At its production facility in Ballarat, Australia, Mars receives chocolate and several types of fat as solid blocks rather than as heated bulk liquids delivered by tanker.

Before these ingredients can be used in production, they must first be melted, stored and transferred to the relevant processes. Mars required a complete liquid-handling system capable of preparing and managing these different ingredients efficiently.

The challenge

The new installation had to combine several melting, storage and unloading functions within a building where the available space was limited.

The system needed to accommodate solid blocks of chocolate and fat, as well as ingredients supplied in Intermediate Bulk Containers. At the same time, each product had to be maintained at the correct temperature throughout the system to prevent it from solidifying inside tanks, pipelines or other components.

The high required melting capacity created an additional engineering challenge. The blocks needed to melt quickly and consistently, while the loading process had to be compatible with automated robotic handling.

A compact, integrated design

Orangeworks engineered the complete skid and platform, including the block melters, storage tanks and IBC unloading stations.

Every component was positioned carefully to create an efficient layout within the restricted space. Rather than combining standard standalone units, the installation was engineered as one integrated system tailored to the building and production requirements at Mars Ballarat.

A dedicated utility set was included to generate the hot water required for heat tracing. This keeps temperature-sensitive ingredients liquid while they are transferred through the system.

High-capacity automated melting

To accelerate the melting process, the high-capacity melters were equipped with pressing plates. These apply controlled pressure to the solid blocks, increasing contact with the heated melting surface and helping the product melt more quickly and consistently.

The loading lids were automated as well. They open as part of the loading sequence, allowing robots to place the solid blocks into the melters without manual intervention.

Together, these features created an efficient and highly automated solution for converting solid raw materials into process-ready liquids.

The result

We delivered a complete engineered-to-order liquid dosing system, specifically designed around the available space, ingredient formats and automation requirements at Mars Ballarat.

The system was engineered and manufactured by Orangeworks and mechanically installed at the Australian production site. Commissioning was performed outside the Orangeworks project scope.

This project demonstrates our ability to design beyond standard equipment configurations. By combining melting, storage, IBC unloading, temperature control and automated loading in one integrated installation, we created a tailored solution for a highly specific production environment.

For manufacturers facing unusual ingredient formats, limited installation space or complex automation requirements, the project shows the value of flexible, engineered-to-order process design.