Page 47 - FoodFocusThailand No.202 January 2023

SMART PRODUCTION

Sugar is a broad term applied to many carbohydrates present in many plants and characterized by a more
or less sweet taste. Sugar is a product of photosynthesis in all green plants. The sugars occur as a mixture
that cannot readily be separated. In the sap of some plants, the sugar mixtures are condensed into syrup.
Juices of sugar cane and sugar beet are rich in pure sucrose. These two sugar crops are the main sources
of commercial sucrose.

Sugar Production Process The Sensor Performance at Critical Points in Sugar
After harvesting the sugar-source plant, the plant would be Processing
washed. Sugar cane would be crushed and extract the juice. 1. In the beet juice extraction, some chemical are added for
The initial juice is dark green color and is acidic and turbid. agitate the non-sugar material in the juice, which is important to
For a sugar beet must be sliced into small strips called know the exact volume of the juice because the erroneous
cossettes. The cossettes are soaked in hot water tanks as volume measurement would affect the final product content and
the sugar is extracted. The juice is collected in large vats. waste some sugar away. However, the beet juice has dark, turbid,
The juice is introduced at the top of the tower and sulfur and foamy on top of the juice, which are harder to measure. The
dioxide vapor is at the bottom called sulfitation. Carbonation solution of this problem is using the efficient level measurement
by added calcium carbonate is used to further separate the sensor which can measure the level of beet juice and even has
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soluble non-sugar materials from the juice to aid in other advantages such as being safe to use with food products,
precipitation. The juice is heated to denature the protein easy installation, and accurate measurement.
content and is then mixed with milk of lime. The CO bubbles 2. The process in a vacuum pan to ensure the growth of
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can also be introduced in this step to lower the alkalinity and sugar crystals. The syrup is cooked in a closed boiler with steam-
precipitate the sludge, which is filtered to purify the juice. heated tubes, and the liquid is extracted. The intermediate
The sludge is removed from the bottom of the tank, and the product is magma, a mixture of crystal sugar and syrup. This
juice is removed from the top. Secondary filtration is used mixture is then poured into a holding tank, the crystallizer. In the
to extract any remaining sugar from the sludge. The clarified holding tank, the cooling and drying process creates a substance
juice is then boiled in a series of vacuum evaporators until called massecuite and causes sugar crystallization. The level in
it reaches a concentration of 50–65% sugar. Each subsequent the tank must remain constant, so a reliable level measurement
evaporator in the series has a higher vacuum pressure, is required here. The installation of the durable level and pressure
resulting in the sugar syrup boiling at lower temperatures measurement sensor is a good choice because it can measure
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through the process, producing a thick and colorless syrup. a substance level and pressure in the tank. In this state, a small
Crystallization takes place in a single-stage vacuum pan. particle of sugar which required abrasive-resistant equipment
The syrup is evaporated until saturated with sugar. As soon as well.
as the saturation point has been exceeded, small grains of
sugar are added to the pan. These small grains, serve as
nuclei for the formation of sugar crystals. The additional syrup
is added to the strike and evaporated so that the original More Information Service Info C008
crystals that were formed are allowed to grow, Until the pan
is full. When sucrose concentration reaches the desired level, ข้้อมููลเพิ่่�มูเติ่มู / Additional Information
the dense mixture of syrup and sugar crystals, called 1 VEGAPULS 6X จาก VEGA เซนเซอร์์คลื่่�นเร์ดาห์์วััดร์ะดับที่่�ด่ที่่�สุุด สุามาร์ถวััด
massecuite, is discharged into crystallizers for the ร์ะดับได้อย่่างม่ปร์ะสุิที่ธิิภาพ พร์้อมเที่คโนโลื่ย่่ที่่�ตร์วัจสุอบร์ะดับผ่่านชั้ั�นฟอง
centrifugation process. ห์ร์่อโฟมได้ ได้ร์ับมาตร์ฐานควัามปลื่อดภัย่แลื่ะใชั้้กับอาห์าร์ได้ ติดตั�งได้ง่าย่
For centrifugation, the massecuite is added to a high- VEGAPULS 6X from VEGA, The best level measurement radar sensor
speed centrifuge contains a perforated metal cylindrical which can effectively measure the level of sample with a technology that
basket. During the process, the molasses passes out of the can inspect through foam or bubble, also with the hygienic standard for
lined centrifuge basket and is drawn to the outside of the food product and easy installation.
centrifuge where it is removed and sent to storage tanks. www.vega.com/en-th/industries/food-industry/more-applications/
The sugar is retained in the lined centrifuge basket. The sugar-dissolver-vessel
damp sugar crystals are dried in hot air dryers. reaching a 2 VEGABAR 82 จาก VEGA เซนเซอร์์วััดร์ะดับแลื่ะควัามดัน ด้วัย่ห์ัวัวััดที่่�ที่นที่าน
moisture content less than 0.02% ต่อการ์ขี่ดขี่วัน สุามาร์ถที่ำางานได้แม้ในสุภาวัะสุุญญากาศ ด้วัย่การ์วััดที่่�แม่นย่ำา
เชั้่�อถ่อได้ แม้จะพบกับตัวัอย่่างที่่�ม่ควัามห์น่ด ม่ไอนำ�าแลื่ะขีั�นตอนควับแน่น
VEGABAR 82 from VEGA, The reliable level and pressure measurement
sensor, At the measuring cell are abrasive resistance, able to work
under vacuum conditions with accurate result which is independent
from viscosity, steam and condensate.
www.vega.com/en-th/industries/food-industry/more-applications/
sugar-vacuum-pan

เอกสารอ้างอ่ง / References
www.madehow.com/Volume-1/Sugar.html
www.ift.org/news-and-publications/food-technology-magazine/
issues/2020/july/columns/processing-how-sugar-is-processed
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