Bar Soap Finishing - Luis Spitz 4-5-2006

BAR SOAP FINISHING Luis Spitz L. Spitz, Inc. e-mail: [email protected] phone: 847/965-5151

Soaps, Detergents, Oleochemicals & Personal Care Products April 5, 2006 Hollywood, Florida

Bar Soap Finishing Bar Soap Finishing - Processing Steps & Equipment ◊ Mixing – Amalgamator, Double-Arm Mixer & Mixer-Kneader ◊ Refining - Plodders & Roll Mills - Plodder and Roll Mill Refining Comparison - Methods for Measuring the Degree of Refining - Plodders - Refining Details, Worm Designs - Roll Mills - Contact Areas, Roll Cooling Systems - Special Plodders - “MP” Milling Plodder & Transavon ◊ Cutting - Electronic Cutters ◊ Stamping - Flashstamping Presses, Direct Transfers & New Presses ◊ Packaging - Wrappers, Cartoners, Transfer Systems & Stamping and Packaging Machinery Combinations Bar Soap Finishing Line Types and Selection

Bar Soap Finishing Bar Soap Finishing - Processing Steps & Equipment ◊ Mixing – Amalgamator, Double-Arm Mixer & Mixer-Kneader ◊ Refining - Plodders & Roll Mills -

Plodder and Roll Mill Refining Comparison Methods for Measuring the Degree of Refining Plodders, Refining Details, Worm Designs Special Plodders - “MP” Milling Plodder & Transavon

◊ Cutting - Electronic Cutters ◊ Stamping - Flashstamping Presses, Direct Transfers & New Presses ◊ Packaging - Wrappers, Cartoners, Transfer Systems & Stamping and Packaging Machinery Combinations Bar Soap Finishing Line Types and Selection

Mixing There is no precise definition and measuring criteria for mixing in the soap industry. Macro and Micro terms are used in other industries and can be applied to soap mixing.

Mixing of 1% to 5% of solid and liquid ingredients with the dry pelletized soap base in standard mixers can be called macro mixing. During macro mixing, the additives only coat the outer surface of the pellets. Intensive or micro mixing is achieved when the pellets are broken up to expose more surface area. This allows the ingredients to penetrate inside the pellets.

AMALGAMATOR

“Open Sigma” Blades

DOUBLE ARM SIGMA MIXER

MIXER-KNEADER Sigma (Z) Blades Heating/Cooling Jacket Extruder Screw Drilled Plate Multiblade Knife with Safety Ring

Source: Binacchi & Co.

Bar Soap Finishing Bar Soap Finishing - Processing Steps & Equipment ◊ Mixing - Amalgamator, Double-Arm Mixer & Mixer-Kneader ◊ Refining - Plodders & Roll Mills - Plodder and Roll Mill Refining Comparison - Methods for Measuring the Degree of Refining - Plodders - Refining Details, Worm Designs - Roll Mills - Contact Areas, Roll Cooling Systems - Special Plodders - “MP” Milling Plodder & Transavon ◊ Cutting - Electronic Cutters ◊ Stamping - Flashstamping Presses, Direct Transfers & New Presses ◊ Packaging - Wrappers, Cartoners, Transfer Systems & Stamping and Packaging Machinery Combinations Bar Soap Finishing Line Types and Selection

Refining Refining is the work done on soap by the combined action of pressure and shear.

The purpose of refining is threefold: 1. to produce a fully homogeneous, uniform product. 2. to improve bar feel by eliminating low-solubility hard particles. 3. to enhance product lather, solubility, and firmness by affecting crystalline structure change. Refining is performed with plodders and roll mills.

