Gijs van Wulfen, the Dutch founder of FORTH innovation methodology and a renowned speaker on innovation,  has compiled a list of 25 quotes on innovation that are his favorites. In this year’s Leaders in Innovation segment, Candy Industry Magazine has selected several we believe are especially relevant to our industry and executives.

• Nothing is stronger than habit. Ovid
• If you always do what you always did, you will always get what you always got. Albert Einstein
• It’s tough when markets change and your people within the company don’t. Harvard Business Review
• They always say time changes things, but you actually have to change them yourself. Andy Warhol
• There are no old roads to new directions.
  The Boston Consulting Group
• You cannot discover new oceans unless you have the courage to lose sight of the shore.Andre Gide
• The best way to predict the future is to invent it. Alan Kay
• A discovery is said to be an accident meeting a prepared mind.A. von Szent-Gyorgyi
• Innovation is the ability to convert ideas into invoices.
  L. Duncan
• It is not how many ideas you have. It’s how many you make happen. Advertisement of Accenture
• The best ideas lose their owners and take on lives of their own. N. Bushnell
  

In that spirit, Candy Industry Magazine provides innovative insights from leading confectionery processing and packaging equipment suppliers. Fostering an environment that begets innovation requires a combination of open-mindness and discipline, incubation and inspiration. Given today’s marketplace, where manufacturers must continuously deliver sweets that are indulgent and evocative, fun and filling, better-for-you and blissful, suppliers are taken to task to help create these products. The cycle is unending. And yet, despite these challenges, so are the innovations.

Mads Hedstrøm, chief sales officer

Aasted: Innovation leads to excellence

It has been five years since the merger between A.E. Nielsen and Aasted-Mikroverk. During that five-year period, there has been significant growth and development at the company, much of which can be directly attributed to ongoing innovation. As a result, the company has maintained its position as world-class supplier within the chocolate, bakery and confectionery industries.   

The company’s famous energy concept, including the SuperNova Energy tempering machine and the Nielsen Energy enrober, stems from innovative thinking, thinking that’s driven by a sincere wish to provide customers with new technologies and machinery.

Both machines deliver tangible results, be it in energy savings, production efficiency or product quality, regardless of whether they are used as standalone units or in tandem with one another.

When the SuperNova Energy tempering machine and the Nielsen Energy enrober are combined, the results are unmistakable. Not only do energy savings range from 50 to 80 percent when compared to traditional tempering and enrobing units, but the chocolate quality is also improved as evidenced by a higher gloss and a crispier break.

Ongoing innovations and new developments are also the result of working with customers and listening to their wishes and demands. Thus, the subsequent inventions are based on shared experience and a common wish for reaching the goals as a team:

“At Aasted we’re committed to developing new inventions and committed to sharing and informing our customers about these innovations,” explains Mads Hedstrøm, chief sales officer. “Also, we are always prioritizing to continuously improve our Aasted Technology Center (ATC), which is located at the Aasted headquarters complex in Denmark.

“In fact, we expanding the ATC now, doubling our capacities. This is being done to ensure that our customers have the best experience within our facilities available for testing, experimenting and innovating. Our technology center boasts years of shared experience, and is built upon three key principles: Innovation, Experience and No limitations.

“All of our newest equipment is available for use, even a complete slab line ready for testing out the latest dream products. As we say here at Aasted: Your imagination is the only limit.

“We constantly work on refinements and we always will in order to reach our goals of developing products beyond expectations. We wish to keep providing extraordinary solutions, which our customers find indispensable.”

Thomas Bischof, marketing director -  Bühler Cocoa and Chocolate Business Unit

Bühler AG: Solutions that springboard companies a step ahead.

Bühler’s specialists research and scout for trends to find out what customers like — worldwide. Exciting regional developments in emerging chocolate markets are good examples that demonstrate that chocolate manufacturers will never stop innovating. Asia and the Middle East have developed exciting new products and successes in local market niches. For example, consider the finest chocolate milk chocolate based on camel milk, a product that has become very popular in the Arabic market. Or special-flavored chocolate creations with fillings or inclusions tailor-made for the local tastes and preferences, be it South America or Africa. Here we can see the ingenuity of small and medium-sized producers customizing their products for the locals.

In the market for the market

But this trend of localized and specialized chocolate creations is not just a topic for smaller companies; it is also important for global actors. In China, for example, various international companies have recognized that it is important for their long-term success to ramp up local production capacities in order to be closer to the end consumer.

