The best technology in pasta production in Brazil
After investing in complete Bühler lines, Cristal Alimentos becomes a market benchmark in terms of quality, modernity and efficiency.
Headquartered in Goiás and with a solid history of success in approximately 60 years since its foundation, Cristal Alimentos is a traditional Brazilian grain processor that, in recent years, has also advanced in the pasta segment thanks to increasing investments in industrial automation.
A family business that has been constantly growing as a result of mindful business management passed from father to son, the brand currently has a vast product portfolio, including rice, beans, flour, sugar, oils and pasta. The market strategy is to be a regional player, distributing products in several states in addition to Goiás, such as the Federal District, Bahia, Maranhão, Mato Grosso, Minas Gerais, Tocantins and Pará, with its own distribution logistics that features more than 10 thousand points of sale.
Customer from other segments of the Bühler Group, Cristal initially focused on the acquisition of equipment for cleaning and sorting rice. However, the company is always innovating and recently purchased three modern C-Line pasta lines. In addition, it was the first one in South America to purchase the exclusive Bühler technology PastaSense, an integrated sensor system that monitors and ensures the quality of the pasta, allowing production to be regulated at any time for the necessary corrections in real time, while ensuring the maintenance of the desired quality parameters for the final product.
“We delegated to Bühler the planning of the entire implementation of our pasta factory from scratch, including the preparation of recipes for our market objectives. And today it is very gratifying to see where we have managed to get!,” says Marcelo Madalena, managing partner of Cristal Alimentos.
The new pasta production plant with the best technology in the world by Bühler is the result of a consistent long-term investment journey that began in 2018 with the acquisition of two automated lines for the production of long and short pasta with a capacity of 2,750 kg/h and 2,000 kg/h, respectively. “In the first year of the start-up of the first phase, we had a surprising result! We reached 100% production capacity, with around 5 tons/hour, which we expected to maintain for three to four years. At that moment, we saw that it was necessary to invest more to continue growing,” says Marcelo Madalena. In 2022, Cristal Alimentos acquired its third long pasta line, with a capacity of 5,000 kg/h.
We can say that we started to manufacture pasta due to the partnership with Bühler, the relationship of trust and constant support in all our projects
Marcelo Madalena, Managing Director, Cristal Alimentos
Bühler provided the complete solution for Cristal Alimentos' pasta lines, starting with the building of the ingredient silo and all stages of the production process. As an example, the mill and mixer with gravimetric dosers provide maximum precision in the dosing of ingredients, guaranteeing controlled conditions of the pasta, constant humidity and uniform drying. The pressing system operates without granulometry limitation, offering perfect hydration and pasta development, with excellent access to components for maintenance and cleaning. And finally, the pasta dryer guarantees a high level of thermal insulation, free from deformation and problems with condensation, as well as energy efficiency.
Marcelo Madalena is proud to say that “in terms of efficiency and quality, we are currently the most modern industry in Brazil”. Today, with three lines, the installed capacity is around 10 tons/hour, allowing Cristal Alimentos to make a big leap in its product portfolio. “Our goal now is to consolidate growth in the regional market and expand into new markets and segments, towards the implementation of a fourth pasta line,” declares the director.
Our goal is to continue providing complete assistance to Cristal, from projects and spare parts to digital services
Fátima Morais, Sales Manager, Bühler
PastaSense – continuous monitoring of raw material and final product quality, detecting deviations quickly in comparison to manual sampling and recording product moisture and color in real time. All this control allows the reduction of reprocessing and, consequently, reduction in energy costs.
Bühler Insights – dashboard that allows remote access to various devices connected to data from the PastaSense sensor system. Thus, all parameters are stored in the cloud and, therefore, can be continuously tracked, ensuring full traceability of production and optimization of the plant efficiency.
+55 41 3317-5100
Av. Juscelino Kubitschek de Oliveira 1105
Curitiba
81280-140
Brazil
