March 2009
Who Would Have Thought That Chocolate Could Be So Green

by Win Nye & Jim Ling
An environmentally friendly solution for the masses.

Chocolate makers produce cocoa shell mulch as a natural by-product of their manufacturing practices. Rather than generating additional waste, making this natural product from the waste is an environmentally sound alternative. Cocoa shell mulch has many beneficial qualities. It is easy to disperse, is similar to other commonly used mulches and soil amendments, and is fragrant and attractive in appearance.


Cocoa Mulch
 Gardeners and farmers are discovering the benefits of using cocoa shell mulch over other ground covers. It's 100% organic. Unlike wood based ground covers, which remove nitrogen from the soil as they breakdown, cocoa shell mulch becomes nutrient rich humus, which improves soil structure and the ability to retain moisture. Cocoa Shell Mulch contains about 2.5% Nitrogen, 1% Phosphate and 3% Potash.

Cocoa shells contain a natural gum that is activated when watered so cocoa shells bond into a loose porous mat. This enables cocoa shell mulch to do a better job of slowing soil moisture loss through evaporation and helps to retard weed growth. The texture of cocoa shells also deters slugs and snails to help prevent plant damage.
SWECO POD/Scalper Separator

Cocoa beans are used to make chocolate liquor. When the shell is cracked, the nib peels away from the shell where it is then passed over a SWECO POD/Scalper using a very coarse screen. Nibs (unders product) proceed to the roaster while the overs product is recycled to an aspirator where shells are further separated from the nibs, which are the center of the cocoa bean and the base of all chocolate. The shells are diverted to a bag house where they are loaded onto trucks and sold as mulch and fertilizer.


Installation Checklist For Your
Vibro-Energy Round Separator


When setting up your new SWECO Round Separator for production, you have to realize that there’s more to it than simply plugging it in, loading it up, and processing your material. Here’s a quick checklist for you to follow as you prepare to use your new separator once it arrives at your facility.

Visual Unit Inspection:
Check the separator for freight / installation damage. Items to check should include the screen mesh, Force Wheels, power cord, TechLube canisters and lube lines where applicable.

Foundation:
The separator should be installed on a solid, stiff foundation. Operating the separator while placed on a pallet, or similar, will greatly reduce the screening efficiency. There should be very little or no vibration detectible on the base when the separator is in operation.

Clearance Around the Separator:
Sufficient space must be allowed around the separator not only for the purpose of screen replacement but also for the shut down motion. All spouts/frames should have a minimum clearance of 2 inches from any stationary object. 		Shipping Brackets:
All round separators are shipped with shipping brackets which provide a rigid connection between the lower table and the base during shipment. The brackets are located, equally spaced, between the spring assemblies and must be removed after the unit has been installed, but prior to connecting the electrical power to the motion generator. Operating the unit, including checking the motor rotation, with the shipping brackets in place can cause permanent damage to the motion generator and the separator.

Frame Stack:
At no time should the separator be operated without frames, as this can cause the table to disengage from the support springs which in turn can cause permanent damage to the table gussets, motor cord, springs, spring spools and lube lines, where applicable.



Clamp Rings:
The clamp ring assemblies hold the various sections of the separator in place. During shipment, the separator is subject to vibrations which cause the clamp rings to loosen. It is imperative that all of the 		clamp rings are re-tightened prior to start up and again after 30 minutes of operation to prevent frame rotation and subsequent damage to the separator.

Force Wheels:
Check the Force Wheels for factory recommended settings. The settings may have changed during shipment. Fine tuning of the Force Wheels might be required after start up with product. NOTE: ALWAYS LOCK OUT ELECTRIC POWER BEFORE SERVICING FORCE WHEELS.

Product Inlet & Discharge Connections:
The connectors for the product inlet (cover) and product discharge (spout) need to be flexible. There should be sufficient clearance to install the connectors. The connectors should not be compressed and should be installed in a vertical position. A minimum of 4 inches is required between any inlet/outlet and any stationary pipe.

Motor Rotation:
It is now safe to check the rotation of the motion generator. The rotation should be counter clockwise, from left to right. The turning bottom Force Wheel, or bottom motor weight, can be viewed by looking downward between the spring assemblies.

Application Confirmation:
Make sure that the product, the feed rate and the product split are consistent with the data that was provided when the type / model separator was selected.


Sandwich Screens


SWECO Sandwich Screens aid in screen cleaning and efficiencies. The sandwich design is comprised of a working mesh on top of the tension ring with a coarser mesh (support screen) attached to the bottom of the ring with sliders and/or balls placed between the meshes. The sliders and balls will bounce off of the support screen and tap your top screen dislodging near size particles or fibers that tend to blind the screen and reduce screening area. The support screen provides more vertical action (bounce) for the sliders compared to a perforated plate that is typically used in self cleaning kits. This enhanced cleaning action is also a result of the cleaning devices (sliders and/or balls) being closer to your working mesh versus self cleaning kits and ball tray assemblies. This is possible with the more consistent tolerances in fit compared to a perforated plate.

Sandwich screens can be provided with  all   grades  of  stainless  and


synthetic (nylon and polyester) meshes. SWECO also manufactures a premier lightweight sandwich screen that features synthetic meshes for your working screen and support screen. The characteristics of synthetic mesh aid in the deblinding process compared to stainless steel mesh. All sandwich screens, including synthetic meshes, can be equipped with SWECO's Magnum™ technology. Screen sizes range from 18" to 72" in diameter.

Sandwich screens are motor friendly and reduce stress commonly applied when using other cleaning kits / assemblies. Since the cleaning devices are closer to the working mesh, it requires less vertical motion to deblind screens, allowing for fewer weights to be used on the separator's motor. Furthermore, safety conscious facilities can be assured that sandwich screens run at much lower decibel levels compared to self cleaning kits using perforated plates. 		Since sandwich screens can be equipped with a quick change center, it is very maintenance friendly. No longer is it required to use a center tie down assembly to fasten the screen in place. Instead the screen is placed on a pedestal and can be installed and removed with ease. The sandwich screen is like a cartridge that can be easily placed in and out of the separator unit.



Rid yourself of those noisy perforated plates, maintenance intensive center tie down assemblies and the added extraneous height of a ball tray assembly. Try a SWECO Sandwich Screen today.

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