PLODDER REFINING

with Refining/Pelletizing Group

Refined Soap Pellets

Soap Pellets

Refining Screen

Drilled Plate with 8 mm holes and 9.5 mm counterbore

1 pass through a 50 mesh screen represents 1 Stage of Refining

ROLL MILL REFINING

Gap Setting 0.10 - 0.15 mm

0.15- 0.20 mm Crimped or Thin Soap Flakes

Soap Pellets

Blade & Crimping Device

Gap Setting 0.30 - 0.40 mm

ROLL MILL FLAKE TYPES Crimped, (Compacted) Flakes

Thin Flakes

REFINING SCREEN SPECIFICATIONS SQUARE MESH WIRE CLOTH

US Mesh Number

Wire Diameter (inches/mm)

Width of Opening (inches/mm)

Open Area (%)

10

0.047 / 1.19 0.032 / 0.81 0.025 / 0.64

0.059 / 1.50 0.068 / 1.73 0.075 / 1.91

34.8 46.2 56.3

20

0.020 / 0.508 0.018 / 0.320 0.016 / 0.406

0.030 / 0.76 0.032 / 0.81 0.034 / 0.86

36.0 41.0 46.2

30

0.015 / 0.381 0.013 / 0.330 0.012 / 0.305

0.018 / 0.47 0.020 / 0.52 0.021 / 0.54

30.1 37.1 40.8

50

0.008 / 0.203 0.009 / 0.229 0.0075 / 0.191

0.012 / 0.31 0.011 / 0.28 0.0125 / 0.32

36.0 30.3 39.1

PLODDER AND ROLL MILL REFINING STAGES COMPARISON Number of Refining Stages

Plodder Refining Screen Mesh Number

Roll Mill Flake Thickness (mm)

1½

80

0.10-0.15

1

50

0.15-0.20

¾

30

0.30

½

20

0.40

¼

10

0.50

One refining stage is achieved when a plodder is fitted with a 50 mesh screen. Partial refining is obtained utilizing coarser screens. The use of finer than 50 mesh screens will increase product temperature and might result in production rate reduction.

Methods for Measuring the Degree of Refining Washdown Temperature The washdown temperature test is used to measure the degree of refining, evaluating the presence of hard particles (specks) by soap feel (grittiness, sandiness, roughness). The bar is washed with both hands for 1 minute in a sink with 30°C water. Once the bar surface is smooth and all protruding lettering and designs are washed away, the water temperature is decreased. Washdown temperature is the temperature at which the first hard specks can be detected. • A smooth bar without any hard specks has a 22°C washdown temperature. • A “slightly gritty” feel appears at 23 to 24°C. • A “moderately gritty” feel appears at 25 to 26°C. • A “gritty” feel appears at 26 to 27°C. • A “very gritty” feel occurs when the washdown temperature reaches 28°C or higher.

Photo-Evaluation A visual method can also be used for roughness evaluation. The bar is washed for 1 minute in 20°C water and then left to dry. If the bar is held at an angle in front of a highintensity light source and below eye level, the dry specks can be easily seen. Using photographic standards the bar can be graded as 0, 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5. Zero represents a smooth product, whereas five refers to a very gritty bar.

Photo-Evaluation Scale

Pre-Refining Pre-Refining is a refining step performed before the addition of any minor liquid and solid additives to old (fully aged) or to new (fresh or partially aged) dry soap base. The main advantages of pre-refining are:  Easier processing of hard low moisture content syndet, high titer, and translucent soaps.  Better mixing of the liquid additives with the plasticized, higher temperature, partially refined base. This facilitates the refining action in the subsequent processing stages.  Improved refining (lower washdown temperature of the finished product). The stage by stage washdown temperature (photo-evaluation scale) changes for a standard refining and for a pre-refining finishing line, each consisting of a total of four plodders, is shown in the graph.

PLODDER TYPES Simplex Refiner One Plodder designed to operate with a 50 mesh refining screen at 12-15 rpm worm speed and 60 bar maximum pressure.

Duplex Refiner Two Simplex Refiners mounted in tandem.

Duplex Vacuum Plodder The first stage is a Simplex Refiner and final stage is an Extruder. The two plodders mounted in tandem are connected by a vacuum chamber.

