Fragrances & Flavours
See a More Detailed Example
This is how a formula appears on the tablet.
This is the formula displayed on the tablet in manual mode.
The dosage of the first component, Italian Orange Oil, is correct.
The second component, Lemon Oil, is at the limit of acceptability
(Pay attention). The third component, Mandarin, is highlighted in red,
indicating an unacceptable dosage—stop further dosing pending
a decision. The weight cannot be modified.
The fourth component, Tropical, shown on a double line, indicates
that the theoretical batch in the active container is insufficient to
complete the formula. A new batch must be automatically loaded;
the operator only needs to click once to open the nitrogen fill valve.
The inventory must then be updated.
In addition to this screen, for each active dosing operation,
a second dedicated screen appears, very large and clear, displaying
the progressive weight readings transmitted by the scale.
Ball Valves
Ball valves, even if slightly modified, cost significantly less than specialized
actuated valves. Such specialized valves would otherwise require multiple
dosing lines, since high flow rates and large valve diameters make
drop-by-drop dosing impossible. Furthermore, hundreds of these valves
would be required. The standard ball inside the valve is modified
with a V-notch, as shown in the image, to provide a more progressive
opening and improve fine dosing control.
The ball valves will be fire-safe, PED and ATEX certified, and equipped
with pure PTFE (Teflon) seals, with no Viton components.
The dosing line
One dosing dine for every batch size,using simple ball valves in different
sizes, typically from ¼″ to 1″ and larger where required.
Standard valve handles are replaced with extended valve shafts allow
simple manual or automatic operation.
Valves are normally arranged in a single row at a 40–50 mm pitch,
allowing approximately 40–50 raw materials to be installed along the line.
Unless absolutely required, this single-level arrangement is preferred
for its simplicity and accessibility. Fully automatic systems can reduce
the pitch to 25 mm by staggering the valves across two overlapping levels.
Unless absolutely required, a single-level valve arrangement with 4 to 5 cm
spacing is preferred.
The line can be sized to allow multiple AMRs to operate simultaneously.
This layout simplifies construction, particularly for inserting
the automatic drip cup.
A shorter valve outlet reduces drip risks and optimizes dosing precision
The accuracy secret - an epicyclic gearbox
Simple ball valves reach high dosing accuracy through an epicyclic gearbox
that reduces the valve's 90° rotation by roughly 20–30 times
in manual operation, and by up to 200 times with motorized actuation —
closing the flow passage down to an almost infinitesimal opening.
That gives accurate dosing across the full range,
from full-pipe transfer to extremely small drop-by-drop additions.
Manual precision dosing
Manual dosing requires mobile scales that connect via
Wi-Fi to a tablet or smartphone, which displays all the
instructions needed to prepare a formula.
Tablet receive data from local mixing room software.
The epicyclic gearbox and its rotating hand knob sit
on a sliding support that runs along the valve shaft rail,
so its weight is carried by the rail and it
engages each valve shaft quickly.
The operator simply slides it to the valve they need
— accurate manual dosing without complex
or expensive actuators.
For less critical operations, a simple extended
handle on the valve shaft is enough.
Even in manual mode, partial automation can be easily implemented.
A small motor mounted on the sliding support—guided by a tablet or smartphone camera reading barcodes—can automatically
align the dosing unit with the target product.
This video shows how the epicyclic system works.
The terminal pipe shown is one of several tested in an effort to eliminate dripping.
In the end, it was found that the best terminal is the short,
straight one equipped with a drip collection cup
Full-Pipe or Drop-By-Drop Dosing
Precision Dosing
Fully automatic dosing
Automatic dosing heads slide along the upper rail,
each needing only four small motors: one for horizontal
positioning, one to engage the valve control shaft,
one to rotate the epicyclic reduction system,
and one to position the gravimetric drip-collection cup.
this drip collection cup can be rotating and gravimetric,
emptying any possible drops before each dosing cycle
Autonomous mobile robots (AMR), similar to those used
in modern automated warehouses,
follow each dosing head with a weighing scale and
receiving container starting the batch, following
the dosing sequence, unloading the finished container,
and returning for the next one.
Clean delivery
The terminal tube below each valve is short, with a sharp, narrow,
mirror-polished outlet to minimize residual liquid and dripping;
PTFE or advanced nanocoatings can be added to reduce
liquid adhesion further.
A magnetic/gravimetric rotating drip-collection cup beneath
the outlet catches any residual drops, keeping the surrounding area
and the next dosing operation clean.
Shown in the photo alongside is a prototype drip collection cup.
The current design is a prototype. The final version is quite different.
