DETERGENT AND SOAP MANUFACTURING PLANT

A detergent and soap manufacturing plant is an industrial facility that produces products containing soaps or other surface-active agents for washing and cleaning. These products can take many physical forms, such as liquid, powder, paste, bar or moulded pieces, and are placed on the market for household, institutional and industrial use.

Detergents and soaps are mixtures of many substances, each with its own role in cleaning. The term surface-active agent (surfactant) covers soaps, detergent actives, wetting agents and penetrating agents. These substances work by changing the properties of the interface between two phases in contact. Most surfactant molecules carry a water-loving (hydrophilic) group at one end and a water-repelling (hydrophobic) group at the other, and this structure allows soil to be lifted from surfaces. Besides surfactants, formulations also contain builders, enzymes, fragrance, colourants and preservatives.

Detergent and Soap Production Processes

The production process and the equipment required vary considerably with the product form. The three main lines can be summarised as follows.

Bar Soap Production

• Raw material preparation (vegetable and animal fats or fatty acids, caustic soda)
• Soap boiling (saponification) or fatty acid neutralisation
• Salting out to separate the glycerine lye, followed by finishing
• Vacuum drying to produce soap noodles
• Adding fragrance, colour and additives (amalgamator)
• Roll milling, extrusion (plodder) into a continuous bar and cutting
• Stamping and packaging (wrapping, boxing)

Powder Detergent Production

• Sulphonation to produce the anionic active (LABSA) and neutralisation
• Slurry preparation with actives, builders and fillers
• Conversion to powder in a spray-drying tower, or dry mixing/agglomeration
• Post-dosing of heat-sensitive additives such as enzymes, fragrance and bleach
• Sieving, storage and packaging

Liquid Soap and Liquid Detergent Production

• Receipt of raw materials at the plant and storage in storage tanks
• Weighing and charging raw materials into the mixing vessel (reactor)
• Mixing, neutralisation, pH and viscosity adjustment
• Addition of fragrance, colour and preservative, product control
• Filling and shipment

Turnkey Detergent and Soap Manufacturing Plant Installation

When installing a detergent and soap manufacturing plant tailored to your requirements, Makfen does more than design the plant: energy and water consumption, wastewater and emissions are also built into the design parameters. The project scope covers engineering, equipment fabrication, installation, instrumentation, piping, insulation, electrical work, performance testing and commissioning, all delivered on a turnkey basis.

• Process design and plant layout based on product form and capacity
• AISI 304/316L stainless steel agitated vessels, storage and intermediate tanks
• Agitator type matched to product viscosity, with a homogeniser where needed
• Heating/cooling by jacket or coil, with insulation
• Load-cell weighing and raw material dosing systems
• Recipe management and process control via PLC/SCADA
• CIP cleaning system for tanks and lines
• Certified materials and complete operating and maintenance documentation

Contact us for information and prices on detergent and soap manufacturing plants, or to learn about our other plant services.