Sweet success for ProSweets

Tuesday, 03 March 2009

Having spent four days at ProSweets, in Cologne, the Kennedy’s team offer you this final roundup of all the event hightlights – Dates for the 2010 event have already been set for 31st January to 3rd February…See you there! There was much debate about the ProSweets event this year – would it be a success? Is there room for another confectionery suppliers event in addition to Interpack? Would anybody visit the show? Well we think the final consenus was that the organisers got away with it! Running the event entirely in parallel certainly seems to have made ProSweets a better attended event than in the past, and most of the exhibitors which Kennedy’s spoke to were ‘satisfied’ with the event. We heard from many that they thought the show was ‘quieter than hoped for’ but that the quality of visitors was generally good. However, we think it is fair to say that the equipment exhibitors fared better than some of the ingredients companies. The event appeared to have quite a slow start (which may have been due to it starting on a Sunday) but the organisers tell us that the four-day long event attracted over 14,700 trade visitors, from more than 100 countries. CFS Aquarius (www.aquarius.nl) Visitors to the CFS Aquarius stand showed interest in the new vertical packer which combines high-speed, flexibility and appealing presentation in confectionery packaging, and a quality assurance system that automatically checks each individual lollipop on wrapping quality. Visitors were able to experience for themselves how confectionery packaging and quality control performance could be improved.  The CFS SmartPacker CX250F continuous vertical packaging machine is able to deliver versatility and speed. It can produce high-quality Block Bottom, Quatro Seal, Quatro Box and Envelope bags in an intermittent mode. As well as being versatile, it also delivers 24/7 performance in continuous mode at speeds of up to 160 pillow-bags per minute. Nomad van Bussel, manager of the CFS Confectionery Segment said: “The product lifecycles of confectionery products are getting shorter, even for successful brands and variants. Confectionery manufacturers need to produce at the lowest cost as well as being versatile in order to respond quickly to trends. A SmartPacker CX250F is a wise investment as it not only makes it possible to produce pillow bags very efficiently at a high speed and low cost but also produces a variety of appealing presentations when needed. This gives brand-owners an additional weapon for fighting for a share of a fast-moving, competitive market.” Unlike conventional quality checking, where wrapped lollipops are manually inspected at a separate station, the CFS Aquarius Quality Assurance System is fully automated and integrated into the lollipop-wrapping machine. It also checks every single lollipop on wrapping material and wrapping quality. A lollipop that does not meet the requirements is automatically rejected and removed. The costs savings are substantial in terms of no operator-hours needed for manually inspection of the quality of the wrapped lollipop and eliminating recalls from your customers. The efficiency of the wrapping processes is increased, giving manufacturers a choice of higher capacity or faster production. F.B. Lehmann (www.fblehmann.de) F.B. Lehmann introduced a new generation of 5-roll-refiners which incorporate two main developments F.B. Lehmann introduced a new generation of 5-roll-refiners which incorporate two main developments. It contains five rollers, five motors, and five frequency converters. The result is a flexible, stepless adjustment of frictions between the rollers without changing gears. Different frictions are needed for different recipes. The different settings of each roller can be stored and recalled back as a recipe in the Multipanel. The speeds, and therefore the frictions, can be changed steplessly and individually. A fine selective adjustment to optimise taste, fineness and capacity is possible. Downtimes to change from one recipe to another are reduced to selecting the right recipe at the control panel. Other advantages of the five-motor concept include a reduced height machine, as no central drive unit is necessary on top. So the machine is more compact and can be fitted also into production facilities with less ceiling height. Feeding conveyor belt can also be placed very close on top of the machine. There are no gearwheels or an oil tray inside the machine body. Very easy and proper installation of the individual drives giving good access to the hydraulic system on the drive side of the machine. After re-grinding of the rollers the re-grinding of gearwheels is no longer necessary. In combination with the forced cooling water system the five-roll-refiner is said to be ideal for flexible applications and different heat-sensible products, such as milk chocolates and for very fine chocolates. Additionally, a calcium layer build up in the inner water cooling section of the rollers is prevented, as a closed cooling water loop is forseen. F.B.Lehmann also have a large range of ball mills available, to cover the whole production need for the industry also in concern of ball mill grinding starting from 50 kg/h up to 2.500 kg/h. Further equipment such as thin film reactors or taste changers, liquefiers, scraper coolers, melters in different executions for different purposes and a good range of feeding stations for liquid and powdery products and raw material treatment are produced by F.B.Lehmann. This equipment is added into the production lines depending on the requirement of the customer. Thanks to the conical, horizontal design of the grinding chamber masses with extremely narrow corn spectrum can be produced. Therefore a good flowability of the mass and fewer cause particles in the mass result. Several options are available for further optimising the product. Customers are welcome at the well equipped test centre at F.B. Lehmann in South Germany. Aasted (www.aasted-mikroverk.com) Aasted offered visitors the opportunity to take a closer look at the new AMC SuperNova tempering machines series, which are said to constitute the state-of-the-art within chocolate tempering. The AMC SuperNova Basic module covers anything from straight heat exchanging of any pumpable mass to highly precise creation of Beta V crystals in high-quality chocolate mass. The AMC SuperNova 1000 PreTreat, the AMC SuperNova 2200 CTS and the AMC SuperNova 1000 Aeration will also be displayed. The PreTreat module is laid out for both cooling and heating and ensures safe stabilization of varying temperatures in chocolate mass pumped from an external tank. The mass is then free from undesirable crystals, ensuring longer shelf life for chocolate products and minimising fat-bloom. The CTS version of the AMC SuperNova features a space saving built-in compact tempering system for re-circulation of excess mass. The Aeration version of the AMC SuperNova will supply any kind of aerated mass to a production line. The gas is supplied directly into the chocolate outlet so that the tempering and crystallization process is not disturbed by the gas mixing. Alfred L. Wolff  (www.alwolff.com) The synergy of professional ingredients, innovative developments and technological know-how was the joint message of Alfred L. Wolff and Drouven & Fabry to confectionery manufacturers at Prosweets. A variety of products from the two companies were on display, including gumming or pre-coating, polishing, glazing and sealing, oiling or anti-sticking, souring, gelling or jellyfying, enrobing and encapsulating, texture enhancing or flavour harmonising. Products included Quick Coat and Quick Coat Sugarfree, Quick Shine, Quick Glanz C/H/M/L, Quick Lac, Quick Oil, Quick Chew and the newly developed Quick Glanz K – a polishing agent (powder) for the direct polish of hard-coated dragees – and Quick Sol, a polishing agent for chocolate-coated cereal flakes. Alfred Wolff’s confectionery performers are offered in different types, corresponding to the nature of the finished product, such as hard-coated or soft-coated dragees – pan-coated goods, mogul articles, or extruded goods. Each one is adaptable to the particular production requirements of a confectionery manufacturer to allow for an optimum yield and processing performance. Quick Gum gum arabic, QSLic quick soluble licorice extract, and ALW Agar-Agar offer customised natural ingredients with the ability to provide the right texture, consistency, and flavour to a range of candies. For fibre-enriched and calorie-reduced confectioneries, Quick Fibre is a functional fibre which can be easily added to a recipe, allowing for the declaration of a valuable source of dietary fibre. When Suzanne Callander asked Anita Benech of Alfred Wolff  about her views on the event, she said: “We generally observed a lower level of attendance at the two shows – both on the exhibitor and the visitor levels – but a high degree of professionalism on the visitor's side, which made the event satisfactory for us. Quick Glanz K and Quick Sol both received much attention and interest from confectionery visitors to our stand. We believe that this confirms their functionality as a polishing agent for hard-coated