IDM ¦ Technology/IT
Perfect system,
perfect flavor
Zott uses Sistar control system
For many people, not only in Germany,
the brand name Zott is associated
with very enjoyable moments.
Among the products the
company produces at its Mertingen
plant are desserts and yoghurts, which
are more than just delicious treats – the
company is also justifiably proud of the
high quality of its multiple award-winning
products. Zott has a modern automation
environment and imposes strict controls to
ensure that every individual product meets
the highest demands. The Sistar control
system is part of the automation landscape
in Mertingen. It has intelligent functions to
support efficient control and optimization
of the company's processes.
The history of the Zott Gourmet Dairy
began where the headquarters of this family
business are still located today: in Mertingen,
a small town some 30 km north of Augsburg
The small country dairy that the husband
A passion for pleasure: The best raw materials and ingredients, aprecisely
controlled process and painstaking checks guarantee the high quality of
every individual product
and wife team of Anna and Balthasar Reiter
purchased in 1926 has today become one of
the leading dairies in Europe, with production
plants in Germany and Poland. Here in
Mertingen alone, up to 2.5 million liters of
milk are delivered each and every day during
the high season. In three lines, tankers deliver
the milk from some 4,000 farmers contracted
to Zott SE & Co. KG as well as from
other selected suppliers. About half the milk
goes to the cheese factory at the location,
whereas the other half is further processed
into yoghurts and desserts.
An evolved system
environment
The nerve center of the yoghurt and dessert
production processes is the control room,
where Patrick Linder and his colleagues
track the path of the milk from reception
through to packaging. Linder said, “We
check and start the jobs, observe the process,
and respond to malfunctions.” Without
an appropriate degree of automation,
he and his colleagues simply could not manage
the quantities involved, some of which
are enormous. He added, “On 6 filling lines
in building section 12 alone, we can fill up
to 234,000 beakers of yoghurt or dessert
per hour. We therefore have to keep the entire
process under continuous observation.”
Author: Jürgen Speck, Marketing Manager BRAUMAT/SISTAR, Siemens AG
24 · January/February 2021 ¦ international-dairy.com
/international-dairy.com
