Soft Serve Machine Overview
Rasa Royal offers a comprehensive range of soft serve ice cream machines tailored to meet diverse customer requirements. Our soft serve line is engineered to produce high-volume, continuous-dispensing products such as soft serve ice cream, frozen yoghurt, custards, and sorbets. Please note that these machines are not designed for hard-scoop ice cream or products containing large chunks or pieces of confectionery.
Most Rasa Royal soft serve models are equipped with digital controls that continuously monitor the product within the freezing cylinder, ensuring it remains in an optimal state for dispensing. We offer a variety of floor-standing and countertop models, with several options featuring an air pump to inject air into the product, resulting in a lighter, creamier texture. This article provides an overview of the components of Rasa Royal soft serve machines and references additional resources to enhance your understanding of their operation.
Control System Overview
Each machine flavour is managed by a dedicated control board located on the front panel. This interface allows users to adjust machine modes, modify settings, and access current operational information. Rasa Royal soft serve machines determine product viscosity—the degree of product firmness—by monitoring motor amperage during the freezing process, rather than relying on temperature measurements. Users can view product temperature, current motor amperage (indicating viscosity level), and other pertinent data during operation.
Key Components of Rasa Royal Soft Serve Machines
Hopper: The reservoir where liquid product is stored and pre-chilled. Liquid flows from the hopper into the freezing cylinder as product is dispensed.
Hopper Agitator: Available on select models, this magnetically-coupled blade agitates the liquid product in the hopper during cooling or wash modes, preventing settling and freezing around the edges.
Low Mix Sensor: A float sensor that detects low levels of liquid mix in the hopper, triggering a red low-mix indicator on the machine's front panel.
Air Tube: Injects air into the cylinder during dispensing. Maintaining cleanliness of the air tube is essential for consistent product quality.
Air Pump: Adds pressurisation and introduces additional air into the cylinder along with the liquid product, achieving a higher overrun (air-to-product ratio).
Freezing Cylinder: The chamber where the product is frozen and stored until dispensing.
Drive Shaft: Located at the rear of the cylinder, it connects to the motor via a gearbox. Proper lubrication of the drive shaft and its gasket is crucial to prevent operational issues.
Beater (Auger): Driven by the motor through the drive shaft, the beater agitates the product within the freezing cylinder during the freezing process.
Scraper Blades: Attached to the beater, these blades flex outward to scrape frozen product from the cylinder walls. Older versions may include a metal clip.
Dispensing Door: The black door that secures all freezing cylinder components and facilitates product dispensing.
Beater Guide: Located inside the dispensing door, it keeps the beater centred during operation.
Beater Rod: Positioned centrally within the beater, this rod helps break up the soft serve product and prevents central freezing.
Draw Valve: The mechanism that opens and closes to start or stop product dispensing.
Handle: Controls the position of the draw valve for dispensing product.
Tune-Up Kit: Comprises all wearable gaskets, O-rings, seals, and other plastic parts subject to wear during machine operation. These components should be replaced every three to six months, depending on usage.
Operating Modes
Rasa Royal soft serve machines feature up to six operating modes, depending on the model: Freeze, Standby, Wash, Off, Defrost, and Heat Treat. These modes are accessible via the control board, typically by pressing the Reset button followed by the desired mode button.
Freeze Mode: Freezes the product in the cylinder to the set viscosity level and maintains the hopper product at a food-safe temperature.
Overnight Mode: Keeps the product in both the cylinder and hopper at a food-safe temperature without freezing, commonly used when the establishment is closed.
Wash Mode: Activates the motor (and air pump, if equipped) without engaging the refrigeration system, facilitating machine draining, cleaning, and sanitisation.
Defrost Mode: Introduced in Version 2 machines, this mode rapidly thaws the product in the freezing cylinder for expedited cleaning.