Key Equipment: Vacuum Emulsifier / (Jacketed) Mixing Tank
This document describes the process flow and equipment configuration of the soap daily-chemical product production line, focusing on the line layout built around the core mixing equipment — the (Jacketed) Mixing Tank.
Soap daily-chemical products are washing and cleaning products (such as toilet soap, laundry soap and transparent soap) made mainly from oils and fats (or soap base), alkali, flavors and various functional additives through saponification followed by melting, mixing and molding. The core process is to melt the soap base and fully mix it with flavors, additives and other components in the jacketed equipment, so that the product has a fine texture and uniform fragrance. The melting & mixing step directly determines the texture, color and fragrance uniformity of the soap, and is the key link of the whole production line.
By material flow, the soap daily-chemical product production line is divided into four functional zones — pretreatment, saponification, mixing, and molding & packaging — organized around the core mixing equipment (Vacuum Emulsifier / (Jacketed) Mixing Tank):
| Functional Zone | Main Processes | Main Equipment | Function |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pretreatment zone | Raw material inspection, weighing & batching | Electronic scales, batching containers, filtration equipment | Inspect and weigh raw materials such as oils, alkali, flavors and additives |
| Saponification zone | Saponification | Saponification pot (heating jacket), stirring device | The oils react with alkali in saponification to form the soap base |
| Mixing zone (core) | Melting the soap base, mixing, homogenization, defoaming | Vacuum Emulsifier / (Jacketed) Mixing Tank | Melt the soap base and mix, homogenize and vacuum-degas it with flavors and additives |
| Molding & packaging zone | Milling & plodding, stamping & molding, cooling & packaging | Mill/plodder, molding machine, packaging equipment | Mill and plod, stamp and mold, cool and package; inspect finished products before warehousing |
Materials flow sequentially from the pretreatment zone into the saponification zone, mixing zone and molding & packaging zone, forming a continuous, closed and traceable production flow.
The typical process flow of soap daily-chemical products is: raw material inspection → weighing & batching → saponification → melting & mixing (vacuum emulsifier/mixing tank) → milling & plodding → stamping & molding → cooling & packaging → finished product inspection & warehousing. Each step is described as follows:
| No. | Process Step | Step Description | Key Control |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Raw material inspection | Inspect raw materials such as oils, alkali, flavors and additives; store them for later use after they pass | — |
| 2 | Weighing & batching | Accurately weigh oils, alkali, flavors and various additives according to the formula | Accurate proportioning |
| 3 | Saponification | The oils react with alkali under heating in the saponification pot to form the soap base | Saponification temperature ★ |
| 4 | Melting & mixing | Melt the soap base and charge it with flavors and additives into the vacuum emulsifier/mixing tank; mix, homogenize and vacuum-degas thoroughly | Mixing ★ (core) |
| 5 | Milling & plodding | Refine the soap material through the mill/plodder and plod it into bars | Milling fineness |
| 6 | Stamping & molding | Press the soap bars into molds and stamp them into finished soap | Molding quality |
| 7 | Cooling & packaging | Package after cooling and setting; inspect finished products before warehousing | Pass/fail judgment |
Note: The steps marked with ★ in the table (saponification temperature and mixing) are key process control points, among which mixing is the core control link of the whole production process.
The Vacuum Emulsifier / (Jacketed) Mixing Tank is the core equipment of the soap daily-chemical product 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 melting, mixing, homogenization, defoaming and other functions in one unit, ensuring the soap base is fully and uniformly mixed with flavors and additives.
| Item | Description |
|---|---|
| Function | Melting of the soap base and its mixing with flavors and additives, homogenization and vacuum defoaming — the key process that ensures the texture and fragrance uniformity of the soap |
| Main structure | Mixing tank with a heating/cooling jacket; steam or heat-transfer medium circulates in the jacket for temperature control |
| Stirring system | A central paddle works with a wall-scraping paddle to ensure thorough mixing of the soap material and prevent wall sticking |
| Homogenizing system | A high-speed homogenizing device achieves uniform dispersion of flavors and additives in the soap material |
| Vacuum system | The tank is evacuated to remove air and reduce oxidation, improving the fineness and gloss of the soap material |
| Temperature control | Melting and cooling through the jacket, combined with temperature sensors for precise process temperature control |
| Advantages | Closed operation, high melting & mixing efficiency, uniform component dispersion, stable product quality, easy cleaning (CIP) |
In the production line, the Vacuum Emulsifier / (Jacketed) Mixing Tank receives the soap base from the saponification zone and completes melting & mixing under heating, vacuum and homogenization, producing a fine and uniform soap material, which then passes through milling & plodding and stamping & molding into the subsequent packaging processes.
Step 4 · Melting & mixingCore Equipment
Melting of the soap base and its mixing with flavors and additives, homogenization and vacuum defoaming — the key process that ensures the texture and fragrance uniformity of the soap
Vacuum Emulsifier Mixing Tank |
|
Supporting Equipment
RO Water System |
Soap Forming Machine |
Rotary Lobe Pump |
The figure below shows the production process flow of soap daily-chemical products. The core equipment highlighted in orange, the “Vacuum Emulsifier / (Jacketed) Mixing Tank”, sits at the melting & mixing step after saponification, and is the key equipment of the whole line.
Figure: Process flow of soap daily-chemical products (★ key equipment: Vacuum Emulsifier / (Jacketed) Mixing Tank; labeled in both Chinese and English)
