Tower screen dual surface finish

A block former for the production of blocks of cheese, the block former comprising

• an upright drainage column having a feed opening for curd particles at an upper end of the drainage column, the drainage column including an inner wall having an interior surface against which a pillar of curd formed of the curd particles slides as the pillar of curd moves downwardly through the drainage column,
• the drainage column being divided into an upper part and a lower part, wherein the interior surface of the upper part and the lower part form a continuous contact surface with the pillar of curd as the pillar of curd moves downwardly through the drainage column from the upper part to the lower part,
• wherein the interior surface at the upper part has a first finish that has a first coefficient of friction, the interior surface at the lower part has a second finish that is different than the first finish and has a second coefficient of friction, and the second coefficient of friction is higher than the first coefficient of friction,
• wherein the second finish is a shot-peened finish that is formed using a micropeening treatment process, has a greater surface roughness than the first finish and provides higher friction with the pillar of curd relative to the first finish,
• whereby a sliding motion of the pillar of curd falls through the upper part of the drainage column at a rate that is greater than a rate at which a sliding motion of the pillar of curd falls through the lower part of the drainage column.