R&D CFD, an Italian engineering firm, was approached by a gelato manufacturer to improve the appearance of its variegated ice cream containing ribbons of sauce. The challenge was to predict the sauce pattern using a simpler variegator design, as ice cream and sauce behave as thick, viscoelastic fluids rather than simple liquids.
Using Siemens’ Simcenter STAR-CCM+ software, R&D CFD applied a volume of fluid (VOF) multiphase model to simulate how the two fluids mix and flow. Simcenter HEEDS software was then used to evaluate different nozzle and feeding chamber designs, aiming for consistent sauce distribution across multiple nozzles while reducing the need for multiple physical prototypes. The case highlights the role of computational simulation in evaluating design alternatives for food processing equipment.
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