PLODDER REFINING/PELLETIZING GROUP

with Standard and Interchangeable Pelletizing Drilled Plates Refining Screen

Worm Support

Rotating Pelletizing Knife

Worm Support Interchangeable Drilled Plate

Refining Screen Rotating Pelletizing Knife

Standard Drilled Plate

Drilled Plate Support

REFINING PLODDER DETAILS Worm Support Plate

Multiblade Rotating Pelletizing Knife

Worm

Drilled Plate

Plodder Barrel

Cooling Water Jacket

Cooling Water Inlet

Refining Screen

REFINING PLODDER DETAILS

PLODDER EXTRUSION GROUP

Temperature & Pressure Transducers

Small Cone (Optional) Die Orifice

Worm Support Plate Oil Thermostat

Complete Extrusion Head (Cone) Group

Oil Heated Section

Die Orifice Support & Locking Ring

PLODDER WORM TYPES

Single Worm

Tangential Twin-Worm

Non-Tangential Twin-Worm

PLODDER WORM TERMINOLOGY

BINACCHI PLODDER WORMS 4:1 Lc/D Ratio

Recommended for Toilet and Syndet Products SQ Profile

Recommended for Laundry Soap Applications

SW Profile

HE (High Efficiency) Recommended for All Types of Products

Constant Root Diameter Decreasing Pitch

HV (High Volume) Toilet and Laundry Soaps Large Capacity Dyers

Increasing Root Diameter Decreasing Pitch

CT (Constant) For Products which Require Reduced Mechanical Work

Constant Root Diameter Constant Pitch

SELA PLODDER WORMS 3.5 Lc/D Ratio P1

P2

Recommended for Combo Bars and Rim Blocks

Constant Pitch P1=P2

P1

P2 Single Decreasing Pitch P1:P2 = 1.6:1

Recommended for Toilet, Syndet and Laundry Soaps

P1 Recommended for Translucent Soaps

P2 Double Decreasing Pitch P1:P2 = 2.5:1

265°

THREE-ROLL MILL CONTACT AREAS

235°

180°

Total Contact Area = 415°

225°

Total Contact Area = 490°

BINACCHI BRM-V THREE-ROLL MILL Feed Hopper

Flakes Crimping Blade

510 Degree Contact Area (70% of Total Surface Area)

“V” Shape Roll Configuration

Totally Enclosed “Drops-Clean” Design Bottom Product Discharge

Peripheral Roll Cooling Channels

ROLL MILL COOLING SYSTEMS Standard System

Roll Shell Rotary Joint

Roll Shaft Roll Shell

In

Out

Cooling Water

HighOld Efficiency Spray Peripheral System System

Source: SELA GmbH

PERIPHERAL ROLL COOLING SYSTEM with Temperature Control Unit

Water Recycle Pump

Water Inlet TT

TIC

TCV

Water Discharge Source: Binacchi & Co.

PERIPHERAL ROLL COOLING SYSTEM

Source: SAS

SPRAY ROLL MILL COOLING SYSTEM

Traditional Old System

Source: SELA GmbH

SAS TRANSAVON DUPLEX VACUUM PLODDER

Milling/Refining Pelletizing Group

Combo Screw

Extrusion Head

SAS TRANSAVON MILLING/REFINING STAGE with Milling Valve and Refining/Pelletizing Head

Feed Hopper

Milling Valve

Combo Screw

Refining/Pelletizing Head with Rotating Knife


BINACCHI ETC-2000 CONTINUOUS MOTION ELECTRONIC CUTTER Continuous Rotation Group with Two Cutting Blades Extruded Soap Slugs (Billets) from Plodder

Encoder for Slug Cutting Length Control Operator Panel for in Operation Cutting Length Change