dragees, and for chocolate-coated cereal flakes, respectively. Both offerings clearly meet the needs of confectionery manufacturers for professional ingredients with process-oriented advantages." A.M.P Rose (www.amp-rose.com) A new design of continuous toffee cooker was shown by A.M.P Rose. The system comprises a load-cell based raw material dosing and dissolving unit, a dissolver, a continuous toffee cooker, and colour/flavour metering and feeding unit. These component parts are linked together with the appropriate transfer pumps/pipework and the whole system is skid-mounted and manufactured from food-grade stainless steel. The PLC controlled system uses an operator interface to provide flexibility, in terms of different recipes, and consistent product quality. The cooker works on the same principle as a batch cooker, with the cooking and caramelization being achieved simultaneously. The end result is a well emulsified, smooth caramel with accurate control of the final moisture content, flavour and colour, says the company. The final cooked product is discharged onto a cooling drum, with an integrated belt conveyor, which takes the product directly to the batch roller for further processing. This new development allows A.M.P Rose to offer a complete manufacturing and packaging system, from the raw material feeding through to the wrapped and bagged product, which requires minimal operator intervention. Outputs of up to 1500kgs/hr are possible. Carcano (www.carcano.com) Carcano is one of the leading companies in Europe in the field of flexible packaging with aluminium foil for the confectionery, food and pharmaceutical industries. The excellence of Carcano’s products is guaranteed by the in-house manufacture of aluminium foil, resulting in the highest levels of quality, performance and dimensional characteristics . It is also the fruit of a long experience and of the rooting in the territory (the establishment of the company in Mandello dates back to 1896). Alufoil’s characteristics, product protection, design and printing techniques combine to provide confectionery manufacturers with an outstanding visual impact at the point of sale. In its Delebio site, Carcano has systematically invested not only in thin foil rolling, but also in the accessorial systems and equipment, always maintaining a state-of-the-art technology. Part of the aluminium foil produced in Delebio is converted in Mandello for different applications in flexible packaging and technological sectors. Carcano has always invested in new pieces of equipment also in this site. At present there are 9 colouring and lacquering (primer and heat sealing coating) machines, 4 rotogravure machines to print up to 8 colours, 5 machines to laminate alufoil to paper or to plastic films, 9 embossing machines with cylinders for more than 200 patterns and various slitting machines for sheets and reels in the different sizes required by customers. Carcano’s own graphic department takes care of developing, both aesthetically and technically, the various requests by the customers. Carle & Montanari (www.carle-montanari.it ) Of particular interest on the Carle & Montanari stand was the innovatively designed new vertical cooler and the new HFI 518 five-roll refiner. A spokesperson for the company said: “Visitor reactions to our equipment surpassed all of our expectations, a sign that the chocolate market is thriving.” The HFI 518 five-roll refiner is a state-of-the-art solution for refining chocolate, compounds and similar masses. The new model combines technical innovation to increase capacity, accessibility and ease of cleaning, with greatly reduced maintenance times, thanks to a new layout for the refining cylinders and power train. The new software for dry-run protection also attracted much attention. The new vertical cooler for moulding lines in the CAVEMIL series also turned heads. Extremely flexible and modular, the new cooler can accommodate any type of mould, from individual ones for flat-bottomed products (both the narrowest version for pralines and the widest for use with two rows of chocolate bars) to twin machines for chocolate eggs, balls and figures. This flexibility allows customers to maximise their investment by taking full advantage of the moulding line’s capacity and thereby avoiding costly down time due to the seasonality of certain products. The line can be used, in turns, to produce the staple items such as pralines, small chocolates and bars, and more seasonal items such as eggs or figures, without compromising its overall efficiency. Duyvis Wiener B.V. (www.duyviswiener.com ) Qchoc QC-400 is a compact new, all-in-one batchwise mixing, refining and conching machine for chocolate. It is built using proven components, which are connected and/or integrating in an efficient manner to produce an all-in-one, stand-alone chocolate batch installation that is able to produce chocolate of an outstanding fineness and quality. The Qchoc consists of an intensive pre-mixer based on the principle of taking crystal sugar as a basic ingredient and getting and keeping it in suspension. This pre-mixer has evolved out of a combination of existing techniques which have been combined in a unique manner. The mixing time has been reduced to practically zero by this design. This means that, after adding the last ingredient, the grinding process can be started immediately. Grinding takes place in a specially dimensioned ball mill, which efficiently executes the grinding by means of the configuration of the stirring arms, as well as the choice of the right ball diameter. By making good use of the created surface of the Qchoc and a special warm/cold water system the temperature of the product can also be strictly controlled. The integrated Taste-Changer checks the product and treats it intensively using hot air, shifting tension and surface enlargement. The Taste-Changer gives the product the same characteristics as if it were conched. The product is pumped through the machine by a specially designed pump, which is also suitable for pumping crystal sugar in suspension. The construction of the Qchoc is highly sanitary and it can easily be placed without the need for special provisions. Because of the closed water system and the efficient handling of supplied energy, the Qchoc has little or no negative environmental impact. The standard Qchoc is able to produce 400kg chocolate in two hours. Franz Haas Waffel- und Keksanlagen (www.haas.com) Franz Haas Waffel- und Keksanlagen presented a type EWB-R IND automatic wafer stick baking oven combined with a pillow stick crimper as well as a manual wafer baking machine – type HZ-WA TURTLE; a biscuit sandwiching machine – type SWM 1A; and a high-speed depositor for aerated masses. The Wafer Stick Baking Oven can be used for the fully automatic production of wafer sticks (wafer flutes). Features include a baking ring with electric induction heating: no hazardous emissions, environmentally friendly, low operating noise, high heat efficiency of more than 70%, all-stainless-steel panelling, vented side doors which ensure a pleasant temperature in the working area, baking ring and rolling tools driven by frequency-controlled motors, PLC with automatic baking temperature control, touchscreen operation, all electric and electronic components are integrated into the machine – there is no need for external wiring or switch cabinets, optional devices allow a variety of different end products such as two-colored sticks, flattened sticks, fan-shaped wafers or pillow-shaped sticks. Franz Haas Waffel- und Keksanlagen says that the main uses for the manual wafer baking machine are for the production of flat wafers, hollow wafers or waffles in labs or in the catering trade. Features include simple operation, robust and compact construction, self-supporting, easily exchangeable baking plates of gray cast iron for long service life and optimal energy exploitation, heating by electric heating elements, freely adjustable temperature and baking time, and automatic operating data logging. The main use for the sandwiching machine is for the production of cream or jam-filled biscuit sandwiches - at rates of up to 600 sandwiches/min. Features include a vacuum belt to ensure smooth and hygienic transport of the biscuits. The unit is said to be especially suited for sticky creams and masses such as jam or caramel and it makes the processing of round, square and rectangular biscuits possible. It promises high precision by automatically monitored cream depositing and servo controlled drives, a fully enclosed working area meets the highest demands for hygiene and operator safety, and it offers good accessibility to all components through folding doors, quick removal of all product-contacting parts possible without tools, high-performance cameras and monitoring software ensure top product quality. The High-Speed Depositor is suitable for depositing all types of aerated chocolate creams, batters and marshmallows. A patented high-speed dosing system allows speeds of up to 300 rows/minute, depending on product. Different product distances within one row is possible due to modular design of the unit. Dosing weight differences are kept within very close limits by synchronized volume flow for each