Fracturing, mixing and rolling in chocolate production

After the cocoa beans have been cleaned and roasted, they are crushed by rollers and processed into ‘nibs’. The resulting shells are removed by an air stream, and the cocoa nibs are ground with ball or roller mills to expose the cocoa butter. Due to the heat generated during grinding, the cocoa butter melts and encloses small solid fragments, becoming a liquid cocoa mass. Like the other ingredients (milk solids without fat (MSNF), sugar, lecithin, aroma), this cocoa mass is stored in its own silo. In the next process step, the various ingredients are mixed in a large mixer. The result is a rigid, kneadable mass with a "sandy" texture that still contains fine particles. These are further crushed by rolling in a 5-roller machine, using five vertically stacked rollers.

For these stages of chocolate production, KROHNE offers suitable devices for silo and tank level measurement and monitoring, as well as for flow measurement. FMCW radar level measuring devices for small and large tanks can precisely control the amount of cocoa, MSNF, sugar, lecithin and aroma in the silos, as well as the cocoa mass in the mixer, without contact. A capacitive fill level switch can be used for high and low level alarm indication in the mixer, regardless of foam, condensate and deposits. The flow measurement of the cocoa mass can be reliably determined with a high-performance Coriolis mass flowmeter which uses a straight obstruction less tube. Using the EGM™ technology (Entrained Gas Management), the meter maintains operation over a wide range of gas fractions and complex flow conditions.