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Food-Grade FDA Santoprene® AODD Pumps for Chocolate Transfer
Are you tired of having to constantly repair and replace your chocolate transfer pumps? Is cleaning downtime cutting into your revenue earnings? If so, then maybe it’s time for you to consider a different choice: an Air-Operated Double-Diaphragm (AODD) pump.
The chocolate industry presents a variety of challenges, such as viscous abrasive slurries, FDA requirements, and a wide variety of applications. AODD pumps, like the Wilden® Saniflo™ Hygienic™ Series, are specifically designed for the unique challenges that come with transferring chocolate.
Contributors
This content was developed by a PSG® content writer, using expert insights from a pump application specialist with experience in the sanitary and FDA related industries.
5 Reasons to Transfer Chocolate with an AODD Pump
AODD pumps can be used at every stage in the chocolate process, but they are most used after it’s done cooking. Here are five reasons why you should consider an AODD pump to transfer chocolate:
1. Handles Abrasive and Viscous Applications
Sugar is an abrasive substance and syrup is viscous; an AODD pump is built to handle abrasive slurries throughout the entire chocolate transfer process.
2. Shear-Sensitive
Chocolate is a shear-sensitive product. AODD pumps have a built-in diaphragm that opens and closes with gentle motion and acts as if you had a bucket of fluid and were gently scooping and pulling out the chocolate. This technology avoids shear-damage and limits the amount of oxygen that enters the chocolate that could distort the taste and color of the product.
3. Flexible
AODD pumps are utilitarian, portable, and convenient for moving.
A confectionist working with cooked chocolate and placing it into molds.
4. Air-Powered
AODD stands Air-Operated Double-Diaphragm. "Air-operated" means no electricity is needed to run the pump and less associated electrical costs.
5. Cleanability
FDA AODD pumps are known for their ease-of-use for maintenance teams to teardown, limiting production downtime.
Proper cleaning is vital at any stage in chocolate production. Especially on the equipment that interacts with the chocolate as it nears the final stages, gearing up to be consumed.
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Why is Clean-In-Place (CIP) Important for Chocolate Transfer
CIP capability is vital for all FDA approved products and substances to maximize efficiencies and follow all FDA requirements. CIP limits downtime and follows the specific FDA process that inspectors make sure is done properly.
When you perform a teardown, your line is no longer operational, causing downtime. So, it’s important for you to be able to clean your pump effectively and quickly to minimize your downtime.
One way to reduce downtime is with the Wilden Saniflo and Hygienic Series AODD pumps. These pumps feature Wilden FDA tri-clamps which are different from standard industrial clamps because they can be taken apart with a screwdriver, creating ease for maintenance teams. These specific clamps are also more universal, meaning they can be used with more of your equipment than standard industrial clamps.
Wilden AODD pumps with Integral Piston Diaphragms (IPDs) like Chem-Fuse™ and Pure-Fuse have no outer positions. Allowing you to break down the pump to only the diaphragms, which can reduce downtime.
A Wilden application engineer showing how the Wilden Saniflo FDA pumps work in sanitary applications.
Are All Pumps FDA Compliant?
No – not all pumps used to transfer chocolate are FDA compliant. This is because there's a distinction in the state of the chocolate, before and after it gets cooked. FDA pumps are needed after the chocolate gets cooked when contamination affects the final product. But other types of pumps can be used for transferring raw products that happen before the chocolate is cooked.
Contributors
Steve Cox
Regional pump leader with field experience in sanitary and FDA environments where abrasive media can erode pump internals. Cox focuses on how material choice (abrasion-resistant plastics) and diaphragm/valve design influence life in abrasive slurry and waste streams.
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