Key Equipment: Vacuum Emulsifier / (Jacketed) Mixing Tank
This document describes the process flow and equipment configuration of the honey & syrup (liquid food) production line, focusing on the line layout built around the core blending equipment — the Vacuum Emulsifier / (Jacketed) Mixing Tank.
Honey and syrup are viscous liquid sweet foods made from honey and sugars (white granulated sugar, high-fructose syrup etc.) through heating & dissolution, blending, mixing, homogenization, defoaming and filtration. The core process is to fully dissolve the sugars and mix them uniformly with the honey and auxiliary ingredients, forming a clear, uniform and stable sugar solution system. The solubility and uniformity of the sugar solution directly determine the transparency, taste and shelf stability of the honey and syrup, and are the key links of the whole production line.
By material flow, the honey & syrup (liquid food) production line is divided into four functional zones — pretreatment, blending, post-treatment, and filling & packaging — organized around the core blending equipment (Vacuum Emulsifier / (Jacketed) Mixing Tank):
| Functional Zone | Main Processes | Main Equipment | Function |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pretreatment zone | Raw material inspection, weighing & batching | Electronic scales, batching containers, purified water system | Inspect and weigh the honey, sugars and auxiliary materials |
| Blending zone (core) | Heating & dissolution, blending & mixing, homogenization, defoaming | Vacuum Emulsifier / (Jacketed) Mixing Tank | Dissolve, blend, homogenize and vacuum-degas the honey, sugar and water in the jacketed mixing tank |
| Post-treatment zone | Filtration, intermediate inspection | Filtration equipment, inspection equipment | Filter out impurities and complete intermediate inspection |
| Filling & packaging zone | Filling, packaging, finished product inspection | Filling machine, packaging machine, coding equipment | Metered filling, packaging and labeling; inspect finished products before warehousing |
Materials flow sequentially from the pretreatment zone into the blending zone, post-treatment zone and filling & packaging zone, forming a continuous, closed and traceable food production flow.
The typical process flow of honey & syrup (liquid food) is: raw material inspection → weighing & batching → heating & dissolution → blending & mixing → vacuum homogenization & defoaming → filtration → intermediate inspection → filling → packaging → finished product inspection & warehousing. Each step is described as follows:
| No. | Process Step | Step Description | Key Control |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Raw material inspection | Inspect the honey, sugars and auxiliary materials; store them for later use after they pass | — |
| 2 | Weighing & batching | Accurately weigh honey, sugars and auxiliary materials according to the formula | Accurate proportioning |
| 3 | Heating & dissolution | Heat and dissolve the honey, sugar and water evenly in the jacketed mixing tank | Heating temperature ★ |
| 4 | Blending & mixing | Add the auxiliary materials and blend evenly | Sugar content/proportion ★ |
| 5 | Vacuum homogenization & defoaming | Homogenize and vacuum-degas in the vacuum emulsifier to make a clear and uniform sugar solution | Homogenization ★ (core) |
| 6 | Filtration | Remove impurities and insoluble matter through the filtration equipment | Filtration precision |
| 7 | Intermediate inspection | Test semi-finished products on sugar content, transparency etc.; transfer to the next process after they pass | Pass/fail judgment |
| 8 | Filling | Quantitatively fill into packaging containers via the filling machine | Filling metering |
| 9 | Packaging | Sealing, labeling, coding, cartoning | Sealing integrity |
| 10 | Finished product inspection & warehousing | Inspect finished products against standards; warehouse them after they pass | Pass/fail judgment |
Note: The steps marked with ★ in the table (heating temperature, sugar content/proportion and vacuum homogenization & defoaming) are key process control points, among which vacuum homogenization & defoaming is the core control link of the whole production process.
The Vacuum Emulsifier / (Jacketed) Mixing Tank is the core equipment of the honey & syrup (liquid food) production line. Its main body is a mixing tank with a heating/cooling jacket, integrated with a vacuum system, a homogenizing device and a wall-scraping stirring device, combining heating & dissolution, blending & mixing, homogenization, defoaming and other functions in one unit, ensuring a clear and uniform sugar solution.
| Item | Description |
|---|---|
| Function | Heating & dissolution of honey, sugar and water, blending & mixing, homogenization and vacuum defoaming — the key process that ensures the clarity, uniformity and stability of the sugar solution |
| Main structure | Mixing tank with a heating/cooling jacket; steam or cooling water circulates in the jacket for temperature control |
| Stirring system | A central paddle works with a wall-scraping paddle to ensure thorough mixing of the sugar solution and prevent wall sticking |
| Homogenizing system | A high-speed homogenizing device achieves full dissolution of sugars and uniform dispersion of all components |
| Vacuum system | The tank is evacuated to remove air and reduce oxidation, improving the transparency and stability of the sugar solution |
| Temperature control | Heating and cooling through the jacket, combined with temperature sensors for precise dissolution temperature control |
| Advantages | Closed operation, good hygiene, uniform dissolution & mixing, stable product quality, easy cleaning (CIP) |
In the production line, the Vacuum Emulsifier / (Jacketed) Mixing Tank receives the honey, sugar and water from weighing & batching and completes dissolution and mixing under heating, vacuum and homogenization, producing a clear and uniform sugar solution, which then passes through filtration and intermediate inspection into the subsequent filling and packaging processes.
Step 5 · Vacuum homogenization & defoamingCore Equipment
Heating & dissolution of honey, sugar and water, blending & mixing, homogenization and vacuum defoaming — the key process that ensures the clarity, uniformity and stability of the sugar solution
Vacuum Emulsifier Mixing Tank |
|
Step 8 · Filling
Quantitatively fill into packaging containers via the filling machine
Four-Head Filling machine
Step 9 · Packaging
Sealing, labeling, coding, cartoning
Capping Machine |
Labeling Machine |
Inkjet Printer |
Cartoning Machine |
Supporting Equipment
RO Water System |
Rotary Lobe Pump |
Mobile Two-Stage Filter |
The figure below shows the production process flow of honey & syrup (liquid food). The core equipment highlighted in orange, the “Vacuum Emulsifier / (Jacketed) Mixing Tank”, sits at the blending & mixing step after heating & dissolution, and is the key equipment of the whole line.
Figure: Process flow of honey & syrup (liquid food) (★ key equipment: Vacuum Emulsifier / (Jacketed) Mixing Tank; labeled in both Chinese and English)