In addition, the multinationals are even setting up local R&D centers in order to better adapt their products to trends and preferences. As a consequence, Bühler massively expanded its service and sales network in India and China, with hubs in Bangalore and, of course, in Wuxi.

 Furthermore, in order to be close to the fast-growing Asian market, Bühler recently opened a new chocolate center in Indonesia and tripled the footprint of its chocolate lab in Wuxi, China. As Thomas Bischof, marketing director of the Bühler Cocoa & Chocolate Business Unit explains, “Our development cycles run over two to three years. But we want our customers to be able to respond to consumer preferences immediately, not in two years’ time when the trend is over. This is why we designed our latest machines with a focus on modularity and flexibility, enabling fast recipe changes or mould exchanges on the chocolate line.”

Mass production and moulding — solutions for smaller volumes

To provide customers with process equipment that enables success in fast changing markets, Bühler offers what are called “Compact” solutions. Highlights for the flexible production of chocolate masses and compounds include the SmartChoc and MicroFactory systems, which clearly demonstrate how companies with small production volumes can benefit from Bühler’s vast expertise in chocolate processing. These solutions combine all the machinery required to produce real chocolate or compound masses and are “stand-alone factories,” thus allowing customers to manufacture a broad range of masses for chocolate articles or sweets.

For the subsequent processing step, the new ChocoStar and ChocoMaster Compact are the perfect solution for moulding bars, tablets and pralines in small- and medium-sized volumes. These lines are assembled individually using standardized modules to form a customized moulding line. The elements are also pre-configured for automation, meaning customers can respond quickly to changing market demands and expand or exchange the modules of their lines.

As Bischof concludes, “All these solutions are engineered according to high Bühler standards, meaning they are robust and reliable, offer high food safety and energy efficiency thanks to state-of-the-art design features and provide intelligent automation systems for easy control and handling of the systems. Furthermore, customers can rely on a broad range of services offered by Bühler with its network of 140 subsidiaries worldwide. Service experts offer maintenance, spare parts, training, consulting, and much more.”

Jan Hammink, managing director

Caotech: Feedback fosters innovation

When we think about “innovation,” we consider improving our customer’s products. As we are in constant contact with our clients, we are receiving feedback about their daily production challenges. If we can improve their products in quality, taste and efficiency — read energy saving-features, reducing down time, etc. — we are benefiting mutually.

An example of such a development is the launch of our efficient, high-capacity cocoa nibs pre-grinder. The PG 6000 beater blade mill is specially developed for the continuous pre-grinding of high fat content nuts, such as cocoa nibs and/or hazelnuts. This beater blade mill, a high-speed type, has a unique configuration between beater blades and milling chamber and slotted sieve, giving an optimum use for continuous pre-grinding. The throughput of more than 6,000 kg/hr with a single machine saves our customers operating floor area, energy and maintenance costs. The PG 6000 is acquired mainly in combination with high capacity ball mills, such as the CAO 4000.

With regard to the chocolate/compound processing equipment, we have managed to optimize our batch processing equipment. Our successful CAO B3000 and CAO B3000-CHOC chocolate/compound mixing and uniform refining lines have been further engineered resulting in the CAO B3000-CHOC DUO installation. By adding a ball mill and using an intelligent filling and discharge process, we are able to increase the efficiency of the line by more than 50 percent.

At the same time, temperature control management is a key factor, giving the possibility to process temperature-sensitive recipes, such as sugar-free chocolate. The machine was well accepted at last year’s interpack, as potential clients clearly see the processing advantages.

As mentioned last year, we have further invested in our laboratory/test facility. We can provide all relevant analysis of a customer’s product, including particle size distribution, viscosity, etc. Additionally, our customers are able to develop new recipes using the combination of the 5 kg laboratory ball mill and conch.

Our clients have relied on our expertise for many years now. We realize that we can maintain this position only by having fast response times, being flexible, reliable and innovative. We work continuously on these factors every day.

Martin McDermott, sales & marketing director

Chocotech: Depth and breadth ensure customer satisfaction

Chocotech GmbH is one of the Sollich KG group of companies and is a world leader in initial processing, namely kitchens, for the confectionery industry.  This also encompasses pharmaceutical products such as hard candies and jellies (gummies) with active ingredients, which require IQ, OQ and PQ documentation of the complete process.

