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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Feb 2017
    Location
    London
    Posts
    4

    Default Who should i contact to realise this project?

    Hi everyone,

    I make chocolate from bean to bar and I would like to make my own cocoa butter press.
    I have the plan but I need someone to make a custom metal part which would look like a very large piston. I tried to contact some machinist but without success. Is it because It is not what they do? Who would I need to contact?

    cocoa press support.jpgcocoa press example 2.jpgcocoa press example.jpg
    1-The first picture would be the main body of the press which is easy to find
    2-the second picture is the whole press, what I need to be made is the piston and the base
    3-You can see better the exact piece I need, do you know what kind of speciality worker I need to contact to have this custom made?

    Thank you very much in advance for your help

    Thomas

  2. #2
    Join Date
    May 2011
    Location
    Murray Bridge S Aust.
    Age
    71
    Posts
    5,945

    Default

    Hi and welcome to the forum. When you say your location is London, is that London UK????
    If it is UK, I suggest you contact BaronJ, as he's in the UK and bit of a whizz at doing stuff like that. To find him in the members list, click on Community on the title bar I suppose it's called, then Member list, to find his name, click on " B", and scroll down the list till you find his name, click on it, his details will come up and then in the column on the left will be some details, click on "Send Private Message". A new page will pen up where you type out the details you want to send. Tell him to blame me for this.
    Regards
    Kryn
    To grow old is mandatory, growing up is optional.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Oct 2011
    Location
    Norwood-ish, Adelaide
    Age
    59
    Posts
    6,542

    Default

    I suspect that one reason you can't get machinists interested is that one off parts are a pain because they can cost quite a bit to make and individuals new to machining suffer price shock so machinists end up quoting for no result all the time.
    Stainless steel is also relatively expensive, which does not help price wise.
    Happy to help but I think Baron is closer.

    Michael

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Sep 2012
    Location
    York, North Yorkshire UK
    Posts
    6,444

    Default

    Thanks Guys, I knew I would get the blame at some point .

    Hi Thomas,

    I assume from your picture that it is the tube and piston that you are after having made. Drop me a PM along with the details of what you want and I will have a look & see.
    Best Regards:
    Baron J.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Feb 2017
    Location
    London
    Posts
    4

    Default

    Hi thanks for you reply and for the tip.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Feb 2017
    Location
    London
    Posts
    4

    Default More detail

    I posted the drawing of the pieces I need, and another picture which detail the link between the tube and the base with the filter.
    Cocoa press drawing 1.jpgCocoa press drawing 3.jpgCocoa press drawing 2 1.jpgCocoa butter press pict 3.jpg
    Sorry for the drawing, I never really did that before.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Sep 2012
    Location
    York, North Yorkshire UK
    Posts
    6,444

    Default

    Hi Thomas,

    I hope that you are a wealthy man ! 25 cm (9 inch ) diameter thick wall food grade stainless steel tube is going to be expensive !!! I'll get a price for it. However it might be cheaper to have its parts fabricated, even so it is still not going to be cheap. Some 20,000 psi stainless hose fittings came out at over £600 each plus VAT.

    I'll get back to you on this.
    Best Regards:
    Baron J.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Sep 2012
    Location
    York, North Yorkshire UK
    Posts
    6,444

    Default

    Hi Thomas, Guys,

    It seems that there is no thick wall stainless steel tube available anywhere near the size (9" inches diameter) that you have specified on your drawing, and certainly nothing with a 1" thick wall. I can get a slice cut from a 250 mm diameter billet, but that would have to be machined to size and would incur considerable waste.

    It is now clear to me why you cannot get an engineering shop to entertain your project. My advice would be to examine what standard material sizes are available and alter your design to suit. I may be prudent to consider looking at specialist food machinery manufactures that already make the equipment you are after.

    I'm sorry if this comes across negatively, it seems that the UK has lost a lot of its ability to innovate. Material suppliers seem to only want to supply large quantities from minimal stocks, charged at premium prices.
    Best Regards:
    Baron J.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Location
    Far West Wimmera
    Age
    63
    Posts
    4,049

    Default

    I wondered whether it would be better to make it out of steel and fit a liner. It may be possible to make a liner out of a plastic, like the piston.

    Dean

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Feb 2017
    Location
    London
    Posts
    4

    Default

    Hi BaronJ,

    I can't thank you enough for the time you took to help me figure out this issue. It is indeed sad to hear this bad news, I thought this project would been quite simple to make with the right skills and the right material. I didn't expect the stainless steel to be so expensive either. I guess, as you said I would be better off trying to adapt a piece of equipment to my intended purpose.

    Thanks again BaronJ

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Oct 2011
    Location
    Norwood-ish, Adelaide
    Age
    59
    Posts
    6,542

    Default

    That wall thickness is quite hefty and probably does not need to be that thick. A better approach may be to find some thick walled stainless pipe (you will probably be able to find some with a wall of 1/4" or near that relatively easily) and design the other parts to fit (weld a flange on and so on). 6" (152.4mm) or 150mm bore pipe should be available.

    Michael

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Sep 2012
    Location
    York, North Yorkshire UK
    Posts
    6,444

    Default

    Hi Guys,

    Dean,
    The issue with steel is that as far as I am aware, it wouldn't be allowed in a food processing environment, chocolate is considered food, due to possible contamination issues. Having said that I do know of at least one industrial mixer where cast iron scraper blades have been used and the magnetic plug had to be cleaned and replaced daily, otherwise the downstream metal detector would cause an alarm condition then shut the system down. A rolled drum with a plastic liner would probably be a possible solution, since food grade plastics are common.

    Thomas,
    It is very difficult to develop a machine without knowing what materials are available to you. I didn't expect to find that material of a suitable size for your project wouldn't be available. Indeed I knew that food grade stainless steel was expensive, but not that suppliers would insist on minimum quantities, i.e. 6 metre lengths. The one supplier that said they would supply me with cut lengths, admitted that it would be from a short piece that they had in stock and they wouldn't normally cut material.
    They also said that they would Email me with a material specification and a price. I have yet to hear from them. Should I do so I will PM you.

    NOTES:
    From the enquiries made and the several companies spoken to, non were prepared to offer advice or recommend anybody else that might be able to assist. I got the distinct impression that the stainless steel market was controlled by a very few suppliers and that most companies were simply middle men or stockholders for the manufacturer, the bulk of which were foreign.

    Sadly I remember the days when you could make a phone call and go, usually to Sheffield (UK) and collect what you needed for a job, from tools to machinery to supplies ! Not any more.
    Best Regards:
    Baron J.

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Location
    Far West Wimmera
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    63
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    4,049

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by BaronJ View Post
    Hi Guys,

    Dean,

    A rolled drum with a plastic liner would probably be a possible solution, since food grade plastics are common.

    I wrote, "make it out of steel and fit a liner." I don't see the difference.

    Dean

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Location
    Melbourne
    Posts
    1,628

    Default

    Dean, As the chocolate spills over and is collected in the bowl. I assume they reuse the collected chocolate so the outside also need to meet food standard. Just my guess.


    Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
    …..Live a Quiet Life & Work with your Hands

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Location
    Far West Wimmera
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    63
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    4,049

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by DSEL74 View Post
    Dean, As the chocolate spills over and is collected in the bowl. I assume they reuse the collected chocolate so the outside also need to meet food standard. Just my guess.


    Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
    "chocolate spills over"

    Where? From the picture it appears the cocoa butter is pressed out the bottom just like any food press of this design.

    The idea is to use food grade plastics to seal the steel cylinder wherever needed.

    My query was how is is Barons suggestion any different to mine?

    Dean

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