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Developed to meet demands GMF-Gouda began development of its Disc PastillatorTM in the early '90s, to meet the industry's repeated demands for a machine able to make solid pastilles from molten products. |
 Pastilles from the Disc Pastillator |
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How the GMF-Gouda Disc Pastillator works The Disc Pastillator consists of one or more horizontally cooled discs. The number of discs depends on the required capacity. The capacity per disc depends on the product. A hollow, vertical driven shaft connects the cooling discs. The rotational speed of the shaft is continuously adjustable with a variable speed drive. |
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The coolant enters the Disc Pastillator from above, through a rotary joint connection. It then flows through the hollow shaft where it is distributed amongst all the discs. Once the coolant has run through the discs it discharges again via the shaft at the top of the machine. The fact that the discs are double walled ensures the closed nature of the cooling system. In order to achieve a uniform temperature on the disc surface the cooling circuit follows a special pattern. |
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The pastilles are dosed in liquid state onto the cooled disc by the specially designed metering nozzle. The metering nozzle has the shape of a pie slice in which product is kept at temperature prior to being deposited on the cooled disc via a series of metering pipes. During dosing, the cooling disc is stationary and turns one 'pie slice' after dosing. A knife is positioned just before the metering nozzle. Held in a heavy-duty knife holder the knife ensures dust free removal of the pastilles from the disc. |
 Metering nozzle for making pastilles |
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Innovation The machine is innovative on a number of crucial points, described below. Cooling system The Disc Pastillator is equipped with a completely closed cooling system. This eliminates the negative effects of coolant fumes (water vapor) in the process environment. Due to the closed cooling system, condensation on the surface is a thing of the past. This means that products that are sensitive to fumes, like hygroscopic products, can once again be pastillized. |
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Gastight construction The standard version of the Disc Pastillator is gastight. The advantages are clear; products that smell bad, products that are toxic, products that are hygroscopic, products that oxidize, etc., can now be pastillized in a protected environment. Facilities to make the Disc Pastillator inert with a protective layer of gas, like nitrogen, are already present. This means that production quality can be maintained at a constant, high level. Not only the product, but also the operating personnel are protected. Despite the closed processing space the Disc Pastillator still offers sufficient possibilities to closely follow the process of pastillization. Ample inspection windows and hatches enable viewing and access to the process space. Cameras can also be placed on the outside to display the process remotely. |
Gastight and modular construction
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Dimensions The size of the Disc Pastillator is also an important consideration. Existing drum flakers are regularly replaced by a pastillator. In such situations the available floor space is a limiting factor. There is generally less floor space available. Vertical headspace is usually cheaper and more readily available. The Disc Pastillator is a compact machine that requires little floor space and can therefore be placed almost anywhere. |
 The difference in required floor space |
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Modular construction: simple capacity increase The Disc Pastillator's vertical construction has the additional advantage that it can relatively easily be made larger. An extra module on top of the existing machine increases the capacity. A maximum of 2 discs can be placed in a module. A 'tower' can accommodate a maximum of 3 modules or 6 discs. |
Applications for the Disc Pastillator
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Uniform, 'free-flowing' pastilles The patented GMF-Gouda Disc Pastillator makes the process from molten product to quality pastilles a reality. A unique dosing system for the molten product ensures the uniform, free flowing characteristics of the final product. The Disc Pastillator was designed after many years of rigorous research. Its most striking characteristics can be demonstrated at GMF-Gouda's test installation. |
 Pastillator disc in operation... |
Advantages of the Disc Pastillator
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Pilot plant ensures process data GMF-Gouda has an extended database with knowledge and experience of a large number of products at its disposal. The pilot plant can be used for products that have not previously been tested, or for existing processes that are candidates for further optimization. All processes can be copied in our laboratory. The reliability of this process is evident from the success of hundreds of installations worldwide. In certain cases tests can also be carried out at the customer's facility. To this end, mobile test machines can be hired for certain periods. |
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Test facilities Feasibility test We need a small amount of product to judge if the product can be pastillized. Manual test For the manual test we need about 1 kg of product to determine the product's behaviour and to produce a small sample. Guarantee test For a guarantee test we need between 50 and 100 kg of product to establish the capacity and process parameters. Based on this test, process guarantees are given and an extensive report is made. |
 Mobile test machine |