Continuous uncapping melter & honey separator · 7.5 kW 3-phase

Continuous separation of honey and uncapping wax by flotation principle, with two independent thermal zones

Made in Germany

Built in Germany by WET-Thermplate

German engineering for honey and wax processing. The tradition and precision of southern Germany's mechanical industry.

Flotation principle: how the continuous flow works

The system exploits the density gap between wax (≈0.96 g/cm³) and honey (≈1.42 g/cm³). Inside the tank you have two thermal zones controlled separately: at the top, a shell-and-tube heat exchanger holds a water bath at 78–80 ºC and melts wax as soon as you load cappings; the bottom works at 35–40 ºC, enough for honey to keep its viscosity and flow towards the outlet without accumulating time at temperature. Because both processes run in parallel, you can keep feeding cappings continuously while drawing finished product — no load, melt and empty cycle as in conventional melters.

Two thermal circuits, independent regulation

Two closed water circuits, each with its own electric heating element and brass circulation pump, move heat evenly: 4.5 kW on top to melt wax, 3.0 kW below to keep the honey at gentle temperature. Thermostats are independent — you can raise the upper circuit without affecting the honey, or run only the hot zone when processing dry wax. The entire heating side is insulated to limit losses and keep consumption proportional to the product you actually process, not to the room.

Stainless steel from wall to wall

Tank, tube bundle, wheels, frame and lid are all food-grade stainless steel. This matters beyond aesthetics: iron, zinc, brass and copper in contact with wax darken it permanently. The pumps are brass but sit inside the water circuit, never touching wax or honey. The inner tank measures 1,100 × 600 × 550 mm and is insulated around its perimeter with stainless cladding, so the heat you put in stays where you need it instead of being given away to the room.

Designed for clean-in-place

The interior is smooth and free of corners where wax would stick at the end of the shift. The geometry allows full residue-free draining, which cuts cleaning time and the water you eventually pour away with dissolved wax. Four caster wheels on stainless legs let you move the unit to a wash station or reposition it in the room as needed. The full stainless lid closes the assembly when not in use or when working in environments sensitive to airborne contamination.

Who it is built for

Professional honey houses and cooperatives processing cappings from 200–300 hives upwards, extraction rooms with enough volume to amortise the investment, and packing facilities handling cappings from several beekeepers. It fits particularly well in line under an automatic uncapper, taking the output conveyor directly and returning clean honey to the ripener and wax ready to decant. Below 100 hives a solar wax extractor or a smaller steam melter will cover most cases at a fraction of the cost.

Before installation: electrical requirements

The connection is 400 V 3-phase 50 Hz with a CEE 16 A · 3 PH / N / PE plug, total draw 7.5 kW. Make sure the room has a proper three-phase supply before purchase — it will not run on a standard 230 V single-phase outlet. The unit must be stored in a frost-free area (minimum +2 ºC) to protect the internal water circuit.