product by means of mechanically linked annular gear pumps, precise depositing even at high speeds is ensured by highly dynamic X- and Z-axes with advanced servo technology, quick product changeover is possible thanks to the exchangeable depositing tools. GNT (www.gnt-group.com) Exberry colouring foodstuffs were shown by GNT. They are concentrates of edible fruits and vegetables that can be used to deliver a range of brilliant and stable shades for confectionery. Exberry is said to offer excellent technical performance together with an increasingly desirable clean label (free from additive colours and their corresponding E-numbers). Today many confectionery products are still coloured synthetically. However, increasing media and retailer pressure, coupled with heightened consumer awareness concerning health and wellbeing, means the use of such colours is diminishing as more natural and trusted alternatives are increasingly available. At the event food experts were invited to experience Exberry colouring foodstuffs for themselves. Vibrant and appetising confectionery demonstrations including hard-boiled candies and gummy bears were offered, all coloured naturally by Exberry colouring ingredients. ProSweets allowed GNT’s experts to share the valuable market advantages of  its colouring foodstuffs with exhibition visitors – providing truly natural and clean label ingredients for leading confectionery brands of the future. Hans Brunner (www.hansbrunner.com) The addition of a new injection moulding machine has allowed one producer of chocolate moulds to produce larger mould formats than has been possible in the past. Hans Brunner began experimenting with synthetic materials in 1949 in an attempt to provide confectioners with a better and cheaper alternative to the expensive metal moulds that were in use at the time. The company went on to produce the first plastic chocolate mould and since then has continually strived to improve its chocolate moulds, developing unique manufacturing techniques to ensure that it can meet all of its customers requirements, both today and in the future. As a full range mould supplier, Hans Brunner offers moulds for traditional bar and shell moulding, one-shot and spinning moulds and moulds for cold-press processes in order to produce bars, tablets, pralines and hollow figures. The company also makes sure that it is always up-to-date with the materials it uses to produce its moulds. Polycarbonate is used as standard. However, a lot of other materials – impact resistant modified materials – for example, are also available on request. The company uses the latest engineering techniques and production processes to ensure it remains at the cutting-edge of chocolate mould production, and employs the most modern milling centres available. The company employs a range of injection moulding machinery – from small to large, with clamping forces ranging from 50 to 1,500 tonnes. Most recently, it has added a new injection moulding machine to its existing equipment which boasts a clamping force of 2,300 tonnes. This has enabled the company to produce larger format chocolate moulds than has previously been possible. The new machine has also enabled the company to increase production capacity, to ensure that it is able to meet all future demands and requirements from customers. Another recent innovation from the company is the use of RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) transponders in its chocolate moulds. With this technology customers now have the facility to identify and localise the chocolate moulds automatically and contactless, and to optimse their process cycles. The company prides itself on its human touch and its ability to help customers meet their individual designs. Indeed, it is this fact that has resulted in the company becoming a leading supplier of chocolate moulds. Its customers range from tiny artisan businesses making chocolates by hand, as well as medium-sized and large concerns operating fully automated production lines. The company is able to provide standard moulds and moulds for clients with specific requirements. Lareka (www.lareka.nl) If we were to give a prize for the best-looking piece of equipment at the event, it would have gone to the new double stage tablet packer shown by Lareka. This truly beautiful piece of equipment has been designed to meet the increasing demand of premium chocolate packed in cartons. By packing the tablet firstly in film (flowpack) and secondly in a pre-glued box, Lareka has created a new and innovative way of packing tablets which also offers a tamper-evident package. The Lareka TP75 ds offers gentle product handling. It is possible to pack 6mm thick tablets with whole hazelnuts without damaging the product. Also, products with irregular shapes can be packed (for example enrobed products). The machine can also pack a variety of shapes and sizes  with widths varying from 50 to 100mm, lengths from 60 to 215mm and heights from 6 to 40mm at speeds of up to 75 tablets/min. Loesch (www.loeschpack.com) LoeschPack displayed innovations and benefits for its customers. The company was represented by its innovation team, which comprises head fitters and design, development, sales and company management. The latest generation of machines and new developments were on display including the LRM-S a high performance fold wrapping machine for chocolate bars. The requirement for larger and smaller articles to be packaged in a large range of formats also often applies to a multitude of small chocolate articles such as bars, mini tablets and Neapolitans. With a sealed or glued bottom seam, or simply left open. Either way, high capacities are required in order to be able to utilize typical casting line output to the full. The LRM-G-S high performance fold wrapping machine can individually package a variety of types and shapes of bars, mini tablets and Neapolitans. The articles can be wrapped in one or two types of packaging materials in a single production step – with envelope folding, sleeve folding, or cubed folding, with or without the closure of the bottom seam. A variety of packing materials, with differing properties, can be used for the packaging, both for the inner wrapping and for the outer wrapping: coated, sealable or paper laminated aluminum foil, embossed or smooth - paper - plain or printed sections – from the roll – sealed or glued transparent film, which can also be combined with aluminum foil on one side. The machines are available as left or right-hand versions and can package up to 500 bars/min. As a rule, small articles are grouped in multipacks and packaged further, so the LRM-S machine will be on display in combination with the LTM-K-SA multipack machine which provides substantial flexibility for the individual and multipackaging of chocolate articles. The individually packed articles coming from the LRM are sorted according to package content – single variety or mixed. The package contents are then packaged into trendy multipacks using carton wrap on the LTM-K-SA cartoning machine. This single station machine produces a folded carton wrapping for multipacks with one or more rows of prepackaged bars (mono or mixed) or mini chocolates. The performance range is up to 150 multipacks/min. Four individual, packaged bars are sorted at a time and packaged in a folded cardboard outer cover. The cardboard could be opened on the bar’s upper surface similar to opening an envelope. Molded Fiber Glass Tray Company (www.mfgtray.com) A range of starch trays, gum boards, holding and processing trays for the confectionery industry were shown by MFG. Its starch trays meet the criteria for NSF and are accepted for direct food contact. Independently tested and certified per EEC Directives 2002/72/EC & amendments up to 2005/79/EC for global migration. The uniform size and dimensional stability of the trays enable increased mogul speeds for increased throughput. They are made from reinforced plastic material, and will withstand temperatures of between –40°C to +121°C. M-real (www.m-real.com) M-real showed its high-performance cartonboards that are said to feature excellent sensory properties – these include Carta Solida and Simcote. All are made from pure virgin fibre, sourced from sustainable, well managed forests. They are manufactured under the highest environmental and safety standards, with ISO 22000 certification held by all its mills (replacing HACCP). It also offered advice on the best way to control the sensory properties of packaging materials and to ensure that products are kept free from unwanted taint and odour, in line with increasing consumer awareness of food safety combined with market demands for longer shelf life set high standards for confectionery packaging M-real’s range of packaging boards has undergone continuous development. They have been light-weighted so that they now offer the same properties of stiffness and bulk as heavier conventional grades but in lower substances. This means they can be specified for confectionery packaging without losing a quality feel, but will result in cost-savings and benefits to the environment. NETZSCH (www.netzsch.com) The NETZSCH ChocoEasy® is designed for the production all types of high quality chocolate