Engineering Scope

Dairy Process Engineering

Dairy process design from tanker receiving and refrigerated storage through filtration, separation, standardization, homogenization, pasteurization, fermentation, curd handling, concentration, drying, filling, and packaging. Deliverables include balances, PFDs, P&IDs, equipment sizing, and layouts.

Hygienic Process Design

Sanitary piping and equipment arrangements developed around hygienic zoning, drainability, cleanable product paths, allergen controls, maintenance access, and appropriate 3-A sanitary principles. Scope can include valve matrices, transfer panels, tank farms, and product-recovery interfaces.

CIP System Engineering

Central and dedicated CIP systems, circuit definition, return hydraulics, chemical storage and dosing, heating, recovery, instrumentation, and sequence controls. Designs coordinate cleaning coverage, production schedules, utility demand, and separation between product families.

Refrigeration, Utilities & MEP

Utility systems for refrigeration, chilled and glycol water, steam, hot water, compressed air, process water, HVAC, plumbing, and wastewater. LAPORTE evaluates coincident process and sanitation loads and coordinates routing through operating facilities.

Electrical Engineering

Power distribution for process, refrigeration, drying, packaging, and warehousing equipment, including transformers, switchgear, MCCs, variable-frequency drives, panelboards, lighting, grounding, backup power, and applicable arc-flash and coordination studies.

Dairy Controls & Automation

PLC, HMI, SCADA, recipe, batch, and production-data systems for dairy processes and OEM skids. Scope can include ISA-88-aligned sequences, instrumentation, valve and motor control, network architecture, alarm management, FAT/SAT, and commissioning. Dairy projects can include plant-floor OT segmentation, network rack and switch configuration, UL 508A control-panel assembly and hygienic-area installation, delivered as fixed-fee or managed T&M work.

Filling & Packaging Integration

Integration of cup, bottle, carton, can, pouch, and bulk filling with inspection, labeling, case packing, palletizing, and cold storage. LAPORTE coordinates sanitary interfaces, changeovers, utilities, electrical power, controls, access, and line phasing.

Dairy Ingredient Processing

Separation, ultrafiltration, reverse osmosis, evaporation, crystallization, spray drying, powder handling, and packaging systems for whey, permeate, proteins, and other dairy ingredients, with coordinated CIP, dust control, and utilities.

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Plant and Facility Work near West Chester, PA

Fluid Milk & Dairy Beverages Yogurt & Cultured Products Cheese Ice Cream & Frozen Desserts Milk Powder & Infant Formula Whey & Dairy Ingredients

Local and Project Context near West Chester, PA

Six US Offices
Project teams work from six US offices: West Chester PA (headquarters), Columbus OH, Chicago IL, Rochester NY, Durham NC, and Denver CO. That footprint supports site visits, construction support, and commissioning across the country.
PE-Licensed in 21 States
LAPORTE Professional Engineers are licensed in 21 US states. Deliverables are stamped and sealed for permitting, insurance, and regulatory review wherever the facility is located.
Sector-Specific Engineering
LAPORTE engineers milk, cheese, yogurt, ice cream, whey, and formula plants across process, MEP, electrical, and automation disciplines. Sanitary process design follows 3-A principles, with CIP engineering, refrigeration and utilities, power, and recipe/batch automation coordinated around hygienic zoning and reliable cleaning.
Regulated-Industry Documentation
Work is built around the codes and documentation these facilities run under, from NEC and NFPA to FDA, USDA, and cGMP requirements, so deliverables hold up to permitting and audit review.

Engineering Leadership

Photo of Nate Kocher, P.E.
Nate Kocher, P.E.
Partner, Director of Electrical and Automation Engineering
LAPORTE • West Chester, PA

Engineering and management consultant with 15+ years of work in control systems, power distribution and systems integration for food, beverage and pharmaceutical manufacturers.

