KOUKAKIS FARM

The efficient dairy
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Koukakis-Factory

The challenge

The creation of an exemplary Dairy plant, producing pure, natural, delicious, and high quality products.

The evolution of the plant, following the company’s growth, and with full commitment to Return On Investment.

The Outcome

A modern plant, which ensures complete control and a full range of pure and high quality products. A unit that works efficiently and productively making significant inroads in demanding markets!

Sector manager

Panagiotis Zinoviadis
e-mail: P.Zinoviadis@ashellas.com

Short Description

From the beginning, Koukakis Farm has invested in infrastructure and has continuously developed its production process.

Since 2005, AS Hellas has been collaborating with KOUKAKIS FARM, designing all production lines, installing mechanical equipment, and automating production processes. The Koukakis factory in Kilkis, with a strict commitment to safety, quality, and the best use of available resources, processes over 25 million liters of milk a year in a fully automated plant.

Project Description

In the area of Kato Apostoli in the prefecture of Kilkis, a small business miracle has been carefully built over the last few years. The KOUKAKIS FARM, evolves with well-planned investments, into a modern and efficient dairy industry that is gaining market share in Greece and exports its products to many demanding markets in Europe. The company uses milk that comes exclusively from local Greek cows, and it is picked, pasteurized and packaged daily. Since its inception, despite its small size, Koukakis Farm has invested in infrastructure and has continuously developed its production process.

Since 2005, AS Hellas has been collaborating with KOUKAKIS FARM, designing all production lines, installing mechanical equipment, and automating production processes.

The primary challenge for AS Hellas was to monitor the company’s growth and to improve and expand existing facilities, with no downtime, in line with the needs of a rapidly growing company.

The result more than justifies the effort by creating a state-of-the-art factory.

KOUKAKIS FARM produces a wide range of products, and that creates the need for a flexible and efficient unit to optimize the equipment’s operating time. Specifically:

  • Fresh milk
  • Fresh milk cream
  • Fresh chocolate milk
  • Yogurt (Strained, Set, and Traditional)
  • Ariani, Kefir
  • Yogurt with fruits
  • Rice Pudding
  • Vanilla cream, chocolate cream
  • Fruit juices

The Company

In the area of Kato Apostoli in the prefecture of Kilkis, a small business miracle has been carefully built over the last few years. The KOUKAKIS FARM, evolves with well-planned investments, into a modern and efficient dairy industry.

Technical Solution

The raw milk is transported with special isothermal-stainless milk transport tanks and comes to the factory entrance. After being examined by the Quality Control Department, it is approved, cooled and stored in the raw milk storage tanks. The pasteurization conditions that will be followed vary depending on the final product. More specifically:

Fresh milk and fresh choco milk: From the raw milk tanks, the milk is poured into the pasteurization unit, and after that, it goes to bottling where it is packaged in various packages, according to the fat content. The famous Koukakis fresh choco milk, after going through the mixing section, follows a similar route to bottling. AS Hellas’s automation system handles the safe routing and the entire automated production process of fresh milk.

Fermented products:

Pasteurized milk intended for fermented products (Yogurt, Ayran, Kefir) is transferred to the incubators where the fermentation takes place. With the help of special “good” micro-organisms, lactose is converted to lactic acid, and the result is this particular sour taste characteristic of all fermentation products. Pipe networks and automatic pneumatic valves make sure yogurt is sent to different packaging destinations as planned.

Cleaning in Place (CIP)

Particular care and attention have been given to the process of cleaning the production lines. Cleaning and sanitation of the processing plant are among the most critical aspects of food processing, as it ensures consumer health and safety. Proper cleaning is essential to produce high-quality products with longer shelf life.

For the more efficient cleaning of production lines, Koukakis Farm uses a combination of complete automated CIP systems. The combination of central CIP (CENTRASIP) and local CIP in independent, decentralized units (CIPLAS) ensures the correct hygiene of the installation. The equipment is cleaned after each use and disinfected before each new use.

AS Hellas’s extensive know-how in the construction of automated CIP systems ensures more efficient use of chemicals, low water consumption and minimize energy and detergent losses.

The Plant’s automation

The entire factory is controlled and monitored centrally by the production control room. The central SCADA system (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) guarantees the quality of the final product as it controls all production processes and all cleaning operations It also records and stores production information, with full traceability in the past. The central SCADA system incorporates through visual imaging the entire installation and simple commands the following:

  • All production functions of the plant
  • The CIP operation and the central dosing of chemicals
  • The operation of all the auxiliary installations (boiler room, airstrip, chiller room, incubation chambers, refrigerator)

At the same time, it can create specific management reports with production data, as well as a complete history of production operations and processes.

Gallery

Today

The Koukakis factory in Kilkis, with a strict commitment to safety, quality, and the best use of available resources, processes over 25 million liters of milk a year in a fully automated plant. Despite the adverse economic environment, the company has an impressive performance. For those who know the company and its people, it comes as no surprise. All these years, the people of Koukakis Farm have faithfully followed the unique recipe for success. Vision, faith, perseverance, and dedication. These are the exact values that AS Hellas adheres to as well!

“Since 2005, Automation System Hellas designs and manufactures production lines and equipment for Koukakis Farm, and automates the production processes creating a state of the art plant”

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Reg. Num. 058349504000
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