starting from the raw materials. Users have a high degree of flexibility and can used their own influence on the chocolate formulation and quality, says the company. A range of machines allows production of batches from 25 to 6,000kg within an enclosed, space-saving module. Thanks to the modular construction of the plant future expansion of the system is easily accomplished. The unit also has a low energy consumption, cooling water use and space requirements (each with up to 40% savings over traditional systems). Shorter process times for a batch by grinding and liquid conching at the same time allow more productivity from a single machine. This may enable a savings of up to 5% cocoa butter, claims the company. Wolf Spezialmaschinen (www.wolf-machines.de) Wolf can offer complete solutions relating to tempering, enrobing and cooling, decorating, chocolate coating, depositing compounds, and special units such as nut cutters and nut cluster machines. Peripheral units such as tanks, pumps are also part of the programme. Focus during the last few years has been on the advancement of the coating cabin belt coater. It is designed for three-shift operation and is equipped with an automatic belt cleaning system. The heated scraper, in particular, which is installed within the cabin, minimises chocolate build-up on the belt and made cleaning intervals between batches largely unnecessary.  This in turn lessens the proportion of rework chocolate accumulated, making significant cost savings possible. The company displayed a belt coater DRA 600; a tempering machine UF 200; and a high-performance drop depositor for the production of small chocolate drops. Roquette Positioned at the entrance to the exhibition, an abundance of chocolate taste sensations awaited visitors’ taste buds on the Roquette stand. SweetPearl is a maltitol sweetener with nutritional benefits. Produced from cereals and with a naturally sweet taste, this carbohydrate serrved as a source of inspiration for Roquette’s master chocolate maker at the event. He shared his creative ideas with visitors. In addition, visitors were able to discover the results of a consumer survey recently initiated by Roquette. Conducted in Europe, its purpose was to gain better knowledge of consumer chocolate preferences and demands. Backed by its large range of ingredients and widely acknowledged expertise Roquette used the event to present new ingredient solutions that can help meet the challenges faced by the producers of confectionery and biscuits – the formulation of products that are reliable, innovative, convenient and economically viable as well as delivering credible nutritional values without forgetting to be environmentally friendly. Schubert Schubert presented a TLM thermoforming, filling and closing machine, designed for use with ultrasonic technology. Ultrasound enables packages to be sealed for easy opening, and enables the kind of punching contours marketing departments dream of – with virtually wear-free sealing and punching tools, says the company. Ultrasound seals through soiled sealing edges and always ensures a validatable sealing quality. Visitors to the stand were also able to obtain general information on the technology of the company’s flexible TLM packaging machines. The ultrasonic process has proven itself in thermoforming, filling and closing machines and Schubert presented a TLM thermoforming, filling and closing machine designed for ultrasonic technology. Ultrasound enables packages to be sealed for easy opening. And ultrasound enables the kind of punching contours marketing departments dream of, with virtually wear-free sealing and punching tools. Ultrasound seals through soiled sealing edges and always ensures a validatable sealing quality. Schubert had many interesting conversations with customers and new contacts at the trade fair thanks to the ultrasonic process and the new TLM thermoforming, filling and closing machine. In addition, visitors gathered general information on the pioneering technology of the flexible TLM packaging machines. Baker Perkins A new addition to the range of flat lollipop styles was launched by Baker Perkins. Flat lollipops can now be decorated with small candy pieces that enhance their visual appeal and make a new range of exciting taste and texture combinations possible. The additional personality that this gives the lollipops opens up more product development opportunities in the character merchandising and novelty products sectors, says the company.       Flat lollipops can be made in one, two, three or four colours, and as layered or striped products. A range of hard, soft and gum centre-fills adds distinctive texture possibilities, while the ability to mould images or words onto the product adds visual appeal and character merchandising opportunities. Key to this development is the innovative design of a new stick placing system that is able to place sticks automatically and accurately. This achieves consistent quality by ensuring that the entire stick is enclosed within the product. Flat lollipop capability has been extended to the ServoForm Duo, a combination machine that now enables hard candies and either ball or flat lollipops to be produced on the same machine. R Simon Dryers The Simon tubular dryer and cooler, from R Simon Dryers, was on display at the show. It is said to be ideally suited for the application of re-processing moulding starch after use. It provides a continuous process, producing the starch for reuse at the right temperature in a relatively short time. The process is more economical than batch drying, says the company, saving both energy costs and the quantity of starch required for re-circulation. The tubular dryer consists of a steam heated tube bundle, which rotates within a stationary casing. The material is picked up by a series of lifters, located around the tube bundle, and is dropped over the heating tubes while being conveyed along the length of the machine. The tubereel is rotated by a shaft mounted geared motor unit and runs in split roller bearings, offering ease of maintenance. Proprietary rotary joints are provided at each end of the machine to enable steam inlet and condensate collection. The tubular dryer is an indirect contact dryer, relying on dry, saturated steam as its heating medium. This means that the machines do not require a heated air flow to dry the starch, resulting in a minimal creation of dust. The moulding starch used in gum and jelly manufacturing needs to be the correct moisture content, and also the correct temperature. The tubular dryer is normally supplied with a tubular cooler. The design of the cooler is almost identical, but uses water as a coolant instead of steam. The two machines are usually located together and the dryer can be mounted on top of the cooler, if required, with a simple chute to feed the dried starch into the cooler. The tubular dryer uses steam as the heating medium, and returns the condensed steam back to the boiler. This is an efficient method of heating, compared to dryers using hot air, where the warm exhaust air is vented to atmosphere with no energy recover. Multipond The latest innovation from Multipond – the Multihead MP 28-400/400-A – was shown as a working exhibit. This combination weigher is specified to deposit efficient outputs in excess of 450 weighings per minute, whilst maintaining high accuracy, making it the fastest combination weigher on the market, says the company. The compact machine is said to offer a good solution for installations with restricted headroom. The reduced size hoppers – 0.4 litres – make the machine suitable for weighing small target weights (< 1g), and also make it ideally suited for the weighing of mini bags in the confectionery industry. The 28-head weigher uses the principal of combining partial quantities to achieve the target weight. The machine is controlled and operated by a user-friendly colour touch-screen-unit. All product contact parts are available in a number of materials, ensuring high weighing efficiency and high repeatable accuracy for all different product types. All hoppers and product contact parts can be removed without tools for adjustments to changing products and cleaning. A combination of the weigher with the patented oscillating high-speed transfer system ‘Twin Double Duckmouth’ is said to enable up to 20% higher speeds, compared to conventional discharge hoppers, ensuring maximum output is achieved. Sollich Two machines were shown by Sollich, which represent the main focus of its product range. One of these was the Turbotemper TT. This new type of Turbotemper is suitable for tempering all common chocolate and fat masses and has been continuously developed to offer maximum performance capacity. It is now also available in the latest versions – ‘liquid’ and ‘heavy duty’. One of the highlights is the Tempergraph – installed in the Turbotemper or, in case of existing installations in the pipework – to continuously measure the degree of tempering. The individual readings of the temper index are recorded to give account of the tempering quality during production. The new Turbotemper is available with integrated de-crystallisation and also as type Turbotemper AIRO for aeration of chocolate masses and fat