MicroThermics

It was the era of the 80s when John Miles, a food scientist, and engineer, pursued a big dream by intentionally thinking "small", shunning the common notion that says, “It pays to think big.” Through his early experience, Miles understood that when it comes to formulating a new beverage or food, product developers do not need large-scale process equipment for research and development (R&D). Instead, they needed small-scale, high-temperature process R&D equipment that accurately reflects what happens on the larger factory floor without spending a fortune on ingredient costs as well as immeasurable development time and expense. "After the realization that small-scale R&D process equipment can produce exact low volume samples, I first developed a bench-scale system that could produce high-temperature, short-time (HTST) and ultra-high temperature (UHT) samples that were accurate down to just a few-litres in size. That unit came in at a lab-friendly size. It provided clean-in-place and sanitize-in-place capabilities," mentions John. This led him to found MicroThermics in 1989. In 1990, David Miles, his brother joined John. Since then, they have grown to be the world leader providing small-scale pasteurizers, HTST/UHT sterilizers, and Aseptic processors to enable clients to perform small scale processing conveniently and accurately.

Perfect Products to Avoid Needless Expenses and Failed Trials

Today, with over three decades of experience, MicroThermics specializes in the scale-up and scale-down of UHT, HTST, and Aseptic processes. Its thermal process simulation techniques, technology, and designs effortlessly and correctly simulate the whole production process, enabling its clients to reduce product development and production expenses, increase efficiencies, and reduce their time to market with new products.

MicroThermics' products include steam injection and indirect UHT/HTST/Aseptic laboratory processors, homogenizers, Veros processors, aseptic laboratory fillers and BioPharm Series processors. Their R&D processors provide process precision for HTST and UHT process and unparalleled flexibility because their clients are doing more than just one or two things. However, that flexibility can make things complicated, as the clients need to know the different processes that equipment can execute.

To address this, their clever automation includes guides to make set-up simple, and controls that are easy to learn and operate. Their newest automation and design advances have further simplified operation, and shave up to 2 hours off the time it takes to start up, sterilize, and clean the equipment, making their clients R&D time even more efficient. Additionally, their aseptic laboratory fillers can be integrated with laboratory and small scale UHT, HTST, and Aseptic processing equipment to create a complete laboratory aseptic lines. "Whether you are hot-filling, running a high or low acid indirect aseptic line, or steam injecting, our equipment provides precision processing and flexibility to run multiple products easily and accurately at multiple conditions," explains John, founder, COO, and CEO, MicroThermics.

MicroThermics’ award winning steam injection series processors are the most potent and flexible research processors. This equipment simulates the widest range of production processes. Their Veros Series UHT/HTST processors, like their other products, also reduce R&D costs and time; however, that series is specialized for products ranging from isotonic and juices, to dairy beverages and ice creams. Finally, their BioPharm Series UHT/HTST processors focus on the needs, design requirements and products of the pharmaceutical and biotechnical industries.

“We have developed our processors keeping in mind that the clients need data to make decisions about product formulation and performance of the equipment,” says John. The operators can tap on the equipment screen and get real-time data about its performance. They can drill down to the aspects such as operating temperature or level of sterilization and make necessary changes to equipment operation for a better product outcome. “Such a capabilities, as well as the equipment’s’ sanitary design and high quality fabrication helps clients comply with the Food Safety Modernization Act while developing their new products,” remarks John.

Serving Complex Industrial Environment

MicroThermics serves the food & beverage industry along with dairy, and BioPharm & Biofuel industries while enabling clients to increase their products' functionality and yields, reduce biological failures, and virtually eliminate the variability of product quality.

“Our equipment has decreased the client's risks and costs at the same time; a winning combination,” quips John.

Knowing the fact that food research clients need to run multiple types of food products at a time, MicroThermics designs its equipment with the flexibility to run a wide range of items at a time. “With unequaled success, our equipment is used worldwide to make production quality samples of beverages, juices, soy-milks, protein shakes/smoothies, meal replacements, and even desserts like puddings and ice cream. Whether you are hot-filling, running a high or low acid indirect aseptic line, or steam injecting, our equipment provides precision processing and flexibility to run multiple products accurately at multiple conditions,” states John.

In the dairy industry, MicroThermics’ equipment is used to make production quality samples of milk, flavored milks, cream, ice cream, yogurts puddings, and more. Whether the firms are pasteurizing products, or running a steam injection aseptic line, the science and technology behind MicroThermics’ designs enable them to process multiple formulations quickly and go directly to the plant with a working formula. “Every day, consumers come in contact with or consume food products, be it beverage, meal replacement, dessert, or even medication, there are high chances those are developed on equipment designed and built by MicroThermics. Most of the time, people do not see it or realize it because we are under non-disclosure agreements with our clients, as R&D product development is confidential by its nature. Our clients may talk about us, but we do not talk about our clients,” notes John.

Similarly, in BioPharm & Biofuel industries, MicroThermics equipment helps in producing extracts for cancer treatment medications; sterilize microbial media, mammalian cell culture media, tissue culture media, and biofuel stock; and sterilize solutions used in medications and other medical applications. Moreover, in order to address the growing use of MicroThermics' equipment in Bioscience and Life Science spaces, as well as in the cannabis space, the company has created MTI BioScience LLC. MTI BioScience LLC is a separate company supporting the needs of these industries as a distributor of MicroThermics processors, support services, and Miniature Plant Trial Services.

Due to its relentless commitment to innovation and ongoing involvement with clients and their feedback, MicroThermics has changed dramatically over the last 30 years. “We listen to the needs of our clients. As a result, we develop good relationships with them and understand what they are going through. This allows us to put our arms around them and provide customized solutions to them,” states Miles. In the future also, the company aims to focus on constant innovation based on client and market input. “Those are our key factors as well as our plan. Moreover, every year during summers, we release new developments to our products and will continue to do so,” concludes John.