Melter Flexibility

How the flexibility of your melters can increase efficiency and maximise production.

Traditional methods of melting can be inefficient; is there a better approach to integrating melting into your production process?

The ability to melt product – including chocolate, compound, cocoa liquor, cocoa butter, dairy butter and fats – is an essential requirement for most food production facilities. Traditionally, the melting process uses large tanks, which have a large footprint in a manufacturing facility. This is especially true if multiple tanks are in use; when different kettles or tanks are required for different products. Not only that, but often a kettle or tank is too large for the manufacturing operations’ needs, which impacts on efficiency.

Time required to clean multiple kettles or tanks between products is another limiting factor. Depending on its size and complexity, cleaning can be quite a time-consuming process, slowing down production and reducing efficiency. And because hygiene is such a crucial concern in food production, the cleaning of equipment must be done thoroughly.

Potential energy costs associated with keeping large tanks of product heated at all times also adds to the cost and complexity of traditional melting methods.

With a number of brands moving to co-packers to make their product, those co-packers need melters that can efficiently handle a variety of different coatings.

The efficiency factor was a key concern when PTL designed its melters.

We knew there had to be an innovative solution that meant the melting process – no matter what the product or what it was for – could become more streamlined and efficient. Our melter range is a response to the challenges of the traditional approach.

PTL melters melt products in different formats – chocolate, compound, cocoa liquor and butter or other fats. They melt chips, wafers and blocks at high speeds, rendering the product molten. It can then be pumped to the next stage of the process, e.g. enrobing in a bar line, a moulding plant or in the production of chocolate coatings.

PTL melters are designed to continuously melt product corresponding to down-stream production rates. They’re flexible because they can melt multiple coatings and can be portable, and next to the use point rather than having to pump chocolate across a wide area through a plant. This means they’re adaptable for all kinds of food production facilities such as bakeries and ice cream manufacturers.

We’ve created several unique features for our melters, all helping to improve efficiency:

• They’re easier to clean due to the flexibility, wash-down capability and removable components
• Maximise production with shorter runs by allowing users to go from melting one product to another
• Optimise space usage in the facility due to being smaller, more compact and mobile
• Significant energy cost savings because you’re not keeping a large tank continually at temperature
• Easy loading, providing OSH benefits

The flexibility of the PTL melter means that it can meet different requirements.

Typically, a customer will have a target rate that they need to achieve, or production rates from their process. Using that, we can then work out how much product is needed. We then test the melter using that product, and the results will help us to determine what size melter is best suited for a customer’s requirements.

An off-the-shelf product might meet 80% of a facility’s needs. At PTL, we’ll work with you to make sure that you have a 100%, efficient melter that will help maximise production output with its flexibility and washdown capabilities.

Learn more here

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