Device for refining a confectionary material

An arrangement for refining a viscous confectionery paste material, comprising:

• a) a housing having an inlet region for admitting confectionery material to be refined, and an outlet region for discharging refined confectionery material;
• b) a plurality of cylindrical refining rollers mounted for rotation in the housing between the inlet and outlet regions, for refining and conveying the confectionery material from the inlet region to the outlet region, including a pair of feed rollers rotatable at the inlet region about respective parallel axes of rotation, said feed rollers bounding between said axes a gap through which the confectionery material passes and exerts on the feed rollers a force tending to spread the feed rollers and enlarge the gap;
• c) a gap sensor for measuring the gap to obtain a measured gap;
• d) a force sensor for measuring the force to obtain a measured force;
• and
• e) a drive for rotatably driving one of the feed rollers at a variable speed of rotation dependent upon the measured gap and the measured force.