Food Processing | Modernising Industrial Tofu Production

Client: Major tofu producers across Asia-Pacific and North America
Application: Soy milk extraction and fibre separation in industrial tofu production
Industry: Food Processing

Tofu production originated as a cottage industry, using cloth filters to separate soy milk from fibrous okara. As demand increased from the 1980s onward, production shifted to industrial-scale mechanical extraction.

This transition introduced new challenges around fibre control, pressure management, and filtration durability. Filtration accuracy became a system-level requirement rather than a simple material choice.

ActionLaser entered the tofu sector in the 1990s through early work laser-drilling fine apertures in stainless steel. Field validation in Taiwan confirmed the performance and repeatability of laser-drilled screens in continuous tofu extraction.

Modern tofu extractors now operate under a wide range of pressure profiles and mechanical designs. This places high demands on aperture precision, geometry stability, and screen longevity.

ActionLaser worked with tofu producers on a solution that;

• Replaced cloth filtration with durable stainless steel screens
• Controlled fibre passage while maintaining soy milk yield
• Performed reliably across multiple extractor designs
• Delivered a long service life in continuous industrial operation

Traditional cloth filtration suffered from short life, hygiene limitations, and inconsistent fibre control. Industrial extractors introduced higher pressures, exposing the limits of both cloth and coarse metal screens.

Conical screw-press extractors apply gradually increasing pressure along the length of the screen. Cylindrical and dual-cylinder “nip” designs apply more abrupt pressure, increasing the risk of fibre breakthrough.

Larger apertures increased fibre carryover and reduced soy milk quality. Inconsistent screen geometry led to unstable operation across different extractor designs.

The industry required precise, repeatable filtration that could perform under varying pressures.

ActionLaser supplied laser-drilled stainless steel screens for both conical and cylindrical tofu extractors. Typical aperture sizes ranged from 100 to 110 microns.

Laser drilling enabled tight control of hole size and spacing across thin stainless steel screens. This precision maintained milk quality while limiting fibre passage under different pressure regimes.

Trials confirmed that fine, consistent apertures performed reliably across extractor types. The screens were adaptable to diverse machine geometries and operating conditions.

Laser-drilled screens delivered stable filtration performance across multiple extractor designs. Milk quality remained consistent while fibre carryover was controlled.

The screens demonstrated long service in continuous industrial operation. Replacement and downtime were reduced compared to cloth filtration.

ActionLaser screens were deployed across Taiwan, South Korea, China, Australia, the United States, and Canada. Performance was validated across a wide range of plant sizes and production styles.

Laser drilling produced precise, repeatable apertures at approximately 100-110 microns. This prevented excessive fibre passage while maintaining extraction efficiency.

Stable geometry ensured predictable filtration under both gradual and abrupt pressure profiles. Stainless steel construction resisted wear and deformation over long operating cycles.

By removing variability from the filtration stage, extractor performance became more consistent over time.

For tofu producers, filtration became a durable system component rather than a consumable limitation. A longer screen life reduced maintenance interventions and operational disruption.

The solution proved transferable across regions and machine designs. This supported industrial-scale tofu production with consistent quality and predictable performance.

Laser-drilled screens enabled modern tofu extraction to scale without sacrificing product integrity.