BAR SOAP FINISHING

Luis Spitz L. Spitz, Inc.

e-mail: luspitz@aol.com 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.

with Refining/Pelletizing Group

PLODDER REFINING

Soap Pellets

Refined 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 Soap Pellets

0.15- 0.20 mm Crimped or Thin Soap Flakes

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) 0.047 / 1.19 0.032 / 0.81 0.025 / 0.64 0.020 / 0.508 0.018 / 0.320 0.016 / 0.406 0.015 / 0.381 0.013 / 0.330 0.012 / 0.305 0.008 / 0.203 0.009 / 0.229 0.0075 / 0.191

Width of Opening (inches/mm) 0.059 / 1.50 0.068 / 1.73 0.075 / 1.91 0.030 / 0.76 0.032 / 0.81 0.034 / 0.86 0.018 / 0.47 0.020 / 0.52 0.021 / 0.54 0.012 / 0.31 0.011 / 0.28 0.0125 / 0.32

Open Area (%) 34.8 46.2 56.3 36.0 41.0 46.2 30.1 37.1 40.8 36.0 30.3 39.1

10

20

30

50

PLODDER AND ROLL MILL REFINING STAGES COMPARISON

Number of Refining Stages Plodder Refining Screen Mesh Number Roll Mill Flake Thickness (mm)

1 1

80 50 30

0.10-0.15 0.15-0.20 0.30

20
10

0.40
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 30C 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 22C washdown temperature. A slightly gritty feel appears at 23 to 24C. A moderately gritty feel appears at 25 to 26C. A gritty feel appears at 26 to 27C. A very gritty feel occurs when the washdown temperature reaches 28C or higher.

Photo-Evaluation
A visual method can also be used for roughness evaluation. The bar is washed for 1 minute in 20C 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.

with Standard and Interchangeable Pelletizing Drilled Plates

Worm Support Worm Support Interchangeable Drilled Plate Standard Drilled Plate Refining Screen Rotating Pelletizing Knife

PLODDER REFINING/PELLETIZING GROUP

Refining Screen Rotating Pelletizing Knife

Drilled Plate Support

REFINING PLODDER DETAILS

Worm Support Plate

Worm

Multiblade Rotating Pelletizing Knife 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 Oil Heated Section

Worm Support Plate Oil Thermostat

Die Orifice Support & Locking Ring

Complete Extrusion Head (Cone) Group

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

CT (Constant) For Products which Require Reduced Mechanical Work

Increasing Root Diameter Decreasing Pitch

Constant Root Diameter Constant Pitch

SELA PLODDER WORMS

3.5 Lc/D Ratio
P1
Recommended for Combo Bars and Rim Blocks

P2
Constant Pitch P1=P2

P1
Recommended for Toilet, Syndet and Laundry Soaps

P2
Single Decreasing Pitch P1:P2 = 1.6:1

P1
Recommended for Translucent Soaps

P2
Double Decreasing Pitch P1:P2 = 2.5:1

265

THREE-ROLL MILL CONTACT AREAS

225

235

Total Contact Area = 490

180

Total Contact Area = 415

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

TT TIC

Water Inlet
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

Refining/Pelletizing Head with Rotating Knife

Combo Screw

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

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

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

BINACCHI USN-2000 SERIES SOAP PRESSES

Pick & Place Infeed Group Moving Upper Dies Group Stamped Bars Pick & Place Discharge Group

Cut Long Slugs

Fixed Lower Dies Group Flashing

Stamped Bars to Packaging

Flashing

Flashing Recycle Conveyor

BINACCHI USN-2000 SERIES SOAP PRESSES

with DPT Direct Product Transfer Group
Moving Upper Dies Group Stamped Bars Pick & Place Discharge Group

Pick & Place Infeed Group

Cut Long Slugs

Fixed Lower Dies Group

Flashing

Stamped Bars

Flashing Recycle Conveyor

Suction Cups Packaging Machine Pocketed Infeed Conveyor

for Stamping on 2, 4 and 6 Sides

SOAPTEC HEXA SOAP PRESS

Stamped Bars

Die Group Detail

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 SHAPES

BANDED BANDLESS

RECTANGULAR

OVAL

RECTANGULAR

OVAL

ROUND

IRREGULAR

ROUND

IRREGULAR

SOAP WRAPPERS
MAKE MODEL
7250 7350

SPEED
250 350 500 300 500 250 350 500 250

BAR SOAP TRANSFER

Turret with 4 Cups Turret with 4 Cups Turret with 6 Cups Flat Belt Turret with 16 Cups Direct from Press Direct from Press Direct from Press Turret with 4 Cups

ACMA

7700 731 771 BSW-220

BINACCHI

BSW-330 BSW-550

GUERZE

PACKSAVON

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

Transfer with 4 Suction Cups

YT

Non-Contact Transfer with 16 Suction Cups

TH

Non-Contact Transfer with 6 Suction Cups

YV

ACMA TH NON-CONTACT SOAP TRANSFER

with 16 Cups for Wrappers and Cartoners

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

TH

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 Innerwrap with Splicer

Roll Fed Outerwrap with Splicer

YV Transfer with
4 Suction Cups Wrapped Soaps Discharge Cooling Group Heating Group

Soaps from Press

Outerwrap and Innerwrap Cutting and Soap Positioning

Wrappers Folding

ACMA 771 SOAP WRAPPER

with TH Non-Contact Transfer

Wrapped Bars

Outerwarp Heating Group Wrapped Bars Spacer Belt Folders, Tuckers and Plows

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

SOAP CARTONERS
MAKE MODEL
330/YV 330/YT 330/TH 770/TH HV/1 HV/1 KO KO LEGACY LEGACY CRITERION CRITERION BOXSAVON

SPEED
240 300 350 500 200 350 450 600 300 400 500 600 250

PITCH
95 mm 95 mm 95 mm 120 mm 127 mm 127 mm 95 mm 95 mm 6 inches 4 inches 4.5 inches 4 inches 127 mm

BAR SOAP TRANSFER

Turret with 4 Cups Turret with 10 Cups Turret with 16 Cups Turret with 16 Cups V-228 with 16 Grippers V-520 V-520 Direct from Press 2 Turrets with 5 Cups each 2 Turrets with 5 Cups each Direct from Press Direct from Press Turret with 4 Cups

ACMA

CAM

JONES

GUERZE

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

Non-Contact Transfer with 10 Suction Cups

YT

Cartoned Bars Compression Discharge Belts Pocketed Infeed Conveyor

Smart Belts Infeed System

Soaps from Press Soaps from Press

Timing Belts

Barrel Loader

Transfer with 4 Suction Cups

YV

Carton Magazine Turret Feeder

ACMA 770 SOAP CARTONER

with TH Non-Contact Transfer

Carton Feeder Turret

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

Cartoned Bars Compression Discharge Belts

Soaps from Press

Non-Contact Rotary Transfer with 16 Suction Cups

TH

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 Transfer Unit

BSC Cartoner

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

USN-2000 Soap Press

BSW Wrapper

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
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)

Gauge
Film Thickness is expressed in terms of mils. 1 mil = 0.001 inch For thin films the term gauge is used. 100 gauge = 1 mil Example: a 90 gauge film is a 0.00090 inch thickness film

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

Micron
1 micron = 0.001 mm 1 millimeter = 1000 microns

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

To Convert
lbs/ream to g/m2 in2/lb to m2/kg reams to m2 mils to microns gauge to micron micron to gauge

Multiply By
1.627 0.0014 278.7 25.4 0.254 3.937

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 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 nowuntil we meet again.