SAS EASYCUT ELECTRONIC CUTTER


BINACCHI USN-2000 SERIES SOAP PRESSES Pick & Place Infeed Group

Moving Upper Dies Group

Stamped Bars Pick & Place Discharge Group

Cut Long Slugs

Stamped Bars to Packaging

Fixed Lower Dies Group Flashing

Flashing

Flashing Recycle Conveyor

BINACCHI USN-2000 SERIES SOAP PRESSES with DPT Direct Product Transfer Group

Pick & Place Infeed Group

Moving Upper Dies Group

Stamped Bars Pick & Place Discharge Group

Cut Long Slugs

Fixed Lower Dies Group

Flashing Recycle Conveyor

Flashing

Stamped Bars

Suction Cups Packaging Machine Pocketed Infeed Conveyor

SOAPTEC HEXA SOAP PRESS

for Stamping on 2, 4 and 6 Sides

Stamped Bars

Die Group Detail


BAR SOAP SHAPES BANDED

BANDLESS

RECTANGULAR

OVAL

RECTANGULAR

OVAL

ROUND

IRREGULAR

ROUND

IRREGULAR

SOAP WRAPPERS MAKE

ACMA

BINACCHI

GUERZE

MODEL

SPEED

BAR SOAP TRANSFER

7250

250

Turret with 4 Cups

7350

350

Turret with 4 Cups

7700

500

Turret with 6 Cups

731

300

Flat Belt

771

500

Turret with 16 Cups

BSW-220

250

Direct from Press

BSW-330

350

Direct from Press

BSW-550

500

Direct from Press

PACKSAVON

250

Turret with 4 Cups

• Speed: Wrapped bars per minute • Cups : Vacuum Suction Cups • Direct Product Transfer is an integral part of the Soap Press

ACMA ROTARY TRANSFER (INFEED) SYSTEMS for Soap Wrappers and Cartoners

YT

Transfer with 4 Suction Cups

TH

Non-Contact Transfer with 16 Suction Cups

YV


ACMA TH NON-CONTACT SOAP TRANSFER with 16 Cups for Wrappers and Cartoners

TH

Non-Contact In-Line Rotary Transfer with 16 Suction Cups

Soaps from Press

Soap Lifting Smart Belts and Timing Belt Infeed Group

Wrapper or Cartoner Pocketed Infeed Conveyor 90 Degree Soap Rotation and Placement

ACMA 7250 – 7350 – 7700 SOAP WRAPPERS

Roll Fed Outerwrap with Splicer

Roll Fed Innerwrap with Splicer

YV Transfer with 4 Suction Cups

Wrapped Soaps Discharge

Soaps from Press Cooling Group Heating Group

Outerwrap and Innerwrap Cutting and Soap Positioning

Wrappers Folding

ACMA 771 SOAP WRAPPER with TH Non-Contact Transfer

Wrapped Bars

Outerwarp

Cooling Group Innerwrap

TH Non-Contact Transfer with 16 Suction Cups

Paper and Soap Grippers

90 Degree Soap Rotation and Placement into Wrapping Station Soap Lifting with Suction Cups Soaps from Press

Heating Group Wrapped Bars Spacer Belt Folders, Tuckers and Plows

SOAP CARTONERS MAKE

ACMA

CAM

JONES

GUERZE

MODEL

SPEED

PITCH

BAR SOAP TRANSFER

330/YV

240

95 mm

Turret with 4 Cups

330/YT

300

95 mm

Turret with 10 Cups

330/TH

350

95 mm

Turret with 16 Cups

770/TH

500

120 mm

Turret with 16 Cups

HV/1

200

127 mm

V-228 with 16 Grippers

HV/1

350

127 mm

V-520

KO

450

95 mm

V-520

KO

600

95 mm

Direct from Press

LEGACY

300

6 inches

2 Turrets with 5 Cups each

LEGACY

400

4 inches

2 Turrets with 5 Cups each

CRITERION

500

4.5 inches

Direct from Press

CRITERION

600

4 inches

Direct from Press

BOXSAVON

250

127 mm

Turret with 4 Cups

• Speed: Cartons per minute • Cups: Vacuum Suction Cups • Direct from Press: Transfer System is an integral part of the Soap Press • JONES Legacy can also be supplied with the Direct from Press option • The Horizontal Motion CAM V-520 Transfer is available with 16 Mechanical Grippers or 16 Cups

ACMA 330 SOAP CARTONER with YT and YV Transfers

YT


Cartoned Bars Compression Discharge Belts Pocketed Infeed Conveyor

Smart Belts Infeed System

Timing Belts

Soaps from Press Soaps from Press

Barrel Loader

YV

Transfer with 4 Suction Cups

Carton Magazine Turret Feeder

ACMA 770 SOAP CARTONER with TH Non-Contact Transfer

Carton Feeder Turret

Cartoned Bars Compression Discharge Belts

Carton Magazine Barrel Loader 1 or 2 Side by Side Bars in a Single Carton

TH

Soaps from Press

Non-Contact Rotary Transfer with 16 Suction Cups

CAM V-228 NON-CONTACT TRANSFER with 16 Mechanical Grippers

Smart Belts Infeed Group

Cartoner Article Buckets

FLOW-PACK WRAPPER (HORIZONTAL WRAPPER) with 3 Smart Belts In-Line Non-Contact Feeder Film Rolls

