Crystallization Process for Margarine
The Crystallization process for Shortenings and Margarines begins with the Pasteurization of the emulsion after which it is pumped into the Scraped Surface Heat Exchanger (SSHEs) with the help of a positive displacement pump. The emulsion is shock chilled in high pressure heat exchangers (SSHEs) with the help of continuous chilling and scarping action. Once chilled, the product is crystallized in three different stages. The first phase of crystallization is done with the help of the Crystallizer (Pin Rotors) in which the product is worked with the help of pins on both the rotating shaft and the body or Resting Tube with Sieve Plates. The final stage of crystallization takes place in the cold room or the warehouse for certain other over a maximum period of 48-72 hours.
The Resting Tube is a set of jacketed modular tubes of different capacities interconnected by flanges or sieve plates between modules. Resting tubes are designed to provide adequate time and kneading required to crystallize the fat to achieve desired properties for block formation. Resting Tubes ranging from capacities 50 L to 300 L are designed for various forms of packaging such as bricks, blocks and sheets.
Sinitators are High Pressure Scraped Surface Heat Exchangers with Tubular Horizontal Flooded Chillers equipped with drop tanks and surge drums on the refrigerant side and Rotor shafts with floating knives loaded on them on the product side. The knives are pressed against the Chiller Tubes by centrifugal force to ensure consistent scraping of the product while the refrigeration controls maintain level of the refrigerant in the chillers and control suction pressure to get the desired temperature profiles of the product.
The Pin Rotors are jackets horizontal cylinders with pins intermittently placed on the body and the rotating shaft. The Pin rotors are used for the growth of the crystals due to the sheer applied when the product passes through the pins. The Pin Rotors are equipped with high pressure mechanical seals and hot water attemperation system in the jackets to curb the resistance of the flow of the product.
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