fillings. The tempering capacities range from 50kg/hr up to 18tonnes/hr. Sollich also showed the Minicoater TTS 420 enrobing machine with built-in tempering. It is available in 320mm and 420mm working widths, in addition, supplemented by type TTS 520 or TTS 620. This machine is also equipped with built-in tempering. For larger working widths – up to 1300mm – the company can offer the Temperstatic T5 which is also equipped with built-in tempering. The most famous of the Sollich enrobing machines is the Enromat M5 in either execution Custom, Magnum or CIP. These enrobing machines are fed with tempered chocolate from a Turbotemper Top tempering machine, with built-in Sollich circulation tempering system and are also applied for difficult enrobing processes worldwide. Working widths of the M5 are available from 820 up to 2600mm. Chocotech The sister company of Sollich displayed equipment from its Candy and Chocolate Divisions. From the Chocolate side it showed the Frozenshell mouldless chocolate shell forming system and from the Candy Division the Princess Sucrofilm with Sucromaster – a continuous thin film vacuum cooker for laboratory use, the Tornado pressure beater and the Jellymix gravimetric dosing and mixing unit. The Frozenshell is a mouldless chocolate shell forming system. Metal tools, on a frozen plate, are submerged into a bath of tempered chocolate to form chocolate shells. The unit can be used for making plain dessert shells or in combination with a depositor to add a filling to make European style pralines. The Princess Sucrofilm with Sucromaster is a sophisticated pilot lab line for any heat sensitive product to be cooked under vacuum. The unit on display is designed for capacities up to approximately 50kg/hr. This complements the similar production sized equipment which is made for capacities up to 1,000kg/hr for each cooking unit. The Tornado is a pressure beater, which was designed for the continuous aeration of sugar masses. Depending on the product density required, the machine can do a maximum throughput of 2000kg/hr. Finally, the Jellymix is the gravimetric dosing and mixing unit for colours, flavours and acid. Leu-Tronic There are a number of reasons why faulty packages in the confectionery industry need to be unpacked. It may be necessary due to machine start-up waste, wrong coding, best-before-use date overdue, and under- or overfilling. It is an expensive task to unpack such material manually, or to throw it away. The Pack-Saver range of product recovery machines from Leu-Tronic are designed to allow a clean separation of product from its packaging material. The Pack-Saver does not work with knives, but uses adjustable tear-off rails to open the packages. Due to the rail rotation and the special shape of the assorting chamber, an air-stream is produced which ‘blows’ the empty wrapping material out of the machine. The product is then transported to a vibration, respectively sieving aggregate, where an exhausting device separates small wrapper particles from the product, which can then be re-processed and used again. Depending on the product, a capacity of up to 400kg/hr can be achieved, and only one operator is needed to control the machine. Nielsen The company showed only a part of its range of enrobers and cooling tunnels. It exhibited a Babyflex enrober, a Tempa 420 enrober, a New Junior enrober, and a cooling tunnel which is known for its streamlined and elegant design, and for its reliability and high efficiency. The company focused on the reliability of its equipment and how this relates to greater production stability. The machines are suited to three-shift operation. At the same time they are very easy to clean, maintain and operate. Cleaning of machines is now a very important feature which is often requested by customers purchasing new equipment. Many years ago Nielsen introduced the concept of a ‘removable service tank’ in its enrobers and customers really appreciate this feature, which makes cleaning and maintenance a simple task. If the enrober is used for different chocolate masses an extra service tank can also help to considerably reduce change-over times. The machines are operated using standard PLC and touch-screen systems from two companies with a global reputation. This ensures fast and efficient service in the event of a control problem arising. Assistance can also be obtained from local PLC suppliers as the customers are not limited by ‘home made’ software and hardware, says the company. CEDA CEDA presented its One-Shot Depositor, DSR model, which can produce any type of filled articles in just one operation. The high level of technology employed by the machine allows it to deposit chocolate for the shell forming and the cream for the filling at the same time. Both hoppers with the working products are equipped with an independent heating system, which makes it possible to deposit products with very different densities at the same time too. It can also produce many kinds of solid articles, using chocolate for the filling. The modular depositor is designed to be user friendly, easy to clean and can be quickly made ready for a production changeover. The depositor can work as a stand-alone machine, in a new or existing line, and is suitable for small, medium and large productions. Another product on the stand was the Spinning Machine, Vibrociok V10A model, designed for hollow figure production. The user-friendly machine is equipped with an electronic variator for rotation speed and vibration intensity. Machine noise has been reduced thanks to the use of special plastic material for the rotary motion transmission and anti-vibration feet, which are height-adjustable. Equipped with 10 mould magnetic grips, made with special magnetic plates, the machine can handle eggs with dimensions of up to 480mm and it has a production rate of between 40 and 80kg/hr, according to the product. P.C. di Pompeo Catelli P.C. di Pompeo Catelli has been working on drying rooms for the confectionery industry since 1960 and its machines are suitable for the processing of all mogul articles – keeping air temperature and humidity parameters under control. The structure is made up of insulated panels to reduce heat loss, a ventilation system for a perfect air flow distribution throughout the whole drying room, and high energy efficiency in the drying process. This ensures higher quality of the dried product and a relevant cost reduction. The temperature ranges between +20° and 60°C. The company also presented a new product for automatic pallet transport systems – which is said to be able to reduce manual pallet handling during the entire production process. Pallets are automatically shifted onto rails from the mogul line to the drying rooms thanks to a shuttle studied for the automatic processing of all the operations and to control the different cycles. The system is based on a ‘first tray in-first tray out’ system and the entire operation is controlled by supervisory software which enables easy management of the entire system. The company can also offer drying rooms for laboratories, an interesting solution said to be ideal for testing new drying cycles, new recipes, and small batches, by following the same production steps used for the Catelli drying tunnel. This unit has a capacity of ten plastic or wooden trays per mogul with total control of both temperature and humidity during all drying processes. The relative drying parameters are registered and visualised on a PC to offer maximum precision and high quality control standards for production. The machine comes complete with a ventilation system for perfect air flow distribution during dehumidifying and cooling cycles. Khandabi Machinery Iranian company, Khandabi Machinery has been producing, repairing and installing machinery and equipment for the confectionery industry for over 35 years and prides itself on being the first company in the Middle East to produce a continuous vacuum cooker. Over the past 35 years it has supplied equipment and machinery to over 100 companies in different countries – including Germany, England, Turkey, Romania, Azerbaijan, Malaysia, Uzbekistan, Macedonia, Saudi Arabia, Turkmenistan  Nicaragua, Syria, Pakistan and Iraq. The company works with several European, Asian and Middle Eastern companies, and acts as exclusive agent for many manufacturing companies in the confectionery industry. Its goal is to manufacture competitive quality equipment for the confectionery industry and to establish its position in the global market. In addition to its complete systems for continuous vacuum cooking, it  can offer complete production lines for a wide variety of chocolate bars. It can also offer fondant machines, milk powder mixers; various types of pre-cookers; Dragee and stick-gum production lines; equipment for the production of smart chocolate products; grinding machines for hard candy scrap; batch cookers; enrobers; and chocolate storage tanks. Finally, it can offer a wide variety of equipment designed for use in the laboratory – including conches, storage tanks and coating/panning equipment. Dedy Since 1946 Dedy has been making confectionery and chocolate making machines for small craft companies as well as large-scale ones. Its enrobing machines – with belt widths of 220mm or 320mm – are movable and are suitable for all enrobing jobs. They have a capacity of approximately 20kg chocolate; which can be expanded to a total of approximately 60kg dissolved chocolate by means of two under-mounted, heated troughs. Pastries of all kinds and cakes up to a height of approximately 12cm, as well as cream cheese and dates can be enrobed with a chocolate coating, fudge, sugar icing or glaze. All parts of the machine are designed to be easy to clean. It is also  robust and user-friendly. Total enrobing; bottom enrobing; and combined bottom, side and partial enrobing are also possible. The machines are supplied to specific customer requirements – either with short take-off tables and paper, special take-off tables with photo eye (stop-and-go for batch working) or with a cooling tunnel. In addition to manufacturing chocolate enrobing machines and cooling tunnels, Dedy also specialises in the production of chocolate melting and tempering kettles, praline cutters, cookie cutters, truffle fillers and all kinds of small devices for chocolate processing. Dumoulin Dumoulin offers a wide range of equipment solutions to suit all coating requirements. Single control packages operate the entire panning process, including syrup preparation and storage, loading, unloading and air handling. IDA and IDA-X are the company’s complete brand of coating machines, designed for a variety of batch capacities – 250, 500, 1000, 2000 and 3000kg. The IDA equipment lines are used for chocolate and soft sugar coating. The equipment is said to be highly flexible, according to the optional equipment chosen. Model IDA-X is designed for hard sugar shell coating (both sugar and sugar-free) and is suitable for chewing gum, chocolate centers and chewy centers. This unit is different from the IDA line because the drying air that passes through a fully perforated pan and the product bed ensures optimal drying times. The key advantage of the design of the drums is the very shallow bed depth of product used during processing in order to protect the fragile tablets. The design also allows quick and homogeneous mixing, while ensuring maximum exposure to ventilation. All of these elements help create perfect coatings in a minimum timeframe, says the company. Dumoulin also introduced a new concept for sugar and sugar free coating – the Logix 252 visit the stand to find out more. OKA OKA-Spezialmaschinenfabrik is a producer of industrial production equipment for biscuit and confectionery applications. Its core competence is equipment for the shaping of dough or confectionery material in working widths of between 180 and 1,500mm. The company demonstrated a multi-flexible laboratory unit with a 600mm working width for multi-colour biscuit and confectionery production. The machine is part of the Okamatik range and offers multi-flexible options such as depositing, wire-cutting, extrusion, and encrusting in one system. In addition to having the latest dosing technologies, the AQ series is equipped with innovative linear drives for belt following and lifting motion. Full of praise for the event, Matthias Drees, managing director of Otto Kremmling, OKA-Spezialmaschinenfabrik, said: “As a first time exhibitor I was extremely surprised about the quality of visitors. It was a good show and we will participate again!” Stearineire Dubois Stearineire Dubois is a producer of auxiliaries for the production of candies including releasing, anti-sticking, polishing, sealing, and glazing agents; and emulsifiers such as sucrose ester. The company introduced a new glazing agent for panned confectionery which is said to feature excellent spread properties and fast drying. Other new products on display will be an anti-sticking agent for extruded liquorices; and a new release agent for bakery applications, which feature high temperature resistance and stability. Klöckner Hänsel Processing This company participated at ProSweets for the first time, accompanied by its Spanish ‘Gentlemen´s Agreement’ partner Lloveras and its French partner Proform. The company exhibited its new continuous and universal laboratory cooker Rotamat 3609, which can be used as bypass-cooker for milk recipes in development departments or capacious industrial facilities. This combined unit included a JellyStar laboratory Jelly cooker (touch-panel-operated). At the event Klockner Hansel Processing (KHP) officially handed over of a  JELLYSTAR Cooker to ZDS Solingen.  Represented by managing director, Heiko Kühn and sales director, Frank Temme, KHP handed over the cooking line to the managing director of ZDS Solingen, Andreas Bertram. The compact continuous line is suitable for all common jellying agents. This, as well as its space-saving installation, met all the educational, as well as on-the-job training daily routine in the laboratories of the ZDS. Advantages of the jelly cooking line include a stable cooking temperature, an even product phase out, as well as no contact between steam and product. Klöckner Hänsel Processing has been producing machines for the confectionery industry for over 90 years and is a long-term supporter of the ZDS. With the help of industry the education and training centre in Solingen is equipped with state-of-the-art and modern machinery which guarantees a high level of education. Proform Proform offered information and videos about its complete range of production machinery, inlcuding information on its Continuous Ball Forming Production lines – BF 800, 1000 and 1002 series. Semi-liquid or powder-filled chewing or bubble gum can be shaped into a variety of products on these forming machines (any spherical shape such as pears, bottle or lentils). Sizes range from 10 to 35mm for hollow balls. All Proform ball forming machines feature continuous production which results in higher production. The BF 1002 Ball Former offers the advantage of being able to make products ranging in size from 8 up to 50mm on the same machine. This machine can produce with format cylinders ranging in length from 705 to 1050mm. Production capacity is up to 50 strokes/min. Other downstream equipment available from the company includes cooling tables, with or without AC units. The ball formers can also shape grained chewy candy, hard candy, marzipan, plastic or feed type products. Forming Extruder FE 140 and Rope Sizer WV 6/2 feeding a Chain Die Former to produce liquid-filled gum items – this extruder is economically priced and features interpenetrating and self-cleaning screws for quick product changeovers. This means that manufacturers can make several different flavours, one after another. The extruder can incorporate flavouring that is directly metered into the process section, with very homogeneous results. Mixing Extruder – ME Series – With a modular process zone, this extruder can be used for a variety of applications – one example is the production of grained, liquid-filled soft candy that can be formed into pieces in a die former or in a ball forming machine. Other applications include continuous mixing of chewing and bubble gum, or high fat content toffees or caramels or other thick viscous pastes. This type of extruder is also used for the continuous graining, colouring and flavouring of neutral product. Almost no cleaning phase is required between different products and recipe changes are handled quickly, says the company. Lloveras Lloveras demonstrated the new PLC and touch-screen technology that is now available on its range of Universal refiner conches. Lamps, pilots, and push buttons have been replaced with a  PLC and front touch-screen in the control panel. Because the PLC has ammeter and temperature control attributes programmed into it, there is no need for holes in the front cover of the control panel. The reduced number of components also results in a reduced possibility of component problems occurring. Alarms can be explained via text on the screen display, which is placed on front of the machine. The first interface from machine to user is now a combination of lights and, for further information, users should go to the inner part of the panel. Information about problems or failures is now also available on the external display. From a machinery point of view, Jordi Torres, sales and marketing manager for chocolate equipment manufacturer, Lloveras, told Kennedy’s that, although the show was slow, in terms of visitors, the company did get a good response to its Innovation Centre promotion campaign.  He said: “The leads we got showed that visitors had a real interest in testing their ideas at the Innovation Centre. Most visitors wanted to produce bars – cereal, jelly, etc – and many wanted to test their formulation before committing to a line.  