Dairy Processing Equipment: Stainless Steel Milk Silos, Tanks, Vats and Pasteurisers Built in Australia
Request a quoteStainless steel fabrication for dairy applications requires greater attention to hygienic design and sanitary processing requirements from the manufacturers than standard industrial fabrication. Every stage of design and fabrication must consider cleanability, drainability, material selection and surface finish to help ensure equipment can be safely and reliably cleaned and sanitised.
Stainless Tank & Mix fabricates food-grade stainless steel equipment for dairy processing, including tanks, silos and CIP systems. Our team considers the requirements of your product and process when developing each solution, from vessel geometry and internal finishes to fittings, connections and cleaning systems.
With more than 50 years of stainless steel fabrication experience, STM has developed an understanding of the practical requirements involved in dairy processing. Our Sydney workshop supports in-house design and fabrication of dairy tanks and silos, allowing us to manage the manufacturing process closely and develop equipment around your production, hygiene and operational needs.
Dairy Equipment We Design and Build
Milk silos and storage tanks
STM fabricates milk silos and storage tanks in a wide range of sizes to suit each project and site. There is no fixed capacity limit for site-built tanks, with projects potentially reaching 10 million litres. For shop-built tanks, size is influenced by transport and installation constraints. Vessels up to around 3.5 m in diameter are generally accepted for road transport, while larger vessels need an escort, then a police escort, and a restricted route. Depending on the route, vessels up to around 7 m in diameter can still travel, with bridges and overhead wires setting the limit.
Learn more ›Dairy vats
STM manufactures custom stainless steel vats for milk, cheese and yoghurt production, designed for hygienic processing and precise temperature control. Vats are available in 304, 316 and 316L stainless steel, with polished product-contact surfaces and CIP compatibility. Gentle agitators provide consistent mixing and heat distribution, while insulation and seam-welded cladding improve thermal performance. Options include curd cutters, variable-speed agitation, temperature controllers and integrated cooling. STM can also supply and install compatible pipework, instrumentation and process valves, with engineers able to advise on heating and cooling requirements.
Learn more ›Mixing and process tanks
STM designs and fabricates custom mixing and process tanks for dairy applications, including jacketed and agitated vessels for melting, blending and processing temperature-sensitive products. Tanks can be configured with heating or cooling jackets and top-entry agitators to provide controlled processing and consistent mixing. Vessel geometry, agitation and heat-transfer requirements are selected around the product and process conditions. STM’s engineers can help determine the appropriate tank configuration, materials and agitation system for your application, from smaller batch processing through to large-scale dairy production.
Learn more ›Batch and continuous pasteurisers
STM designs and fabricates custom batch pasteurisers for dairy products including milk, cheese and ice cream, in 150, 300, 500 and 1,000 litre sizes. Batch pasteurisers heat and treat a set volume within a single vessel, while continuous systems move product through heat exchangers for controlled, efficient processing. STM pasteurisers feature an integrated heater, agitator and control system, with heating and cooling provided through a double jacket. Cooling tunnels can also support thermal processing by rapidly cooling products to help maintain quality and extend shelf life.
Learn more ›Pipework and platforms
STM provides custom stainless steel fabrication, process pipework and platforms for various industries, including dairy and other food and beverage facilities. Our capabilities include sanitary pipework, manifolds, pump sets, transfer systems, structural frames and site installations, from one-off fabrication to complete process line development. Using 3D CAD, STM designs systems for accurate fit-up, efficient flow, drainability, maintenance access and CIP compatibility where required. Our team manages projects from design through fabrication and installation, ensuring new pipework and equipment integrate correctly with existing tanks, mixers, pumps and site services.
Learn more ›CIP-ready design
STM designs stainless steel equipment and process systems with clean-in-place (CIP) requirements considered from the outset. CIP enables tanks, vessels and pipework to be cleaned without dismantling equipment, improving cleaning efficiency, consistency and hygiene. Equipment can be designed with suitable internal finishes, drainability, spray coverage and connections to support effective CIP cycles.
Learn more ›Hygienic Design for Dairy: What We Build In
At STM, dairy equipment is designed around hygienic principles to support product safety, effective cleaning and reliable operation. Tank geometry, outlets and pipework are designed for drainability, helping minimise retained product and cleaning solution. Spray balls and other cleaning devices can also be positioned to provide effective coverage during clean-in-place (CIP) cycles.
STM designs pipework and connections to minimise dead legs, reducing areas where product, bacteria or biofilms can accumulate. Smooth, hygienic product-contact surfaces also support effective cleaning and reduce contamination risks. Depending on the product and operating environment, equipment can be fabricated from 304 or 316 stainless steel. Grade 304 is commonly used for dairy processing, while 316 offers greater corrosion resistance for more demanding applications.
Vent and vacuum protection is also an important part of hygienic tank design, particularly during hot-to-cold CIP cycles. As temperatures change, pressure inside a vessel can fall and create a vacuum, potentially causing structural damage or collapse. Correctly sized vents, vacuum breakers and associated protection help maintain safe operating conditions.
