In the film clip from the plant manufacturer GEA, you can see an example of a machine for the industrial production of juice and smoothies. This is not product advertising, but is intended to give you insights into how an interest in smoothie production can become an idea for studies or a profession.
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This is what happens in the individual processing steps:
- The fruits are transported by a rotating spiral, a so-called eccentric screw pump, and are squeezed by the narrowing passages to create a fruit pulp.
- The fruit pulp enters the inside of a perforated tube, which is inserted into a second tube. A vacuum is applied to the outside, causing the juice to be drawn outwards through the holes and then flow to a filling plant.
- The residues (mainly peel, core housing) remain inside the perforated tube and are transported to the discharge opening of the plant. There they fall into a waste container.
The special feature of the plant is that the juicing takes place under vacuum. No air oxygen comes into contact with the fruits, thus preventing oxidation, i.e., the browning of the fruits and juice. You can find more details about the browning of fruits in the experiment Lemon Magic or the associated explanation.
As an engineer, you can plan, manufacture, or sell such plants.
Sales engineers are in direct contact with customers, inquire about their wishes and ideas, and show them what technical solutions are available and what they cost.
Design engineers plan the plants, especially when it comes to larger plants and new concepts, as in the case of the innocent factory, which we present here. Here, the question might not only be how the juice is extracted from the fruits, but also, for example, where the energy for it comes from.
Manufacturing engineers are responsible for the smooth production of the components.
In your studies, you will learn about various manufacturing processes and how to calculate the plants for them. This ranges from pumps, mixers, and heat exchangers to possibly wind turbines. Natural sciences play a major role. For example, you need physics and mathematics to assess and calculate the forces acting in the individual process steps. Chemical and biological knowledge is important for shelf life, but also for material selection. After all, the plant in which the juice is produced should not rust!