Historians don’t agree on when chocolate originated.
Conventional wisdom says around 2000 years ago, but some evidence supports production as early as 1400 BC. The Mesoamericans believed chocolate had medicinal or spiritual properties and even used as currency. European explorers brought samples back from the Americas, but one described it as “a bitter drink for pigs.”
The Spanish quickly figured out that adding honey or sugar produced something entirely different, and by the 1600s chocolate was a mainstay across the continent. In 1828, a Dutch chemist developed powdered chocolate, and in 1847, Joseph Fry changed the world with the first modern chocolate bar.
Roper Chocolate Pumps are specifically designed to handle a wide range of applications in the processing of chocolates. These pumps are used to process chocolate liquor, dark chocolate, and a large range of different sugar solutions.
A few component modifications that make our chocolate pump the premier solution:
- Iron bearings with large square grooves allow for better circulation of the process fluid to prevent build-up. (Carbon bearings are also available as an option)
- A lantern ring in the packing prevents air from entering the process stream (through the packing). This modification is to prevent the process fluid from hardening within the pump.
- To accommodate for extra clearance, we have used undersized gears. Gears are available in hardened iron alloy as a standard or stainless steel as an option.
- The pump can be jacketed as an option for temperature sensitive processes
Other common options for the Chocolate Pump include*:
- 0.004”oversize bore bearing
- PTFE packing
- Aluminum gaskets (for applications up to 400° F)
- Lantern ring with lube fitting
- USDA BUNA relief valve O-ring
- Square endplate grooves (rotation specific)
- Lube fittings to all bearings
- Internally jacketed backplate & faceplate (these options require aluminum or high temp gaskets)
*please contact the Roper Pump factory for a full listing of options available.
Roper Pump Company has been a pioneer in the modern chocolate industry from virtually the start. Our innovative pumping solutions have been a mainstay and we’re proud that a majority of major American chocolate manufacturers depend on our pumps in their production processes.
