From Farm to Factory: How the RPS Supports Dairy Automation

In today’s dairy industry, accurate tank monitoring plays a vital role in maintaining quality, consistency, and food safety. From milk collection and pasteurization to cleaning systems, knowing exactly what’s happening inside your tanks helps prevent costly downtime and contamination.

At Automation Products Group, Inc. (APG) we understand the importance of hygienic design and reliable performance in dairy environments. Our RPS sanitary probe is designed for liquid level measurement in applications where cleanliness is paramount.

Why Level Sensors Matter in Dairy Processing

Liquid level sensors can monitor the level of liquid product in the tank. Knowing the precise levels inside each tank in real-time can help manage consistent product quality, prevent overfills and tanks running dry, optimize cleaning cycles, and reduce waste and improve efficiency.

Key Applications for the RPS Sanitary Probe:

• Milk collection tanks—Monitor milk volume during collection and storage
• Pasteurizing tanks—Ensure safe, consistent heating cycles
• Cleaning tanks for CIP chemicals—Manage chemical concentration and tank rinse levels

Continuous Level Indication

For measuring the levels inside tanks, you need something that delivers reliable measurement every time. The RPS sanitary probe monitors the levels inside your tanks and lets you know what the level is each time.

3-A Certified

The sanitary standards that come with 3-A certification ensure each RPS probe is designed with hygiene and food safety in mind.

With 3-A certification, all parts of the sensor that come into contact with the product are designed to reduce residue buildup, increasing up time and reducing cleaning time.

Smarter Pasteurization Temperature Monitoring

During pasteurization, temperature and liquid level control are essential. Traditional temperature sensors screwed in at the bottom of the tank can make cleaning or replacing the sensor time-consuming and expensive, often requiring the tank to be drained.

The RPS sanitary probe solves this with an integrated resistance temperature detector (RTD) inside the bottom of the probe itself.  When maintenance or replacement is required, this design allows you to pull the probe out from the top of the tank without draining the tank, saving valuable time and product while maintaining production uptime.

Chemical Level Monitoring for CIP Systems

While the RPS sanitary probe is itself a clean-out-of-place sensor, it can be used to monitor chemical levels upstream of your clean-in-place (CIP) system.

By placing an RPS probe inside each chemical tank, you can monitor real-time inventory and temperature of all critical chemicals before they are mixed and pumped to the cleaning system.

Talk to one of our product experts today to see how APG can help modernize your dairy process.