ACCESSORIES FOR SOAP FINISHING LINES
Soap finishing line accessories and chillers support the operation of mixers, refiners, plodders, cutters and soap presses. Conveyors, dosing systems, metal detectors and cooling chillers help maintain controlled and continuous soap production.
Accessories and Chillers for Soap Finishing Lines
Accessories and cooling systems play an important role in the operation of industrial soap finishing lines. They connect the different machines, control the feeding of raw materials and additives, detect unwanted metal parts and provide the cooling required by refining, extrusion and soap stamping equipment.
Conveyors
Conveyors are used to transport soap from one machine to another within the soap finishing line. Usually, one conveyor is installed between the soap mixer and the Simplex Plodder or Roll Mill. From there, another conveyor transports the soap to the Duplex Vacuum Plodder. A connecting conveyor is normally installed between the soap cutter and the soap press. When a finishing line includes a flash-stamping soap press, a recycle conveyor system can also be installed. This system normally consists of two or three conveyors that transport the flashing produced during stamping, back to the Duplex Vacuum Plodder for recycling.
Unloading System for Super Sacks
Soap noodles are normally supplied in 25 kg bags or 1 Ton big bags. When big bags are used, an unloading station is required, with one loading position and one discharge position. The unloading system is usually completed by a Rotary Valve, which delivers the soap noodles to the downstream conveyor feeding the finishing line.
Weigh Scale
In medium and large capacity soap finishing lines, a weigh scale can be installed above the mixer. Soap noodles are loaded into the weighing system by a conveyor. The conveyor stops automatically when the required quantity of soap noodles has been reached. This allows the correct quantity of soap noodles to be supplied to the mixer before the next processing stage.
Automatic Dosing Units
Automatic dosing systems are used to feed liquid additives and fragrances into the soap mixer. The system consists of one or more dosing pumps and a tanks. Powder additives can be fed using a screw dosing system, consisting of a dosing screw and a hopper containing the powder additive. These systems allow liquid and powder ingredients to be introduced into the mixer in a controlled way.
Metal Detector
A metal detector can be installed between the soap cutter and the soap press. If a small metallic part is detected inside a cut soap bar, the bar is automatically rejected from the production line. This prevents metallic particles from reaching the finished soap and helps protect the soap press die-set from possible damage during stamping.
Chillers for Soap Finishing Lines
Two main types of cooling chillers are used in the soap industry:
- Water Chillers
- Die-Set Chillers
Both are closed-cycle chillers, meaning that the cooling liquid circulates continuously within the cooling system.
Water Chiller
Water chillers normally operate with a temperature range of approximately +10 to +15°C. They are used to cool the Soap Roll Mill and Soap Plodders. During refining and extrusion, friction between the soap and the rolls or screws generates heat. Excessive heating can reduce the production rate. The water chiller provides constant cooling, helping maintain a constant production rate of the Roll Mill and Soap Plodders. The cooling liquid is normally a mixture of approximately 90% water and 10% glycol.
Die-Set Chiller
Die-set chillers are used to cool the moulds of soap presses. They normally operate within a temperature range of approximately -15 to -25°C. Cooling the die-set is important for soap stamping performance. When the moulds are sufficiently cooled, the stamped soap bars can be extracted more easily. Without adequate cooling, stamped soap bars can stick to the die-set, making extraction difficult and potentially affecting the surface of the finished soap bar. The purpose of the die-set chiller is therefore to facilitate soap bar extraction while helping prevent damage to the surface of the stamped bars.
Accessories and Chillers in a Soap Finishing Line
Accessories and chillers support the main machines of a soap finishing line, from soap mixing and refining to extrusion, cutting and stamping. Conveyors provide material transfer, dosing and weighing systems control the addition of raw materials and ingredients, metal detectors provide protection before stamping, while water and die-set chillers maintain the cooling conditions required by the finishing equipment.
Knowledge Content – Browse by Topic
01. WHAT IS SOAP
02. RAW MATERIALS USED IN SOAP MANUFACTURING
07. SOAP DRYING AND COOLING
08. SOAP FINISHING LINE
09. SOAP PACKAGING