Industry Served

Dairy

Overview

Our dairy chillers are equipped for on-demand chilling, jacketed milk tank cooling and energy conservation making them the best in the industry.

We bring industrial cooling capabilities straight to the farm! With over 50 years of experience delivering engineered solutions to the dairy industry, we have the knowledge and technical know-how to design the ideal dairy chiller for your operation. Our robust offerings provide precise and customizable temperature controls that work as hard to rapidly cool milk as you do to produce it. Most off-the-shelf chillers take a one-size-fits-all approach and simply can’t keep up with the rigorous needs of a dairy farm. However, our reliable solutions are built with your operation in mind to keep production going strong.

Brochure

Download our Dairy Chillers Brochure

How dairy chillers work

After the milk pumps into refrigerated tanks, our industrial-grade dairy chillers use process cooling to remove heat from your dairy equipment that’s generated during the pasteurization process. Our chillers also work efficiently to cool the milk down to the precise temperature required to preserve milk, ensure safety, and increase shelf life.

Our dairy chillers are considered plate chillers, which use glycol and water to cool milk. Here’s an overview of how the process works:

The chiller funnels milk through stainless steel plates
Milk arrives on the other side of the chiller, where a glycol and water mixture await
The glycol and water mixture cool milk to the appropriate temperature

Products

Our dairy chillers

We have several air-cooled and water-cooled dairy chillers that are custom-ready or in-stock and available for quick shipping. We can also engineer a customized dairy chiller based on the specifications required for your dairy operation.

Air-cooled & water-cooled dairy chillers

Air-cooled dairy chillers use ambient air to remove heat from your dairy processes. They can help you save energy, space, and money when part of a quick installation package. Our water-cooled chillers use water from an external cooling tower to remove heat from your dairy processes. These systems have a relatively long lifespan and tend to operate quieter than air-cooled units.

If you’re not sure whether air-cooled or water-cooled dairy chillers are right for your farm’s processes, contact us to determine the best solution.

Our dairy chiller product line includes:

Scroll

Air- and water-cooled
1 – 60 hp

Tandem Scroll

Air- and water-cooled
28 – 120 hp

Semi-Hermetic

Air- and water-cooled
10 – 100 hp

Screw

Air- and water-cooled
80 – 214 hp

Additional dairy chiller products include:

Remote condenser systems – These systems allow you to separate the condenser from the compressor so that they’re located in two different areas.
Tank & pump packages – Available in polyethylene or stainless-steel tanks, our tank and pump packages range from 30 – 30,000 gallons to meet your dairy’s needs.

Why Choose Drake Chillers?

3 Reasons to choose an industrial-grade dairy chiller

1. Stronger performance

Standard dairy chillers don’t have the same built-in industrial-grade performance mechanisms to deliver the heavy-duty strength you need for your rugged dairy processes. They efficiently cool your dairy equipment with the temperature precision and unsurpassed reliability required to maximize output and profitability.

2. Tighter temperature control

A standard comfort chiller isn’t built to give you precise temperature control you need like an efficient industrial-grade dairy chiller. Our on-demand chilling and jacketed milk tank cooling helps you achieve the temperatures you need for high-performance dairy processing.

3. Year-round performance

For reliable, year-round performance, an off-the-shelf chiller can’t stand up to industrial-grade dairy chillers. While standard chillers may perform well in warmer months, they can’t keep up when the weather turns colder. Our year-round performing dairy chillers can keep your farm operations going, no matter the season.

Farm-favorite dairy chillers

Pact 180d-zD standard nano dairy chiller

This packaged air-cooled 20 hp dual-circuit digital scroll unit with tank includes such standard features as an MCS Magnum microprocessor, stainless steel brazed plate evaporator, long-lasting digital scroll compressor, and a full refrigerant charge for hassle-free and more efficient installation. Customize this dairy chiller with a variety of available options, including controls, stainless steel pumps, fluid piping upgrades, an extended warranty, and low ambient protection down to -20°F.

Pac 400d-S STANDARD medium DAIRY CHILLEr

This packaged air-cooled 40 hp dual-circuit semi-hermetic unit system includes a simple and standalone microprocessor control, stainless steel brazed plate evaporator, industry-leading semi-hermetic compressors, flow switch, and a full refrigerant charge that makes installation quick and easy. We can also customize this dairy chiller with options such as remote access and monitoring services, electrical upgrades, stainless steel pumps, hot gas bypass, and an extended warranty.

PAC 1000D-T STANDARD large DAIRY CHILLER

This packaged air-cooled 100 hp dual-circuit semi-hermetic system has microprocessor control, fully insulated stainless steel brazed plate evaporator, industry-leading semi-hermetic compressor, rust-resistant properties, compressor vibration elimination to reduce noise, and more. You can also customize and upgrade the controls, electrical options, fluid piping, and add other options to suit your dairy operation.

