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Surface Roughness and Cleanability: Evaluating the Impact of Magnetic Abrasive Finishing on Dairy Equipment

Research Abstract

Stainless steel tubes and pipes are vital in dairy processing but require frequent cleaning, leading to notable energy consumption and environmental impact. This study delves into the cleanability of wet milk deposits at temperatures of 40°C and 60°C on an exceptionally smooth internal surface achieved through magnetic abrasive finishing (MAF) with a surface roughness of 0.01 μm Ra. We compare this surface with non-MAF tubes having surface roughness values of 0.37 and 3.7 μm Ra. To assess cleaning effectiveness, the study measured milk and protein residue removal after deposition and cleaning processes, employing a cleaning solution flow pattern at Reynolds numbers (Re) of 659–1318. Results indicate that smoother surfaces, particularly those with roughness values of 0.01 and 0.37 μm Ra, significantly enhance cleanability at 40°C. This leads to reductions (p < 0.05) of 34.5% and 22.6% for milk deposits and 27.9% and 22.7% for protein deposits, respectively, compared to tube surfaces with a roughness level of 3.7 μm Ra. These findings underscore the potential of highly smooth surfaces to improve cleanability below protein denaturation temperatures. Furthermore, the MAF tube with a roughness of 0.01 μm Ra exhibited nonsignificant reductions of 15.4% and 6.7% compared to the 0.37 μm Ra surface. The smoothing effect on the cleanability of milk and protein deposits was enhanced compared with the higher temperature condition. By addressing the challenges of routine cleaning, the study highlights MAF as a technology that optimizes surface quality in dairy processing equipment, addressing environmental and energy-related concerns.

Research Authors
Ikko Ihara, Hiroki Tokuda, John K. Schueller, Israa M. A. Mohamed, Yushi Sakamoto, Kiyohiko Toyoda, Kazutaka Umetsu, Hitomi Yamaguchi
Research Date
Research Department
Research Journal
Journal of Food Process Engineering i
Research Member
Research Pages
e70106
Research Publisher
Wiely
Research Rank
4
Research Vol
48
Research Website
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/jfpe.70106
Research Year
2025