Melter flexibility key to handling multiple SKU'S

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

Chocolate and bar manufacturers tell us they need flexibility in their food production equipment, without compromising efficiency levels or hygiene standards. For melters specifically they want to enable efficient changeovers to an allergen standard; ease of maintenance and operation; as small a footprint as possible; and the ability to integrate with existing equipment and lines.

In response we’ve designed our melters to offer this uncompromised flexibility. They’re designed to continuously melt product corresponding to down-stream production rates, and they integrate not just with barline machinery, but with any process. What this means is they’re adaptable for all kinds of food production facilities such as chocolate manufacturers, bakeries and ice cream manufacturers.

We’ve created several unique features for our melters, all aimed at finding efficiency gains:

• Flexibility and wash-down capability – removable components make them easier to clean, and quicker changeover times
• Easily enabling users to go from melting one product to another
• Maximising production
• Smaller, reducing the footprint within the facility. Not only that, but their size means they’re more mobile, and can be moved around on casters.
• Energy efficient, because you’re not keeping a large tank continually at temperature

When Pittsburgh, PA based TruFood Mfg needed a new melter, PTL’s solution was the only option that ticked all the boxes. Read the case study.

Accessibility is key with our melters; they’re easily disassembled, making cleaning faster and more efficient.

Within the food manufacturing industry, achieving speedy wash-down rates while maintaining a high level of sanitation is a significant benefit.

The melters are highly flexible, able to melt multiple coatings – chocolate, compound, cocoa liquor, cocoa butter, dairy butter and fats – and they’re also portable, and next to the use point rather than having to pump products across a wide area through a plant.

What this means is that (depending on the production facility) individual units aren’t necessary for different products. For example, if four different products were being run, they can be processed using one melter instead of four. If ten are being processed, only three melters might be needed, which is a huge efficiency gain.

PTL melters also make integration easier.

During the design stage, it’s ensured that the melters can be connected to other PTL equipment, meaning they can work with other machines, or indeed, with an entire line. And the user interface is easier; for example, a melter might be positioned next to an enrober or a sieve system, and the operator might be on the melter HMI screen. That screen can also be used to access the enrober or the sieve system, and vice versa.

This integration is built into PTL equipment from the outset, but it’s also possible – depending on the equipment – for PTL melters to integrate with non-PTL systems.

In addition to their flexibility, PTL melters also offer these advantages:

• Installation – they’re simple and easy to install. They only require mains power, so as soon as they arrive they can be literally plugged in and they’re ready to operate. They’re portable, so they’re easily moved around a facility.
• Water – the melters can be manufactured with a small make-up tank permanently plumbed in, providing an on-board hot water system.
• Maintenance – everything’s accessible. There’s no need for tools to perform daily maintenance like wash-downs; they’re built with T-handles, latches etc.
• Production efficiency – size to speed ratio, these melters reduce the footprint of products are currently being melted while increasing the melt rate. Production is maximised with shorter runs, allowing users to go from melting one product to another.
• Lower training requirement – they’re user-friendly, simple and easy to understand, reducing the amount of time operators need to get to grips with the equipment.

PTL melters mean a significant reduction in cleaning times and changeovers while increasing production rates. Their flexibility means that they can be customised to meet different requirements. Something out of the box might meet most of your production needs, but PTL melters ensure maximum efficiency and production output.

Find out more about our melters, and if you have any questions, get in touch and we’ll arrange a time for a chat.