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		Soap Production (CDI, 1995, 70 p.)
			(introduction...)
			1. INTRODUCTION
			2. GENERAL INFORMATION ON SOAP
			3. THE RAW MATERIALS
			4. THE MANUFACTURE OF SOAP
			5. THE TREATMENT OF OILS AND FATS
			6. SAPONIFICATION: COLD PROCESS
			7. SAPONIFICATION: SEMI-BOILED PROCESS
			8. SAPONIFICATION: FULL BOILED PROCESS
			9. SAPONIFICATION: CONTINUOUS PROCESS
			10. THE COOLING AND DRYING OF SOAP
			11. FINISHING SOAP
			12. PRODUCTION OPTIONS
			13. GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS FOR MANUFACTURING PROCESSES
			14. CDI EXPERIENCE IN SOAP FACTORY PROJECTS
			15. IMPLEMENTING A SOAP FACTORY PROJECT
			16. EQUIPMENT MANUFACTURERS
			17. TURNKEY SUPPLIERS AND ENGINEERING OFFICES
			18. THE SOAP MAKERS
			19. DEVELOPING A SOAP FACTORY PROJECT
			20. CHECKLIST: RAW MATERIALS
			21. CHECKLIST: THE SOAP MARKET
			22. CHECKLIST: DATA FOR A FEASIBILITY STUDY
			ANNEXES
			23. SERVICES OFFERED BY THE CDI
			OTHER TITLES
			BACK COVER

12. PRODUCTION OPTIONS

There is a wide range of possible configurations for the soap manufacturing line, as summarised in the table below. The main production options are dependent on:

Parameters

1. the raw material resources

cost, quality and nature of the oils and fats, security of supply, etc.

2. the commercial objectives

type of soap, target clientele, competition, sales volumes and prices, economic and commercial environment (tariff barriers, fierceness of competition)

3. the operational, economic, and financial constraints

size of the investment, availability and cost of production factors (water, energy, labour), existence of maintenance workshops, spare parts, access to technical support, quality of management.

An evaluation of these various parameters is essential because it determines which kind of production facility should be established to meet the company's objectives in terms of:

® production capacity
® degree of finishing desired for the end product(s) (high grade against low grade)
® flexibility of production (mass production against production of a wide range of different soaps)
® degree of intervention of the workforce in the manufacturing process/automation.

Equipment suppliers have a range of basic equipment which allows them to design and offer a production line which meets the specific requirements of any soap factory project. The possible options and configurations are many and varied, and range from cottage-industry or semi-rural production units with capacity of 250 kg/h - often containerised - to fully automated units capable of producing up to 10,000 kg/h (i.e. 40 times more).

Figure

	Parameters
1. the raw material resources	cost, quality and nature of the oils and fats, security of supply, etc.
2. the commercial objectives	type of soap, target clientele, competition, sales volumes and prices, economic and commercial environment (tariff barriers, fierceness of competition)
3. the operational, economic, and financial constraints	size of the investment, availability and cost of production factors (water, energy, labour), existence of maintenance workshops, spare parts, access to technical support, quality of management.