FLOW PROCESS OF COCOA PROCESSING PLANT

1. Cocoa Bean Cleaning System

Once in the processing plant, the beans are separated from foreign matter with a machinery that consists of mesh, magnetic separators and aspiration channels.Cocoa Bean Cleaning consist of : a. Sieving Machine

b. Metal / Magnet Separator
c. Stone Separator / Destoner
d. Dumping Station
e. Bucket Elevator
f. Screw Conveyor
g. Aspiration pipe to Cyclone + Rotary Valve and Centrifugal Blower

h. Platform


2. Pre-Drying System

The beans rotate around a ceramic drum heated with infra-red which separates the shell from the nib. This achieves the “popping effect” and extraneous matter that could contaminate the product during later stages of the process is burned off.

Pre-Drying consist of :

a. Bucket Elevator
b. Screw Conveyor
c. Infrared Dryer
d. Dumping Station
e. Aspiration pipe to Cyclone + Rotary Valve and Centrifugal Blower
f. Platform

3. Winnowing / Dehulling System

The bean is broken into pieces and the shell is removed with the aid of different meshes and vacuum suction. The de-shelled broken bean is called the “nib”.
a
Winnowing consist of :
a. Bucket Elevator
b. Impact Crusher
c. Winnower Machine
d. Dumping Station
e. Aspiration pipe to Cyclone + Rotary Valve and Centrifugal Blower

f. Platform


4. Alkalizing and Roasting System

By adding Potash solution (K2CO3) or an equivalent, the pH of the product is increased and the color is changed. This process is used to obtain a wide range of colors in the final product – cocoa powder.

The nibs are roasted and sterilized. It is in this stage that color and flavor are developed. Times and temperatures are critical at this stage and are crucial in rendering the optimal product.Alkalizing and

Roasting consist of :

a. Alkalizer
b. Bucket Elevator
c. Screw Conveyor
d. Roaster Machine
e. Cooler Machine
f. Dumping Station
g. Aspiration pipe to Cyclone + Rotary Valve and Centrifugal Blower h. Platform


5. Grinding / Refining System

The particle is reduced with three different stages of milling. The paste obtained is called cocoa liquor.

Grinding / Refining consist of :

a. Bucket Elevator
b. Screw Conveyor
c. Pre-Grinding (1st stage of grinding)
d. Intermediatte Grinding / Ball Mill (2nd stage of grinding)
e. Fine Grinding / Ball Mill (3rd stage of grinding)
f. Sieving Machine
g. Collecting Vessel
h. Transporting system / Fluid pump + piping system

6. Cocoa Butter Pressing System

Before pressing, the cocoa liquor is conditioned by mixing and heating. It is then pressed and the cocoa butter is extracted. The remaining solids inside the filter become compressed and, at the end of the cycle, they fall into a conveyor. The resulting product is called cocoa cake.Cocoa

Butter Pressing consist of :

a. Cocoa Liquor Handling
b. Press Tank

c. Transporting system / Fluid pump + piping system
d. Cocoa Butter Pressing Machine
e. Cake Conveyor
f. Cake Breaker

g. Screw Conveyor
h. Filter Press


7. Cocoa Butter or Liquor Blocking System

The butter is filtered and deodorized to eliminate any remaining cocoa solids. It is then cooled and packed, but for the cocoa liquor it is just cooled and packed.

Cocoa Butter Blocking consist of :

a. Cocoa Butter Handling
b. Storage Tank
c. Transporting system / Fluid pump + piping system
d. Tempering Machine
e. Weighing System + Packing
f. Heating and Cooling System
g. Cooling Tunnel


8. Cocoa Powder Plant System

The cocoa cake in the conveyor is pushed to a breaker and reduced to a powder with the use of a pin mill. It then passes through a crystallizer in order to obtain a powder with stable crystals which render a stable color in the powder and prevent agglomeration of the particles.

Cocoa Powder Plant consist of :

a. Cocoa Cake Handling
b. Screw Cooling
c. Bucket Elevator
d. Cake Grinding Machine
e. Dumping Station
f. Crystallizer
g. Aspiration pipe to Cyclone + Rotary Valve and Centrifugal Blower h. Weighing System +