celsius and returns at 110 degrees Celsius. Centrifugal
fans were then used to disperse the heated air across the area. The baffles are a cliff-like
structure that attaches to the ground, allowing air to circulate and even disperse throughout the
room. The cooling process is identical to the heating process, with the exception that the air is
cooled rather than heated.

Each drying and cooling unit contains five radiators.

Pre-drying
Pre-drying hardens the pasta's outside surface while keeping the interior soft and flexible.
Moisture gradients form from the exterior to the interior of the pasta because the exterior
dries faster than the interior. However, if the pasta is dried too quickly, it will shatter,
resulting in a poor appearance and very little mechanical strength. As a result, it is critical
to guarantee that the temperature performs exactly as expected and supports the second
phase.

1 st degree drying

This machine offers a stable temperature and humidity to distribute moisture from within
to the outside.

evenly. Because of the pre-drying, the pasta was only dried on the outside. As a result,
the water within had to escape without compromising quality, and the only way to do so
was to stretch the spaghetti curtain over time.
In other words, the drying temperature must be low enough to prevent surface drying,
which closes the openings for the remaining water to move through capillary action and
evaporate.

However, if pasta is dried too slowly, it might deteriorate or mold while drying.

As a result, the settling is required to be done at exact times, temperatures, and humidity
levels.

2nd degree drier

The pasta is now ready to be moistened to the appropriate level. The spaghetti curtain
will have a moisture content of 13–15% at this point since the water inside is exposed on
the surface. The pasta will then be prepared for cooling after this equipment does the final
drying process.

the cooling system

Before packaging, the pasta must cool to room temperature after drying. chilly water

Create a cold climate around the unit, which is subsequently transferred to the cutting and
packaging area after being fanned around by the fan for a while. During the cooling
process, the moisture level of the product reduces from 11.1 to 13.2% to 10 to 12.5%.

Packaging

After the pasta has cooled, the belts of the stripping saw unit are released. An operator
will be present at this plant to oversee and evaluate the quality of the pasta. The pasta will
enter the striping saw through number, the stick will pass through at, and the pasta will be
loaded onto the conveyer belt at, as illustrated in the diagram below. The belt has the
ability to move in both directions. Depending on the operator's appraisal of the product's
quality, it moves to the left as a full product with a lesser level of standard, or to the right
cutter. The pasta cutter has three blades that cut it in half. One to cut the top tip, one to
cut the bottom tip, and one to divide it in half.

The packaging machine is outfitted with weighing and scaling equipment. Pasta will also
be weighed and forced through a cylindrical sealing film-covered tube. Furthermore, the
pasta in the sealing film will roll through the air-supported hot blade cutter. It is a
continuous, chained process. The pasta will then be packaged and placed in immediate
storage.
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