Hosokawa Bepex The company exhibited its mono rotary bar roller press type MDP 200-400, which is said to be easy to clean. Features of the unit include a forming width of 100mm, and forming speeds of up to 5.5m/min. Depending on the nozzle installed, the unit can undertake slab or robe forming tasks and is suitable for the production of single layer products. The forming head is equipped with different temperature zones for processing a wide variety of masses. The special roller and rotary bar arrangement produces a positive displacement action, and less pressure is applied, compared to the rotary bar roller press type DP. Caotech The company used the event to discuss the latest developments in cocoa, chocolate and compound processing. It has recently launched a number of developments in the field of cocoa, chocolate and compound applications. Its scope of supply covers a variety of installations, varying from a small laboratory size ball mills (CAO B5), the CAO B2000-CHOC batch installation, and the CAO 3000 as a component in a continuous production line for both cocoa and chocolate to complete turnkey projects. The sophisticated CAO 3000 In line installation is a fully automated processing line for the production of chocolate and compound with capacities of up to 1,500kg/hr. Upon request, the line can be completed with ingredients dosing and weighing sections. Caotech has recently developed an alternative continuous conching unit to be used as a wet conching system. The CWC 2000 can be placed behind traditional conches for final homogenisation and conching, as well behind ball mill systems for obtaining a high quality chocolate. Polysack Plastic Industries Polyphane introduced its new, field tested, Twister range twist wrap material which can replace cellophane, ensuring identical twist capabilities. The new product incorporates the twist and rustling characteristics of Cellophane, together with the economical and ecological advantages of plastic packaging. Insensitive to humidity, Twister can also be stored longer than cellophane. It is also said to be superior in preserving the candy’s sweetness, and has excellent machinability. Economic benefits are also significant, starting with the ability to maintain the metal sheeting's internal tension for a long period of time. Its low density level also ensures a higher yield. In addition, printed colours are more brilliant with Twister. Finally, the ecological factor is another benefit – a polyolefin based product, can help save forests by truncating tree cutting. ACMA ACMA presented the FT401/R a new, easy-to-clean, automatic rigid container filler/capper that is designed to fill products into rigid containers. It comes with one complete set of change parts. Features include rapid change over times; single timing feeding worm for round containers; a 1.5m long feeding conveyor; a capping system by pressure, complete with feeding duct; and a cap application control feature. The system also includes an independent electronic cabinet with a PC-based control system. Bosch Bosch Confectionery showed its BVK 2000 B, a high-speed version of its flow wrapping machine, Miniwrap BVK 2000, which offers the latest horizontal form, fill and seal technology for standard candy products at affordable prices. The Bosch BLK 0115 is a Laboratory Batch Cooker with vacuum device, for the production of high boilings and toffee masses. With a batch size of 3-5 kg it is suitable for the production development and/or the laboratory use. Bosch has recognised the growing market for bars and has developed technologies for the production of different and innovative types of bar. Whether confectionery, muesli or cereal bars, it can meet these requirements with its Contline range. The Contline WRL 0600 longitudinal cutting machine cuts the mass slab into equal, precise individual ropes. The circular knife shaft – an arrangement of circular knifes and intermediate distance rings – cuts on the cutting roller. The cutting roller is clad with so-called plastic wear rings. Depending on the bar mass, the large blade of the circular knives cuts above, on or into the wear rings in the cutting roller. The WRQ 1000 cross cutting machine cuts the arriving mass ropes crosswise into individual bars. The guillotine is equipped with an inlet belt and an outlet belt. The inlet belt feeds the mass ropes into the knife. The outlet belt transports the freshly cut bars in the line’s direction of movement. Both belts have their own frequency-controlled drive. Haas-Mondomix The High Speed Depositor from Haas-Mondomix is suitable for depositing all types of aerated chocolate creams, batters and marshmallows. The unit is capable of depositing at very high speeds – up to 300 rows per minute – depending on the product. During dosing, the volume flow for each product is synchronized upstream of the nozzle exit by mechanically linked annular gear pumps. This allows the differences in dosing weights to be kept within very close limits. At the end of dosing, a part of the mass will be retracted into the nozzles. This allows a clean and simultaneous cut off the mass at the nozzle exit, which further improves the quality of the products and the accuracy of the dosing weight. By means of the highly dynamic X- and Z-axes, it is possible to deposit precisely onto the product conveyor belt or into a mould at very high cycle rates. Other features include a changeable and flexible program, easy change outs of depositing tools and a small footprint. Winkler und Dünnebier Süßwarenmaschinen Winkler und Dünnebier Süßwarenmaschinen introduced an expanded product range and numerous technical new developments of the WDS confectionery plants for the event. An emphasis on the range of supply of the company is the continuous focus of customer care for the international candy industry. Following the main idea of ‘Customer care with method’ numerous service functions have been developed. All confectionery plants are manufactured in a modular fashion, which allows each customer to individually tailor a line for their specific requirements. The core of the WDS confectionery plants are the traditional and highly flexible depositing systems, either One-Shot or Triple-Shot. The WDS production lines are engineered for 3-shift operation. Additionally, all machines have high loading tolerance and long production life. Another important focus is the research and development in the WDS technology lab. In direct contact with the Development Departments of the international confectionery industry, products with new, and often complicated product characteristics, are created. Servo driven lab depositors, flash shell cooling units, extruders and other components of WDS depositing plants are available in our lab. The lab-scale plants can be adjusted to the different product requirements and they are suitable for all sample production. Included in the WDS production range are the lab depositor, the mogul line type 461 B/1 as well as the depowdering machine 462 GL and the starch conditioning line 462.10 (drying, cooling). Also available is the chocolate moulding line Confec 372 and the 273 moulding plant for solid chocolate.   In the area of the product analysis, new developments have been achieved. For example, the WDS tempergraph, which will replace complex laboratory analysis. The WDS tempergraph will enable recall by push-button, as well as an electronically generated reference temperature (instead of ice water). For the optimization of process control, such as product tracing and mould logistics, WDS moulding lines with the RFID technique were developed. Numerous software developments such as WDS Form & Design for product modelling complete the new developments. Palsgaard Palsgaard showed a range of emulsifiers including Palsgaard AMP 4448 which promises better control of flow properties in chocolate in the enrobing process and also provides a non-GMO and allergen-free alternative to soya lecithin. To reduce the fat content in chocolate there is Palsgaard PGPR 4150, a flavour neutral and highly concentrated emulsifier which improves the flow of liquid chocolate masses, even with a low total fat content. Palsgaard 6115 is an efficient oil binder that can be used to prevent separation of liquid oil in peanut butter, chocolate spreads and fillings. Emulpals 116 is a cake emulsifier designed for cake mixes where a high volume, combined with a fast whipping profile are important characteristics. Palsgaard DMG 5611 is a cold dispersable mono glyceride in fine powder form to improve the softness of cakes and bread, helping to extend shelf-life. Finally, Palsgaard SA6600 instant cake emulsifier in powder form ensures consistency in performance and quality improvement. Mantrose The range of glazes and polishes produced by Mantrose for the confectionery industry are said to be easy to use and give consistently high quality results when used in all the current application methods, including continuous coating machines. Shellac CRYSTALAC glazes are used to give brilliance and protection to panned sugar shell and chocolate confectionery, and Mantrose has many off-the-shelf and custom formulations. They are used in conjunction with their range of CERTISEAL gum based polishes which act as a barrier before the final glazing step. The Certicoat range of wax and lipid-based polishes have excellent anti-stick properites and also give a good shine to gummy products. The Mantrose range of CERTISEAL polishes and CRYSTALAC glazes are also used in the pharmaceutical and nutraceutical industries. They are complemented by seven grades of HydroxyPropylMethylCellulose excipients which are widely used for film coating. New to this range is Mantroclear 101 which gives a transparent film coating with the addition of plasticizers. Sipal