STM considers these factors during the design and fabrication of custom dairy tanks, vessels and process systems, creating equipment that is practical to operate, clean and maintain.
Dairy equipment fails hygiene audits at the details: a ledge that holds milkstone, a weld that traps fat, a vent that lets a hot tank collapse under vacuum. Stainless Tank & Mix builds these safeguards into every dairy vessel:
- 304 stainless steel for milk and cream service, 316 or duplex stainless steel where acid CIP or brines are used
- Dished or sloped bottoms with low-point outlets so the vessel drains completely after every cycle
- Spray-ball coverage designed around agitators, baffles and manways, so CIP reaches every surface
- No dead legs, ledges or exposed threads on the product side
- Welds ground and polished to a hygienic finish, inside and out
- Vents and vacuum breakers sized for hot-wash-to-cold-rinse cycles, when a tank is most at risk of collapsing under vacuum
- Insulated and jacketed options (dimple jacket, glycol cooling) for milk storage and vat temperature control. Glycol stays liquid well below 0°C, so it is pumped through the jacket and chilled by your own refrigeration system
Designed to 3-A hygienic principles and the relevant Australian standards, so your CIP validation and dairy audits go smoothly.
Dairy Projects
Most dairy sites come with limits already set: a low roof, a tight room, a plinth that is already poured. These recent projects show how STM designs around them.
Three 7,000 L milk ageing tanks, Victoria. For a multinational dairy processor, STM built three insulated, agitated ageing tanks to fit side by side in a 7,000 × 3,800 mm room with limited headroom. Each tank has a top-entry agitator with two paddle impellers turning at 26 rpm for gentle mixing. The shaft comes in two pieces so it could be fitted under the low roof, joined by a crevice-free hygienic coupling that CIP reaches like the rest of the vessel. Product contact parts are 316 stainless steel, with welds ground flush and polished to 180 grit, and a static spray ball on the overflow standpipe keeps the overflow inside the CIP circuit.
1,500 L cream capture tank, Adelaide. The same processor needed 1,500 L of cream held at 4°C at its Adelaide site, under a ceiling that left room for a tank about 1.7 m tall. STM made the vessel wide and low, 1,300 mm in diameter, with a sloped bottom that drains fully to the outlet. A dimple jacket cools the cream. With nothing able to sit above the tank, the manway and the mixer both enter through the side wall, and the sampling valve is set on a 5° slope so it drains and leaves no dead spot.
29,700 L milk silo, South Australia. A South Australian cheese maker wanted at least 30,000 L of outdoor milk storage under a 4.8 m awning, on an existing 3.2 m plinth, standing on legs. With the diameter and height both fixed by the site, the volume had to be worked out from them. STM modelled the silo in 3D and checked it in CAD through three design rounds, reaching 29,700 L of working volume in a tank 4.7 m tall. Every stainless component, cladding included, is 316 grade for outdoor service and dairy cleaning chemicals, and the cone bottom drains completely after CIP.
Sizing a Milk Silo
Sizing a milk silo starts with the volume of milk you need to store and how often the silo will be filled and emptied. Allowing some additional capacity provides a buffer for variations in delivery volumes, production schedules and operating conditions. The silo’s working volume should also account for headspace and product movement during filling and processing.
Transport and installation constraints can influence the practical dimensions of a shop-built silo, including diameter, height, road access and site conditions. For larger capacities, site-built silos may provide greater flexibility where transport limits become restrictive.
For a more detailed approach, see our guide to stainless steel silo design, which covers capacity, dimensions, transport and installation considerations.
Our Process
Concept
Understanding the brief and building a thorough scope
Design
Engineering, 3D modelling, and design approval
Fabrication
Precision manufacturing with full traceability
QA
Inspection, testing, and quality assurance
Installation
On-site assembly and integration of equipment
Commissioning & Handover
Ensuring performance and customer sign-off
Frequently Asked Questions
What size milk silo do I need?
The right milk silo capacity depends on your daily milk volume, delivery schedule, production requirements and available site space. STM can help determine a suitable working volume while accounting for headspace, transport and installation constraints.
Are your dairy tanks 3-A compliant?
STM designs dairy equipment around hygienic design principles, including drainability, cleanable surfaces and appropriate CIP provisions. Where 3-A compliance is required, the specific design and applicable requirements should be confirmed for the project.
Can you build jacketed cheese and yoghurt vats?
Yes. STM custom fabricates jacketed and agitated dairy vats for cheese and yoghurt production, with heating and cooling configurations designed around the product and process.
Do you supply pasteurisers?
Yes. STM designs and fabricates custom batch pasteurisers for dairy applications, including milk, cheese and ice cream. Pasteurisers can incorporate heating and cooling through a double jacket, agitators and automatic controls for consistent processing.
Talk to Us About Your Dairy Plant
At STM, we design and custom fabricate dairy processing equipment around your production needs, from milk silos and storage tanks to mixing and process tanks, pasteurisers, pipework and platforms. Our team can support your project from initial design and engineering through fabrication, installation and commissioning. Whether you are upgrading an existing facility or developing a new production line, talk to STM about an end-to-end solution tailored to your site and process.