- Case Study
MasoSine SPS 300 pump with heating element reduces product waste and avoids unexpected downtime for chocolate maker Cémoi
- Energy efficient pump from Watson-Marlow Fluid Technology Solutions ensures chocolate and dried fruit mixture is not damaged in process
- MasoSine SPS 300 pump eliminates costly downtime for maintenance or cleaning, resulting in more cost savings
After experiencing damage to its chocolate and dried fruit mixture with a screw pump system and a diaphragm pump, French chocolate maker Cémoi is enjoying the benefits of switching to a MasoSine SPS 300 pump with heating element from Watson-Marlow Fluid Technology Solutions (WMFTS).
Cémoi experienced damage to its chocolate and dried fruit mixture—featuring cranberries, hazelnuts, whole almonds—when it used a screw pump system and diaphragm pump.
Approximately 15 to 25% of the fruit was not delivered intact into the chocolate bars using the screw pump system. The sheared and shredded cranberries caused a build-up on the outside of the screw, leading to clogging issues and frequent production downtime. Also, dosing the ingredients was possible by adjusting the speed of the screw pump system, but this process required multiple adjustments and lacked precision.
Cémoi replaced the screw pump system with a diaphragm pump but the chocolate maker experienced performance issues with this pump type too, including an insufficient output and an even higher breakage rate of fragile fruit (such as hazelnuts), approximately 30% higher than with the screw pump. This rate of dried fruit damage made production impossible.
Cémoi needed a transfer solution that would provide the lowest shear possible. After doing some research, Cémoi changed pumps again and this time chose the SPS 300 sine pump from MasoSine with heating element as it provided all the required features to handle the specifics of this application.
Sine pumps from MasoSine, part of WMFTS, are capable of handling soft solids up to 60 mm—with hazelnuts and almonds averaging 12 mm in diameter—or products with viscosities ranging from 1 centipoise (cP) to 8 million cP.
"We selected the SPS pump based on its unique technology, a sinusoidal system with no mechanical parts, and a suction that does not alter the ingredients. We have not found any equivalent pump on the market that operates on this principle."
MasoSine SPS 300 pump at chocolate maker Cémoi
Cémoi selected a MasoSine sine pump with a double envelope option which allows one part to be kept warm through water circulation. The process requires maintaining the pump at a temperature ranging from 40°C to 45°C (104°F to 113°F), even when not running, to ensure the chocolate remains in a fluid state.
Pascal Lhuissier, maintenance and new works methods technician at Cémoi, said: “We selected the SPS pump based on its unique technology, a sinusoidal system with no mechanical parts, and a suction that does not alter the ingredients. We have not found any equivalent pump on the market that operates on this principle.
“We’ve reduced the breakage rate of cranberry-almond dark chocolate by three compared to the rate using a screw pump, and by four compared to a diaphragm pump (AODD). In the case of milk chocolate with hazelnuts, the breakage rate is reduced by 40% compared to a screw pump, while the diaphragm pump was not capable of transferring the product at all. The integrity of the product is maintained, and the almonds and hazelnuts, as well as the cranberries, remain whole. The appearance of the chocolate bar is improved.
“The dosing of the ingredients is also more precise. From the start of production using the screw pump, both the speed settings and the time waste were responsible for producing recyclable material. Now, thanks to the SPS pump, production starts up immediately, with virtually no loss of material.”
The SPS pump has a discharge feature that allows the purging of tubes. This operation reduces product loss and facilitates the cleaning of tubing before moving to the next production run.
Finally, the SPS pump has Clean-in-Place and Steam-in-Place (CIP and SIP) features, can be disassembled in only 15 minutes and reassembled just as quickly. Previously, the screw had to be transported to a cleaning room using a forklift at the chocolate maker. This impractical and time-consuming process created a number of safety issues.