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A melter is a fundamental part of any system that is used to produce emulsions, and the right choice of machine is essential. It is used to dissolve into liquid a series of oily products, mix liposoluble compounds and – in some cases – also waxy products.
The melting temperature depends on the raw material being used, the most common being around 80 C°.
There are two variables to bear in mind:
Power available: ELECTRIC
The most common choice is to use an electrical resistance to heat an intermediate fluid (water, glycol, oil) in the jacket and this will diffuse the heat to the final product.
A series of resistances are fitted in the bottom of the vessel - from 2 to 4 for a double jacket - and the temperature is read and monitored by one or more thermostats.
Dumek's approach is totally different.
Our melters – except for the smallest volumes - are all fitted with a mix serpentine that creates a channel between the two jackets.
The fluid flows through the channel - heated by the resistances – and spreads all over the vessel which greatly improves levels of heat exchange.
It is also quite common to use special electrically powered recirculating devices that increase the speed of the fluid and contribute to heating certain parts of the vessels where thermal conduction would not be able to heat sufficiently.
It is possible to achieve even greater performance using special control units to generate heat. They also use electrical resistances but they are fitted with other special equipment too. These include a pump that presses the liquid towards the melter, an expansion vessel, an electronic system which ensures correct fluid levels, bypass systems, PID management system, plate-type exchangers for operating fluids and much more.
The control units can be autonomous or – more commonly – connected to supervision/control panels.
Power available: STEAM
For medium and large sized melters we highly recommend using steam to power the system. The most frequent pressures used are from 1.5 to 3 Bar.
There are two methods used:
A - The steam can enter a jacket which envelopes the melter; the steam is fed from the top and the condensation gathers at the bottom. A third safety insulation jacket is always fitted.
B - The steam can be used in the whole double jacket, plus the insulation jacket. In this case the vessels are subject to PED regulations.
All melters that run on steam are fixed units (not mounted on wheels), because steam driven units must conform to specific safety requirements - even if the steam is fed using flexible pipes.
CHOOSING A MIXER
The choice of which mixer to fit inside the melter mainly depends on the shape and size of the raw materials.
When the product to be melted is in chips or granules and the temperature to be used is very high – wax for instance reaches 140°C – Dumek proposes mixers with multiple blades which run at a speed of 100 rpm and operate very close to the bottom of the vessel.
The classic slow anchor blade mixer (15 - 30 rpm) is however more suitable for materials used in the cosmetic sector.
If however the product comes in ingots – with a typical size of 30x30x10 cm. There is the risk that the mixer blades can get damaged or bent.
In this case we propose connecting the blade to a gear motor using a torque limiter with a safety system that blocks the motor when the rotation resistance exceeds a set limit.
As you can see, choosing is indeed a complex moment. You are welcome to discuss this issue with our technical staff.
