Removing Metal From Liquid Chocolate Lines
There are various types of magnetic separators for many different applications. When considering reducing metal contamination risks in liquid chocolate lines, one specific magnetic separation solution stands out: the RE80HT Liquid Pressure Pipeline Separator.
For over a decade, our Liquid Pressure Pipeline Separators have offered enhanced metal fragment control for chocolate manufacturers around the globe.
Where do metal contaminants in liquid chocolate lines come from?
Ferrous metal found in chocolate can originate from several sources, including incoming ingredients and wear from processing machinery such as grinders and conches.
It is essential that metal contaminants are removed from the product stream prior to the final product. In chocolate, magnetic separators are commonly installed in the pipelines in which liquid chocolate flows through before it is set or packaged.
The Liquid Pressure Pipeline Magnets effectively:
-reduce metal contamination risks in final chocolate products,
-increase food safety,
-help protect brand name & reputation,
-reduce food recall risks, and
-reduce the of damage to downstream processing equipment
About the RE80HT Liquid Pressure Pipeline Separator
The Liquid Pressure Pipeline Separator consists of one or more +11,000 gauss RE8HT Magnet Probes. The probes intercept the flow of the chocolate and attract & retain fine weakly magnetic metal contaminants, including work-hardened stainless-steel.
To clean, just loosen the fittings, remove the magnet probe from the housing, and wash off the collected metal. This is a much safer and efficient method as opposed to old-style Finger Pot Magnets.
“We’ve had several PPS units in our liquid lines for many years now, in multiple processing plants across the country. They’re more effective than the old pot style magnets, easy to clean, and don’t cause any leaks or blockages. Never had any problems with them. Simple, yet very effective.” – QA Manager at a multinational food company.
Keeping the chocolate liquified
As chocolate is a fast-setting ingredient, it is crucial that the lines are kept heated to maintain the desired flow rate and separation efficiency. Higher viscosity = reduced separation.
This issue is usually overcome with jacketted pipelines, where hot water flows through the outer wall which keeps the chocolate heated.
Thermal jacketting is available on our Liquid Pressure Pipeline Separators to suit your existing pipelines and ensure that product flow is maintained. This has been done for several major chocolate manufacturers.
Finger Pot Magnets vs Liquid Pressure Pipeline Separators
The Liquid Pressure Pipeline Separator was originally designed to overcome issues experienced with Finger Pot Magnets (Liquid Trap Magnets). You can read more here about the advantages of Liquid Pressure Pipeline Separators in comparison to Liquid Trap Magnets and why we think they are a better choice.
Pot magnets are more inefficient in heat transfers due to the large cluster of magnet elements being close together.
This area can become prone to harboring solidified mass of chocolate, resulting in higher pressure drop due to flow restriction, and a large percentage of the product flow effectively bypassing the magnet on the outside, reducing magnet coverage.
For more information on how you can enhance your metal contamination controls, contact our team here today.