Hygienic automated bagging line with CIP for dehydrated yeast (powder & flakes)

Client objectives

As part of its industrial optimisation strategy, a producer of dehydrated yeast in powder and flake form aimed to significantly reduce the cleaning time of its bagging line. Previously, two operators had to completely dismantle the line for a full cleaning every weekend. This operation required 4 hours of labour on Fridays and led to 2.5 days of machine downtime, resulting in substantial lost production time.

The product, highly sensitive to moisture and bacterial growth, demanded a bagging station meeting pharmaceutical-grade hygiene standards. It had to be packaged immediately upon leaving the drying line, with no intermediate storage. Avoiding any product retention was essential.

Key technical requirements

• Automated multi-format bagging (10, 15, and 25 kg): The line needed to enable flexible production with rapid format changes, without complex manual intervention or mechanical disassembly, ensuring high productivity.
• "Bag-in-box" cartoning integration: To reduce external contamination risks, ensure mechanical protection of the bag, and optimise transport and storage conditions, the solution required automatic cartoning. This packaging approach also provided a more hygienic and ergonomic final format, ready for use by industrial clients.
• Preservation of yeast flake texture: Given the product’s fragile nature, the packaging line needed to prevent compaction or heating. The filling system had to handle the product gently and precisely, avoiding free fall, thus preserving the physical integrity of the flakes while ensuring adequate bag density.
• Fully integrated Clean-in-Place (CIP) system: To maintain the highest hygiene standards, the line required an automated washing circuit including pre-rinse, alkaline/acid washing, and hot air drying. The aim was to resume production within ≤ 4 hours with no residual moisture or cross-contamination.
• High containment levels: To prevent powder dispersion, protect operators, and uphold strict hygiene levels, the installation needed containment features at each stage (sealing sleeves, enclosed filling zone, localised dust extraction), reducing dust emissions and complying with health and safety regulations.
• Centralised control with integrated traceability: The entire line had to be automated and operated via an ergonomic HMI interface, capable of managing product recipes, CIP cycles, data logging, maintenance alerts, and quality parameters.

Proposed solution by Palamatic Process

To meet the needs of this yeast-specialised manufacturer, Palamatic Process designed and installed a fully hygienic automated bagging line, directly connected to the outlet of the drying system. This layout enabled immediate packaging with no buffer storage, preserving the physical properties of the yeast, particularly the low hygroscopicity of the flakes.

The system is based on a bottom-up filling technology specifically adapted for delicate powders and fragile products. It fills bags from the bottom up, following the rising product level, thus avoiding free fall that could damage the flakes or generate dust. The bagging station includes a deaeration and progressive compaction device, ensuring consistent filling, excellent bag stability, and optimised packaging volume.

The bagger accommodates three formats (10, 15, and 25 kg), with easy format changes and no mechanical disassembly. To fulfil the bag-in-box requirement, an elevating conveyor was integrated. This module adjusts its height to the current configuration, allowing controlled bag placement inside the carton, without drop or stress on the contents, while ensuring full batch traceability.

The line was developed for strict hygienic environments. Around fifteen CIP nozzles are strategically positioned on critical zones to clean the entire station automatically. These are paired with a drying unit (closed loop with onboard filtration), allowing production restart within four hours post-cleaning, without residual moisture, a key factor in bacterial control.

The line is controlled via a user-friendly HMI, with visualisation of CIP cycles, product and bag recipes, production parameter logging, and full compatibility with the client’s quality protocols.

Palamatic Process equipment and advantages

Bottom-up progressive filling system

This system ensures clean, precise filling with no product degradation. Filling occurs from the bottom of the bag, matching the rising product level. This prevents free fall, minimises dust formation, and preserves the particle structure of fragile products.

Filling speed is automatically adjusted according to bag size (10, 15, or 25 kg), optimising throughput. The entire process is controlled with ±20 g dosing precision, ensuring consistency, quality, and minimal material loss.

Deaeration and compaction system

The filling station is fitted with two micro-perforated lances inserted directly into the product mass. These are connected to a high-efficiency vacuum generator that extracts residual air during filling.

This process ensures homogeneous product density inside the bag without altering its physical structure, particularly important for delicate flakes. Deaeration also improves transport stability, preventing air pockets and deformation.

Elevating conveyor for bag-in-box cartoning

This integrated conveyor plays a central role in secondary packaging, facilitating a smooth and hygienic transition from filling to final cartoning, while accommodating different bag formats.

• Automatically adjustable drop height: The motorised conveyor adjusts its vertical position in real time according to the bag (10, 15, or 25 kg) and carton height. This guarantees ergonomic operation, no manual intervention, and seamless adaptation to the site’s secondary packaging formats.
• Controlled placement with no drop or deformation: Filled bags are gently guided through a vertical funnel that directs them to the bottom of the carton without free fall. This preserves the bag’s shape, prevents sagging or damage, and ensures a clean, ergonomic presentation inside the box. The carton presence is automatically detected to avoid miscycles.
• Dual mode operation: bag-in-box or direct bagging: The conveyor supports two configurations for flexible operation.

Clean-in-Place (CIP) unit

The line integrates a fully automated CIP system with fixed nozzles located at all critical areas. The full cleaning cycle includes pre-rinse, alkaline wash, acid rinse, and filtered hot air drying (0.01 µm). Thanks to a 50 °C blower, production can resume just 4 hours after the cleaning cycle starts, with no residual moisture.

High-precision vertical screw dosing system

The vertical dosing screw with agitator provides accurate, consistent product feed, suitable for both fine powder and flake yeast. Its design prevents compaction and ensures controlled flow, even in the presence of residual moisture.

The screw mechanism is fully removable, enabling easy visual inspection, cleaning, or maintenance without disrupting production throughput.

Detection, quality, control and automation

The line is equipped with multiple in-line quality control systems to ensure compliance at each stage. These include:

• A high-sensitivity metal detector,
• A dynamic checkweigher for continuous weight verification,
• An industrial label applicator for batch identification,
• And an automatic reject conveyor for non-compliant items.

These systems guarantee full traceability, enhanced food safety, and consistent quality control throughout each production cycle.

Full integration

The installation is managed via a PLC and OPC/UA interface, ensuring seamless integration into supervisory systems aligned with Industry 4.0 standards.

All exposed areas are built to IP69K standard, offering robust durability and optimal hygiene in high-pressure washdown environments.