Confectionery Industry

Statistics tell us that every German citizen eats around 9.5 kg of chocolate a year, in the form of bars, hollow figures, pralines and such like. There is a particularly steep rise in consumption at Easter and Christmas.        

Background

Chocolate may be very popular, but it is extremely complicated to make. In particular, the temperature has to be precisely controlled at all times to achieve the later melt-in-your-mouth effect.  

Challenge

The secret of high-quality chocolate is ensuring that the fat crystals contained are configured in the best possible way. This is directly dependent on tempering. If the temperature is too high or too low, chocolate will no longer melt in your mouth or will not have an attractive, shiny finish, but a milky, lack-luster look instead. The viscosity also changes along with the crystal content, and this may lead to problems further on in processing or when filling. Tempering is therefore crucial in terms of quality. This means high quality chocolate needs smooth conveyance at a constant temperature.  

Solution

That is why the NEMO^® progressing cavity pump, which is characterised by its particularly smooth performance in conveyance, is used as chocolate pump. It is based on the geometries of a helix rotor and the reverse-helix stator surrounding it, with these being precisely attuned to one another. The size of the chambers and the low surface speed of the rotor even allow coarser solids, such as nuts or brittle, to be conveyed without any damage being caused. An adjustable heating jacket has been added to this proven form of pump for tempering. This encloses the whole length of the pump, from the mechanical seals to the pressure ports. It allows the required heat to be kept constant through the various stages of the process.