CRUTCHER

producer of soap plants

— CRUTCHER —

Crutcher for bar soap production plants

The crutcher is a vertical mixer which is widely used in plants for bar soap production. It is used during the saponification process to neutralise fatty acids with caustic soda, saponify neutral fats, add additives, colour laundry soap, and prepare the detergent base.
The use of crutchers is a simple and economical step, but essential to avoid production waste and to ensure that the soap production process is proceeding correctly and, if necessary, to intervene before raw materials get wasted.

Soaptec designs, builds and sells soap plants equipped with robust crutches. Customised for each customer’s plant, the crutchers we provide can be adapted in size and power as needed.

Soaptec not only offers the chance of purchasing brand new plants fully equipped with our crutches, but also of buying replacement crutches for pre-existing plants.

CRUTCHER —

Characteristics and technical specifications

 

Soaptec’s crutches can operate either at atmospheric pressure or pressurised, they conform to ASME Section VIII, Division 1 standards, and meet DIN, AFNOR, AGMA, and ISO standards.
Generally, the material used for the production of crutches for bar soap plants is AISI 304 stainless steel. However, on request, it is possible to produce crutches with internal parts in AISI 316 stainless steel and the jacket in AISI 304 stainless steel, or entirely in carbon steel.
The great care that engineers and technicians put into each phase of the plants and their components production process is also evident in the careful selection of valves and instruments supplied with the machine, which are always selected from the most renowned and reliable Italian or European manufacturers at an international level.
The machines are provided with protective or anti-corrosive treatments to extend their resistance.

How bar soap production plants work

 

Soaptec’s crutchers are equipped with a vertical mixing screw inserted into a draft tube. The robust screw ensures vigorous mixing of the material to be processed.
Due to its unique design, the vertical mixing screw forces the raw materials to flow upwards when contained within the draft tube and downwards when outside of it. In addition, the presence of a rotating anchor blade prevents products from depositing on the bottom.
The speed of the rotation screw can be varied by the frequency inverter supplied and installed in the electrical control panel. The crutcher control can also be alternatively inserted into the general control panel of the saponification plant.
The vertical screw is centered at the bottom of the crutcher by means of a bushing that is easily accessible through the removal of its bottom support.
At the customer’s request, it is possible to place the crutcher on load cells, in order to dose raw materials directly into it.