In-Line Non-Contact Feeder with Accumulator Metering and Timing Belts

Package Former Product Lug Chain

Rotary Crimping and Cutting Heads

Finwheels

Source: Guerze srl

Flow Wrapped Product Discharge Conveyor

ACMA DUAL PURPOSE SOAP WRAPPING & CARTONING LINE

BINACCHI STAMPING & PACKAGING SYSTEMS 1 Press with Direct Product Transfer and 2 Alternate Packaging Options BSW Wrapper

DPT

Conveyor USN-2000 Soap Press with DPT Direct Product Transfer

BSC Cartoner Transfer Unit

BSW or BSC

DPT

Conveyors Bar Twister

Non-Contact Infeed System

BFP Flow-Pack Wrapper

BINACCHI STAMPING AND PACKAGING SYSTEMS 1 Press with Direct Product Transfer and 3 Alternate Packaging Options

BSW Wrapper

USN-2000 Soap Press

DPT BSC Cartoner

DPT Direct Product Transfer System

DPT

BFP Flow-Pack Wrapper DPT

CARTON BLANK TERMINOLOGY

CARTON STYLES

Reverse Tuck

Straight Tuck

Glue Seal

PACKAGING MATERIAL DEFINITIONS & CONVERSION FACTORS Basis Weight

Gauge

In the USA basis weight refers to the weight expressed in pounds of 500 sheets of 24 x 36 inches size paper (24” x 36” = 3,000 ft2 = 270 m2)

Film Thickness is expressed in terms of mils. 1 mil = 0.001 inch

Grammage

Example: a 90 gauge film is a 0.00090 inch thickness film

Grammage is the basis weight expressed in g/m2 (grams per square meter)

Caliper/Point Caliper or Point is the thickness of paper or board expressed in thousands of an inch 1 caliper or 1 point = 0.001 inch Example: a 15 point board is a 0.015 inch thick board

For thin films the term gauge is used. 100 gauge = 1 mil

Micron 1 micron = 0.001 mm 1 millimeter = 1000 microns

To Convert lbs/ream to g/m2

Multiply By 1.627

in2/lb to m2/kg

0.0014

reams to m2 mils to microns gauge to micron micron to gauge

278.7 25.4 0.254 3.937


Bar Soap Finishing Line Types The processing steps and the various machines used in each step have been previously described. There are three types of widely used bar soap finishing lines in various layout configurations:

■ Line with 3 Plodders (2 Refining Stages) Simplex Refiner and a Duplex Vacuum Plodder ■ Line with 4 Plodders (3 Refining Stages) Duplex Refiner and a Duplex Vacuum Plodder

■ Line with 3 Plodders and 1 Roll Mill (3 Refining Stages) Simplex Refiner, Three-Roll Mill, and a Duplex Vacuum Plodder Pre-Refining Lines Any line can be made into a pre-refining line by placing a Simplex Refiner or, alternatively, a Roll Mill before the Mixer.

Acknowledgements This is the first update of Soap Finishing since the publication of Soaps and Detergents book in 1996 (Reference 2). To prepare this update, the major soap equipment suppliers were contacted. Drawings whose headings start with a company name were provided by the individual companies. Main titles and notations were modified to obtain uniformity. Those illustrations that do not have a company name have an indicated source. I wish to extend my appreciation to the companies who provided information and illustrations. This review would not have been possible without the assistance of: Acma S.p.A., Binacchi & Co., Guerze srl, Mazzoni LB S.p.A, R. A. Jones, SAS, Sela GmbH, and Soaptec srl. A special thank you to Andrea del Corno of Soaptec srl for his valuable assistance in the preparation of Solid Edge Softwarebased and other illustrations.

In 1879 Thomas Edison (1847-1931) unveiled his most famous invention, the electricity powered incandescent light bulb. The same year Procter & Gamble invented Ivory Soap (by accident).

I thank you all very much for allowing me to share with you this Bar Soap Finishing Review.

I wish everybody good luck and a happy “bubble with quality” future. Good bye for now…until we meet again….

Bar Soap Finishing - Luis Spitz 4-5-2006

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