Key Equipment: Vacuum Emulsifier / (Jacketed) Mixing Tank
This document describes the process flow and equipment configuration of the tomato ketchup (sauce) production line, focusing on the line layout built around the core blending equipment — the Vacuum Emulsifier / (Jacketed) Mixing Tank.
Tomato ketchup is a sauce-type condiment made from tomato concentrate as the base, with sugar, salt, vinegar and spices added, and produced through cooking, blending, homogenization and defoaming. The core process is to fully cook and blend the tomato base with the auxiliary ingredients in the jacketed mixing tank, then homogenize and defoam, forming a uniform, fine and stable sauce. The uniformity and stability of the sauce directly determine the color, taste and shelf life of the ketchup, and are the key links of the whole production line.
By material flow, the tomato ketchup (sauce) production line is divided into four functional zones — pretreatment, cooking & 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, tomato pretreatment | Washing machine, pulping machine, concentration equipment | Inspect tomatoes and auxiliary ingredients; wash, pulp and concentrate them |
| Cooking & blending zone (core) | Cooking & blending, homogenization, defoaming | Vacuum Emulsifier / (Jacketed) Mixing Tank | Cook and blend the tomato base with sugar, salt, vinegar and spices in the jacketed mixing tank, homogenize and vacuum-degas |
| Post-treatment zone | Sterilization, intermediate inspection | Sterilization equipment, inspection equipment | Sterilize by heating, stabilize the system 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 cooking & blending zone, post-treatment zone and filling & packaging zone, forming a continuous, closed and traceable food production flow.
The typical process flow of tomato ketchup (sauce) is: raw material inspection → tomato pretreatment → cooking & blending → vacuum homogenization & defoaming → sterilization → 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 tomatoes and auxiliary ingredients such as sugar, salt, vinegar and spices; store them for later use after they pass | — |
| 2 | Tomato pretreatment | Wash and pulp the tomatoes and concentrate to the specified solids content | Solids content ★ |
| 3 | Cooking & blending | Add sugar, salt, vinegar, spices etc. in the jacketed mixing tank; heat, cook and blend evenly | Cooking temperature ★ |
| 4 | Vacuum homogenization & defoaming | Homogenize and vacuum-degas in the vacuum emulsifier to form a uniform and fine sauce | Homogenization ★ (core) |
| 5 | Sterilization | Heat-sterilize the sauce | Sterilization temperature ★ |
| 6 | Intermediate inspection | Test semi-finished products on solids, acidity, viscosity and other indicators; transfer to the next process after they pass | Pass/fail judgment |
| 7 | Filling | Quantitatively fill into packaging containers via the filling machine | Filling metering |
| 8 | Packaging | Sealing, labeling, coding, cartoning | Sealing integrity |
| 9 | 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 (solids content, cooking temperature, vacuum homogenization & defoaming and sterilization temperature) 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 tomato ketchup (sauce) production line. Its main body is a mixing tank with a heating/cooling jacket, integrated with a vacuum system, a high-speed homogenizing device and a wall-scraping stirring device, combining cooking & blending, mixing, homogenization, defoaming and other functions in one unit, ensuring a uniform and fine sauce.
| Item | Description |
|---|---|
| Function | Cooking & blending of the tomato base with sugar, salt, vinegar and spices, homogenization and vacuum defoaming — the key process that ensures the uniformity and stability of the ketchup |
| 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 high-viscosity sauce and prevent wall sticking |
| Homogenizing system | A high-speed homogenizing device further refines the tomato particles and disperses them uniformly |
| Vacuum system | The tank is evacuated to remove air and reduce oxidation, improving the color and stability of the sauce |
| Temperature control | Heating and cooling through the jacket, combined with temperature sensors for precise cooking temperature control |
| Advantages | Closed operation, good hygiene, uniform mixing, stable product quality, easy cleaning (CIP) |
In the production line, the Vacuum Emulsifier / (Jacketed) Mixing Tank receives the tomato base and auxiliary ingredients from pretreatment and completes cooking, blending and defoaming under heating, vacuum and high-speed homogenization, producing a uniform and fine ketchup, which then passes through sterilization and intermediate inspection into the subsequent filling and packaging processes.
Step 4 · Vacuum homogenization & defoamingCore Equipment
Cooking & blending of the tomato base with sugar, salt, vinegar and spices, homogenization and vacuum defoaming — the key process that ensures the uniformity and stability of the ketchup
Vacuum Emulsifier Mixing Tank |
|
Step 7 · Filling
Quantitatively fill into packaging containers via the filling machine
Four-Head Filling machine
Step 8 · Packaging
Sealing, labeling, coding, cartoning
Capping Machine |
Labeling Machine |
Inkjet Printer |
Supporting Equipment
Rotary Lobe Pump
The figure below shows the production process flow of tomato ketchup (sauce). The core equipment highlighted in orange, the “Vacuum Emulsifier / (Jacketed) Mixing Tank”, sits at the cooking & blending step after tomato pretreatment, and is the key equipment of the whole line.
Figure: Process flow of tomato ketchup (sauce) (★ key equipment: Vacuum Emulsifier / (Jacketed) Mixing Tank; labeled in both Chinese and English)