  • P.E. Licensed in 21 States
  • Penn State, B.S. Electrical Engineering
  • West Chester University, MBA
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Photo of Keith Morgart, P.E.
Keith Morgart, P.E.
Electrical and Automation Engineer
LAPORTE • Greater Pittsburgh, PA

Electrical power and controls engineer whose work includes power distribution, motor controls and code compliance for industrial and commercial facilities.

  • P.E. Licensed Professional Engineer
  • University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown, B.S. Electrical Engineering
  • NEC, NFPA and IEEE standards
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Representative Project Work

pet food • multidiscipline
Project need: A pet food manufacturer required engineering design for a new 370,000 sq ft greenfield production facility ($315M total constructed cost).
LAPORTE scope: LAPORTE provided preliminary and detailed engineering for MEP, automation, instrumentation, and process. Scope included 45 HVAC units, ammonia refrigeration with micro-charging, air compressors, boilers, 40 MBTU cooling tower, chiller skids (2,300 TR), and wastewater treatment. Services included procurement, construction administration, startup, and commissioning with a team of 35.
Outcome: The greenfield facility was designed and constructed as a fully integrated production plant.
food & beverage • automation
Project need: A nutrition company required engineering for a greenfield whey protein plant ($800M total constructed cost) including receiving, heat treatment, filtration, and drying systems.
LAPORTE scope: LAPORTE provided project management, preliminary and detailed engineering design for process and automation, design of automation architecture (50+ control panels, networks, operator stations, control room), procurement support, and commissioning (IQ/OQ/PQ). Scope included HTST heat treatment, disc stack centrifuges, membrane filtration (UF/NF/RO), crystallization, evaporation, spray drying, and CIP.
Outcome: The greenfield whey protein plant was designed and commissioned.
pharmaceutical • multidiscipline
Project need: A national research organization required a new Biologics Manufacturing Centre with biological containment level CL2 for vaccine candidate production (5,000 m², $126M total constructed cost).
LAPORTE scope: LAPORTE provided engineering and construction supervision for the new facility including two cell culture suites (500L and 2,000L), purification by chromatography, vial filling, secondary packaging, warehouse, offices, mechanical/electrical rooms, and QC laboratory. The facility was designed in accordance with GMP requirements.
Outcome: The Biologics Manufacturing Centre was completed and designed for vaccine production.

Project Questions

What types of dairy facilities does LAPORTE support?
LAPORTE supports fluid milk, dairy beverages, yogurt, cultured products, cheese, ice cream, milk powders, infant formula, whey, lactose, permeate, and dairy protein operations. Scope can cover process, facility, utilities, electrical, automation, packaging, and project delivery.
Does LAPORTE design dairy CIP systems?
Yes. LAPORTE can define CIP circuits and design central or dedicated systems, including tanks, pumps, heat exchange, chemical dosing, return hydraulics, instrumentation, recipes, and control sequences. Cleaning criteria are established with the owner and equipment requirements.
Can LAPORTE apply 3-A sanitary principles to dairy design?
Yes. LAPORTE designs sanitary process piping and equipment layouts around hygienic zoning, drainability, cleanability, product segregation, maintenance access, and applicable 3-A sanitary principles. The design basis is matched to the product and regulatory context.
Can LAPORTE support whey and dairy ingredient processing?
Yes. LAPORTE engineers separation and ingredient processes that can include ultrafiltration, nanofiltration, reverse osmosis, evaporation, crystallization, spray drying, powder handling, CIP, utilities, controls, and packaging.
How does LAPORTE plan utility upgrades for dairy expansions?
LAPORTE evaluates process and sanitation loads against refrigeration, steam, hot water, chilled water, compressed air, process water, electrical distribution, and wastewater capacity. The team can then develop upgrades and phasing for an operating dairy plant.

Engineering support in nearby areas

Engineering support for West Chester, PA

LAPORTE Consultants
Suite 200, 158 West Gay Street
West Chester, PA 19382
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