Vacuum diffusers

Vacuum diffusers are devices that, under vacuum, saturate or cover products in various solutions. With the help of a pulsating vacuum (in drum-type plants) and stirring, vacuum diffusers allow you to cover or imbue products (fruits, seeds, seeds, nuts, cookies, muesli) with the required amount of liquid (sugar or fruit syrup, butter, wine, fat, melted chocolate) or powder (salt, sugar, spices, flavorings).

At lowered pressure and in the absence of air, products can also be boiled or fried at lower temperatures, and thus they will not lose their original properties. They will retain their shape, taste, and color, as well as beneficial vitamins and microelements. In addition, when products are fried under a vacuum, the oil is subjected to much less oxidization, which means that you can continue to use the oil for several times longer.

All elements of the vacuum diffuser that come into contact with food are manufactured from high-quality food-grade stainless steel to avoid any undesirable impacts on food or chemical interaction. Moreover, stainless steel is practical and easy to maintain. It can be quickly cleaned after use.

Synonyms: vacuum plant, vacuum diffusers, food impregnation machines, food coating equipment, vacuum impregnation machines, vacuum coating machines, vacuum coating drums.

Products that can be treated using this equipment include grains, seeds, fruits, berries, cookies, tofu cheese, granulated products, extruded products like animal feed, instant porridge, corn sticks, corn puffs, and chips.

What happens during processing?

Vacuum-diffuser plants consist of a container (tank) fitted with a basket, into which products with a porous texture (nuts, seeds, fruits, cookies, ingredients for animal feed) are placed. By means of a vacuum generator that removes air from the tank, a pressure lower than atmospheric pressure is created.

Then, the required solution is fed into the tank (i.e. syrup, marinade, salt solution, oil, fat, wine, etc.).The specific pressure can be adjusted. The maximum vacuum value is 0.8 bar, while the operating pressure depends on the required temperature and the specific product which you are treating.

As treatments, you can use various flavorings, fats, oils, syrups, vitamins, minerals, yeasts, or salt.

Since the input products are porous, under vacuum any air bubbles will be removed from them. Due to the pulsating operation of the vacuum (creation of the vacuum followed by the release of the vacuum), the pores in the product will be intensely saturated with the substance or solution that surrounds it. Marinades, sauces, solutions, and syrups will be sucked into the product and held there.

Vacuum diffusers, by creating a pressure lower than atmospheric pressure, allow you to treat products at lower temperatures. This ensures that your products retain their original vitamins or enzymes. Because no oxygen is present during processing, products will not oxidize and lose their original color.

Reasons to use a vacuum diffuser:

- during processing, the original taste and color of products are preserved

- preservatives or protective coatings can be applied to products

- decorative coverings can be applied to products

- you can invent and produce completely new kinds of products

- these machines allow you to speed up and improve the usual processes applied to food and nonfood products (frying, impregnation, and coating, canning, disinfecting).

- vitamins and other nutrients in products will be retained during processing

For example, when salting nuts and seeds in a vacuum diffuser, the process takes only a matter of minutes, and no salt deposits remain on the surface of the product. When any porous product (cookies, biscuits) is treated in a vacuum diffuser, a certain amount of impregnation is applied to the open pores of the product and evenly penetrates into the product.

This technology provides endless opportunities for imbuing the input product with virtually any flavorings, whether they be salt, fragrant herbs, spices, fruit, wine, nuts, or mushrooms – all these flavors can be applied to ordinary products.

Moreover, vacuum diffusion speeds up the process of treating products with such impregnation, and without any detrimental effect on the product’s structure.

Classification:

Vacuum diffusers come in two types: static vacuum diffusers and drum vacuum diffusers. Static vacuum diffusers do not have any moving parts, while drum vacuum diffusers feature a rotating drum.

However, in their principle of operation, all vacuum diffusers are essentially alike. The differences lie only in the size of the plant and the kinds of products processed therein.

Vacuum impregnation of products runs only in periodic (batch) mode. The product is loaded into the plant, a vacuum is generated, and the respective solution is fed into the tank. In a vacuum-diffuser plant that employs rotation, the solution can be sprayed onto the product, while in a static-type plant the tank is filled and the product is submerged into the liquid. The final product is discharged and sent on for packaging. Then, the vacuum plant is loaded anew.

Vacuum plants are widely used in the food industry, but also in the agricultural industry in order to treat animal feeds.

Uses of vacuum-diffuser equipment by input product and final result: