Outsourcing UHT pilot plant
Saves time and resources with small-scale trials
Fail fast and cheap on your new developments. Bring your ideas to life in small batches: no compromises, no waste. Fine-tune your formulations on-site while our expert technicians operate the plant for you.
Contact with AlifarmaRisk-free innovation, immediate results
Testing in a UHT pilot plant allows experimentation with small batches, which reduces costs and risks, and makes it easier to fine-tune the process before large-scale production. In contrast, moving directly to mass production involves greater risk and cost, as any errors affect large volumes and are difficult to correct.
UHT pilot plant | Large-scale production |
---|---|
Low cost and low risk | High cost and significant risk if failures occur |
High flexibility. Allows for quick adjustments and iterative testing | Low flexibility. Requires costly downtime for adjustment |
Allows for validation and quality adjustment in a controlled environment | Errors have a large impact due to scale volumes. |
Ideal for beverage manufacturers and liquid applications




Milkshakes and milk-based drinks
Vegetable drinks
Non-carbonated beverages
Low viscosity creams and sauces
Broths
Innovate at low cost in our pilot test plant
Share your challenges with us and we will help you find the best solution for your case.
Contact AlifarmaA complete service adapted to your needs
Personalised study and planning
We perform a matrix evaluation and define the technical parameters to be used in the treatment, as well as establish a schedule for testing. This stage ensures that every aspect of the process is organised according to the specific requirements of the trial and allows optimising the implementation of the next steps.
Execution and monitoring of tests
We carry out the pre-configuration and parameterisation of the UHT plant in direct or indirect treatment mode, including the homogenisation process. Then, we proceed with the sterilisation of the plant, the preparation of the samples, the UHT processing, the packaging of the products and finally the exhaustive cleaning of the equipment used in the test, guaranteeing the quality and safety of the whole process.
Evaluation of results and submission of prototypes
We prepare a detailed report describing the results obtained in the tests. As a final step, the samples are packaged and shipped, either refrigerated or non-refrigerated, for further analysis or use according to the needs defined in the initial plan, thus concluding the process with a comprehensive evaluation.
Technical characteristics
Production capacity of 20 litres/h
- Min. and max. volume per batch: 10 l - 30 l.
- 50 l max. production per 8 h day.
- Estimated wastage per batch processed: 5 l.
UHT heat treatment (from 2'' to 5')
- Direct UHT: Steam injection up to 150°C.
- Indirect UHT: Tubular heat exchanger up to 150°C.
Mixing tank
- Temperature control with jacket: 4-90ºC.
- High agitation mixer (up to 23500 rpm).
- Blade mixer with low agitation (up to 2500 rpm).
Two-stage homogeniser
- Up to 600 bar.
- Possibility of downstream / upstream* use.
* Indirect UHT only
Packaging booth
- In the format provided by the client.
- Under hygienic conditions.

Frequently asked questions about the UHT outsourcing service
What kind of product can you process?
The plant accepts low viscosity liquid applications (max. 2000cps) and soft particles of max. 2mm. In any case, we evaluate the matrix before processing.
What are the minimums and current formulations?
The minimum batch with which the plant can operate is 10l, but a loss of 5l per batch must be taken into account due to the dilution of the product in water within the circuit (2.5l at the beginning and 2.5l at the end).
What kind of packaging is possible?
Our standard format is in a transparent PET bottle of 1l, non-sterile, although we adapt to the majority of formats that you provide us with.
What shelf life can be given to the product?
The plant has a hygienic (with positive pressure and HEPA filter), but not aseptic packaging cabinet, so we recommend keeping the samples obtained refrigerated and evaluating their condition after a maximum of 1 week.
When could I start testing with you?
We are agile to be able to start as soon as possible, although this depends on several factors: availability of the plant and of the raw materials that you can provide or that we have to request, the number of tests to plan, the need to be present or not during the tests and depending on the complexity of the samples and their evaluation time.
What is the cost of outsourcing the UHT pilot plant?
We make customised quotations but basically it will depend on the size of the batches, the number of tests and the need of supplying or not the basic and/or complementary raw materials that the project requires.