Partners Sipal offers a range of original ingredients for Organic confectionery products – Sipa-Dates, Sipa-Figs and Sipa-Prunes are new Organic juice concentrates of dates, figs and prunes. These natural sweeteners provide a fruity note as well as colour in a number of applications. Thanks to a new installation, the syrups are concentrated at a low temperature to preserve their flavour for use in confectionery products. Seda-Fruct is the first Organic fructose syrup. Its high fructose content –more than 95% – allows it to be used to enhance the flavour of products and to meet the demand for products with a low glycemic index. The Tanis Group The Tanis Group makes machinery/kitchens for all kinds of products – jellies, fondant articles, caramels, chewy candies, and nougat. The company is proud of its ability to utilize different product combinations to create individual solutions for customers. Combinations of products – for example a ‘sugar fondant’ with a ‘jelly centre, covered with chocolate, brown or white, or a milky fondant together with a caramel… The only limiting factor is your imagination! Even more extreme, you can also add a liquid centre to these products, with a jelly or a sugar solution containing alcohol. Pieces of dried fruit or nuts can also be added. The products can be deposited in silicon moulds or in starch. Depositors with silicon moulds can be supplied by the company. The Tanis Kitchen offers all kinds of cooking systems to make various combinations, production scale bar line, enrobing equipment, depositing in silicon moulds/aluminum moulds and starch, drop roller and so on. For packing of samples a flow packer is also available. Tanis Food Tec Tanis Food Tec (TFT), an aerating and tempering company, showed its RotoPilot, a multi-purpose machine with the same functions as its bigger production lines, but operated at low capacities – from 5 to 50l/hr. It is of a  compact, vertical design that fits easily into laboratories, thanks to the carry-with-you and place-it-anywhere table-top size. Visitors were able to see products that can be made on the RotoPilot, including big bubble chocolate filling for wafers and bars. Buhler Christoph Ziegler of Buhler Bindler reported to us that he was pleased with visitors to the Buhler stand at the show. “After a slow start to the event, the visitors did appear, and the quality was good too,” he said. Buhler was showing FlexiShot, a new depositing technology that enables moulding with a clean break and non-tailing depositing (originally launched at Interpack 2008). The flexible nozzle concept of the FlexiShot depositer is derived from the functional principle of heart valves. It does not use any rigid distribution channels or fixed nozzles. Instead, the most important components of the moulding unit adjust automatically to the viscosity and flow rate of the chocolate processed. Moneta Moneta showed Yango Twist, a metalized BOPP film with superior twist effect. It is  said to be the only ecologically clean substitute for cellophane, with good twist, outstanding dead fold properties and high stiffness. Its high breakthrough, strong puncture resistance and tear strength lead to high production speed. Yango is cost efficient, due to no-waste wrapping, and thinness of material. Its superior water and alcohol vapor barrier properties result in storage capacity of 10 years without any special storage conditions. It is used as a twist wrap for candies; sealing wrap, and has an option to twist and seal. It is delivered printed with roto gravure print up to 8 colours. Yango AL is a stretchable aluminum foil for chocolate candies and hollow figurines. Its superior wrapping quality allows the foil to hug the chocolate and minimizes wrinkles. Yango AL has the density of 7 micron but as strong as 18 micron regular aluminum. It is scratch-resistant and works on high-speed machines. Yango AL consists of aluminum covered with a special film, to prevent aluminum from getting stuck to the candy. It has high cost-efficiency due to the economical thickness and does not require manual finishing after machine packaging. Yango AL Heat is a stretchable aluminum foil for chocolate tablets and hollow figurines that require heatsealable application. Its superior wrapping quality, allows the foil to hug the chocolate tablets and minimizes wrinkles. It provides heatsealing effect with the low temperature sealant and is scratch-resistant. Yango AL Heat consists of aluminum covered with a special film, creating a barrier between aluminum and chocolate, to prevent aluminum from getting stuck to the product. It works on high-speed machines, doesn’t tear with stretching and has high cost-efficiency enabled by high level of stretching. Sisterna Sisterna used the event to demonstrate new technologies with Sisterna sucrose ester. Getting the right smoothness in panning confectionery can be a time consuming process. Layer after layer of polyol or sugar solution are sprayed and dried on the centre. This process can be shortened without sacrificing on smoothness. Sucrose esters have the general functionality of accelerating crystallisation of crystalline ingredients such as sugar. When sucrose esters are incorporated in the spraying solution, the centres are dry and ready for the next spray in a much shorter time frame. In the engrossing step a smooth surface is registered which gives the ability to reduce or delete the smoothing step. Processing time can, potentially, be decreased by up to 20%. In soft confectionery applications creating the right texture and mouth feel, combined with the desired shelf life, is a challenging task. Preferably the candy is non-sticking, with a good chew and pleasant taste. During storage, it can become hard, oily and rancid. Sucrosilk can help to create a preferred candy. The synergistic functionalities of Sucrosilk – emulsification and crystallisation – will create a stable and very fine sugar matrix in which fat is encapsulated in very fine fat globules and water is absorbed. This matrix in the candy reduces stickiness, creates a pleasant mouthfeel and delays rancidity and hardening. Spraying Systems Spraying Systems demonstrated the advantages of spraying for chocolate coating applications. Spraying has natural advantages over alternative application methods, the company told Kennedy’s. It can deposit smaller volumes, and with more precision. One example is coating particulate products such as nuts and dried fruits in revolving tumbler pans – a process widely used by both large-scale producers and small confectioners. It is a progressive process, with the chocolate put on layer by layer to allow for cooling. Traditionally, warm chocolate is ladled into the pan by hand at 5-minute intervals – a lengthy and labour-intensive procedure. It can also be imprecise, giving uneven results, wasting material and  leading to scrapped product through sticking. Spraying reduces the process time by half on simple products like almonds, and is typically six times faster than ladling for pan coating coffee beans and other difficult products. By regulating deposition and cooling of the chocolate, more product can go into the drum and it can be coated faster. Sticking is minimised, with benefits seen at their most dramatic on products such as grapes, candied orange peel and coffee beans. Spray coating is also automatic – therefore less demanding in terms of labour. The operator who looked after three drums now handles six, and is freed for other tasks. Hygiene too is improved, as the operator is not in physical contact with the chocolate. When spraying a viscous, sensitive product like chocolate, liquid temperature should be precisely set and held constant. Developments by Spraying Systems give closed-loop temperature control, with a hot water fully jacketed circuit that includes the spray gun - which is itself welded to the supply line. In effect, temperature is maintained right up to the nozzle orifice. The automatic spray gun gives air-assisted atomisation and its spray operation is pneumatically actuated, capable of rapid on/off cycling. The spray cycle can be set at the controller via timing software dedicated for drum coating. The same purpose-designed controller monitors and controls liquid temperature. Crown Speciality Packaging Crown Speciality Packaging showed two new packaging collections that demonstrate the durability and flexibility of metal. Designed for the confectionery, biscuit and promotional markets, they provide brand owners with the creativity and freedom of choice to develop visually engaging and reusable packaging for consumers. The Discovery collection features original designs that take advantage of metals ability to be formed into a wide variety of shapes. A diverse selection of designs were on display, including robots, cars, shoes and animals. However, the containers can be shaped into other forms, depending on the brand-owners imaging and needs. Embossing and de-bossing techniques are available to add features to the elaborate shapes. Also on display was the Options collection which consists of a series of six different lid and body designs that can be mixed and matched to create customised tin containers.

 

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