Features & benefits of our dairy chillers

Our extensive experience working with dairy farmers gives us a unique understanding of the demanding farming conditions you face, which allows us to design dairy chillers that can take the heat. When you choose our chillers, you’ll join farmers across the country who enjoy the many features and benefits we provide, including:

On-demand chilling

Our large scale, industrial-grade dairy chillers are designed to reach proper milk temperature in a single pass without the need for storage tanks. Just one pass helps reduce the cooling time and extends the milk shelf life.

No storage tanks needed
Less cooling time
Extends milk shelf life

Easy to maintain

We know you’re busy running your operation, which is why we offer cleanable plate and frame heat exchangers as well as precision-controlled glycol tanks that will help make short work of even the biggest dairy job.

Easy-to-clean plate and frame heat exchangers
Precision-controlled glycol tanks
Spend less time on regular maintenance

Reduced refrigerant loss

Thanks to the jacketed milk tank cooling capabilities embedded in our dairy chillers, there’s no need for long runs of refrigerant piping. These glycol jacketed tanks work hard to reduce the risk and expense of losing refrigerant to the environment, making our chillers more productive and efficient.

Shorter refrigerant piping runs
Reduce refrigerant loss
Save on operation costs

Redundancy options

Our glycol dairy chillers offer a variety of redundancy options to ensure your milk is always chilled when you need it. From multiple refrigeration circuits with standard lead-lag control to auto-changeover pumps, we design units that will keep your processes running smoothly.

Milk stays chilled
Allows for continuous processing
Choose the best redundancy option for your operation

Energy conservation

The operating cost of dairy chillers is just as important as the initial expense. We have economical solutions that reduce energy output and minimize operational costs with options, such as variable frequency drives (VFDs), EC fan motors, and heat reclamation. With multiple refrigerant circuits or digital compressors, our dairy chillers are intelligent enough to work less while also getting the job done right. In the end, the more energy you save, the more money you earn.

Lower energy output
Lower operational costs
Increased profitability

Dairy chiller customization options

Our robust line of industrial-grade dairy chillers is custom-capable so that you can choose the options you want to maximize your dairy output and efficiency. To help us engineer a customized solution specifically for your operations, choose from these options:

Redundancy options

With full or partial redundancy options, you’ll have the cooling capacity you need for your dairy operation.

Our redundancy options include:

Full capacity redundancy
Full electrical isolation
Dual- or multi-circuit units
Auto-changeover redundant pumps

Heat exchanger and tank

Our dairy chillers come with on-board or remote tank and pump packages that lend flexibility so that you can choose the best heat exchanger option for you, with customizations such as:

Fluid level sight glass
Tank low-level indicator with alarm
Variable frequency drive (VFD) on pumps
Custom tank fittings

Variable-capacity control

Our dairy chillers allow you to control the rate of change so that your system is thoroughly optimized for performance and modulation.

Our other variable capacity control options include:

Up to six stages of capacity control to handle the varying load throughout the milking process
Hot gas bypass
Compressor unloading for capacity and pressure control
Recirculation tank design to isolate and protect your dairy chiller from process variation
Pump control to ensure proper milk temperature during all load conditions

Custom controls

Our engineers have the technical expertise to custom program the controls on your dairy chiller for tighter system control. Our custom controls options include:

MCS microcontroller upgrade with remote login access
Central control for multiple units
On-board or remote touchscreen options
Email and text alerts available in case of alarm

Energy-efficiency options

A high-performing dairy chiller will operate efficiently and conserve energy at the same time, saving energy and costs. Choose from our many energy-efficiency options for your dairy chiller:

EC condenser fan motors that save energy and stabilize refrigerant pressures
Electronic expansion valves (EEVs)
Floating head pressure for efficient cooling in temperatures under 95°F
Heat reclaim options for hot water loop or hot liquor tank (HLT)
Pump variable frequency drive (VFD) for lower energy consumption

More custom options

Beyond these customizations, we can engineer a solution based on your preferences and operational needs. Other ways to customize your dairy chiller include:

Digital flow meters
Circuit breakers for electrical components
Low ambient temperature protection
Phase monitor
Fused disconnect
Corrosion resistance options
Plate and frame dairy heat exchanger

Support & Manuals

Customize Your Own Dairy Chiller

Choose us for dairy chillers

We have decades of experience helping farmers like you optimize their dairy operations with robust engineered chiller solutions. We have what it takes to keep your processes working as hard – if not harder – than you’d expect.

Reasons to choose us for dairy chillers:

40+ years of experience
Proven 99.4% uptime rate
Robust, custom-capable product line
Proudly manufactured in the USA in Bensalem, PA
Short lead times
Customer and technical support

No matter where your farming operation is located, you can find our dairy chillers through most refrigeration wholesalers throughout the country. Start by requesting a quote or call 215-638-5515 to talk with our engineers about the best dairy chiller for your operation.