Fat melting and crystallization plants

Fat melting and crystallization plants are industrial facilities designed to process and refine various types of fats — vegetable oils, animal fats and other lipid-based materials. In the food processing industry they underpin the manufacture of margarine, shortening and other food ingredients, where the physical state and structure of the fat determines the quality of the finished product.

The melting side of the plant takes solid fats to a liquid state. Solid fats are heated to a specific temperature until they melt, and the liquid is then refined and purified using processes such as filtration, clarification and centrifugation. The crystallization side does the reverse: liquid fats are cooled to a specific temperature and then crystallized using processes such as agitation and seeding, converting the liquid back into a controlled solid.

The core equipment set is built around melting and crystallization tanks, which melt solid fats into a liquid state and cool and solidify liquid fats into a solid state. These tanks may be heated using steam or hot water, or cooled using refrigeration systems or other cooling methods. Around them sit heat exchangers to transfer heat between two fluids for heating or cooling the fats, and pumps to move fats between sections of the plant, such as from the melting tanks to the crystallization tanks.

Product quality is protected by filters, which remove impurities and particles from the fats, and centrifuges, which separate different components — solids from liquids, or different types of fats. Mixers blend different fats or add other ingredients to achieve specific properties such as texture or flavour.