Energy-efficient production of confectionery masses with NETZSCH MasterRefiner

NETZSCH uses energy-efficient IE5 SynRM motors in its MasterRefiner agitator bead mills for the confectionery industry, achieving up to 7% energy savings, which contributes to lower energy costs, increased sustainability.

Production plants for the manufacture of confectionery masses are often run in multi-shift operation. High energy costs quickly become a critical factor. NETZSCH-Feinmahltechnik, a leading manufacturer of mills and mixers, uses IE5 SynRM motors (synchronous reluctance motors) from ABB, which are available in air-cooled and liquid-cooled versions and maximize energy efficiency, to further reduce the energy consumption of its machines. As a result, confectionery manufacturers benefit from lower energy costs for their equipment and more sustainable production.

NETZSCH MasterRefiner agitator bead mill

NETZSCH uses the IE5 SynRM motors in the MasterRefiner agitator bead mill, for example, which is used in the production of chocolate, fillings and other confectionery products. The horizontal disk mills of this type are proven, continuously operating laboratory and production machines for an almost universal range of applications in the food and confectionery sector. The disk agitator activates the grinding media with very high intensity over the entire grinding chamber. A highly effective separating device for separating the material to be ground from the grinding media ensures that the mill can also be operated stably and reliably with products of higher viscosity and achieves efficient comminution with a high throughput.

The already low energy consumption of the MasterRefiner has been further reduced using synchronous reluctance motors. Several of these machines have already been in use for years for various applications at well-known confectionery manufacturers with great success.

Successful test series shows energy savings of up to 7%

Since 2023, a NETZSCH MasterRefiner with a 75 kW air-cooled IE5 SynRM motor has also been in use at August Storck KG. Storck, known for brands such as Toffifee, Merci and Knoppers, is a family-run company that attaches great importance to minimizing its environmental impact. Efficient energy use and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions are central principles of its sustainability policy.

To directly compare the energy consumption of the mill with an IE5 SynRM motor with the energy consumption of a mill with an IE3 induction motor, a series of tests were carried out on site at Storck with identical product on parallel lines. The results showed that the IE5 SynRM motor enables energy savings of 3 to 7 percent.

The close cooperation between NETZSCH, ABB and Storck to design customized systems and machines with SynRM technology thus demonstrably led to increased energy efficiency, reduced costs and a reduced CO2 footprint.

Conclusion

NETZSCH agitator bead mills with synchronous reluctance motors represent a significant advance in the energy-saving and sustainable production of confectionery products and help confectionery manufacturers to achieve their energy targets while reducing production costs.

These results can also be transferred to other NETZSCH applications and machines, offering a wide range of possibilities.