As a key supplier to multinational companies, Chocotech has also developed processes to improve overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) while paying particular attention to equipment design to allow longer continuous production runs, shorter CIP times and energy-saving features. Measures have also been taken to reduce re-work amounts, where possible, and to have integrated preventive maintenance software programs to aid maintenance staff. 

Chocotech utilizes a 600-sq.-meter, state-of-the art LAB, housing the complete range of equipment for product development, customer trials and new processing equipment developments. The LAB is supported by a team of well-educated process engineers who have gained many years of experience in the field.

At the end of 2014 we also took over a modern factory expansion for kitchen assembly at our site in Wernigerode, Germany. This allows even the biggest lines to be fully assembled, including interconnecting product and CIP piping, electrical wiring to each skid and completed software so that a realistic customer factory assessment test can be carried out prior to delivery.

The product range covers kitchens for the following: caramels, hard candies, jellies (gummies), fondants, nougats, binders, chewy candies, toffees and aerated confectionery products. These kitchens deliver innovative solutions that compliment our sister company, Sollich, experts on the bar-forming side of the industry.

And finally, Chocotech also offers two innovative chocolate lines: The Frozenshell for producing a wide variety of thin chocolate shells without using moulds, favored by chocolatiers and artisans around the globe; and the PSL line of equipment, which provides an innovative method for producing chocolate lentils, eggs and spheres.

Heinz Soldat, chief executive officer and technical director

Fasttrack Engineering: Experience, expertise helps exceed expectations

FastTrack Engineering is a relatively new company in the mogul business; nevertheless, the equipment manufactured by the company has been in the making for several decades by the founder of the company, Heinz Soldat.

The company has designed and manufactured what other mogul manufacturers classified as not feasible, by creating a mogul that has a linear motion pumping system, with the tray lift occurring during the depositing process. This creates a deposit equal to a stationary pump.

As such, this depositing process will save the end user a considerable amount of investment when purchasing a new mogul. It also reduces washout of the pumping system and improves changeovers from one product to the next.

Typically, the least number of moving parts within a machine provides the best operational conditions. This can only be achieved through the use of servo motors, positioning them as close as possible to the source, which needs to be controlled.

The two-stage tray turn mechanism, engineered into all of our moguls, has proven to be an extremely effective and accessible mechanism. It can be easily maintained, the clamping of the trays achieved by self-centering, pneumatically operated mechanical clamps. The clamps hold the tray central over the full width of the tray and support the tray sideways, thus eliminating slippage of the tray.

Fasttrack Engineering is manufacturing the full range of all mogul-related auxiliary equipment, including starch conditioning system, pallet transportation and fully computerized drying rooms.

The company is using the latest technologies available to the industry, our engineers continuously striving to develop and incorporate these technologies to improve our equipment.

In addition, we also have been designing and manufacturing customized equipment for our customers. Our goal is to develop products that exceed the customer’s original expectations, while continuously focusing on providing the best possible solutions for them.

Frank Temme, co-owner and co-managing director

Hänsel Processing GmbH: R&D inspires innovation

Hänsel Processing GmbH is known worldwide for its outstanding experience and expertise in supplying high quality and innovative confectionery processing equipment.

“We constantly strive to keep up with the customers’ most up-to-date demands and that is why we dedicate a huge amount of time and money to R&D,” says Temme, co-owner and co-managing director.

A brand new development from Hänsel is the aerating machine Turbomat. For several years we included aerating machines from other suppliers, but because of strategic reasons as well as having the knowledge and experience garnered through many years of projects, we are now able to provide our own aerating machines.

“Our close working relationships with customers, particularly in listening to and addressing their demands, also allows us to address the topic of sustainability, which is becoming more and more important in the worldwide confectionery industry market,” Temme adds.

Besides, our traditional, and at the same time highly innovative and economical, machines are designed for maximum productivity. What counts are short changeover times, long maintenance intervals and uncomplicated, speedy customer service.

A user-friendly design guarantees continuous high outputs even after a short period of vocational adjustment, not only for high quality hard candies (center-filled, aerated, laminated, milky, sugar-free, medicated, specialities), but also for all kinds of other sugar products, jellies and fondants (gelatin, agar agar, pectin, gum Arabic, starch, fondant crème, bakery fondant, milk fondant, fruit fondant), toffees (milk caramel, éclair, fruit candies, chewy candies, caramel layers, specialities), and bars (foam sugar, candy bars, granola, torrone, halwa).

When it comes to gums and jellies, we believe our equipment represents a breakthrough in producing the best products, even those supplemented with nutritional additives. The JellyStar cooking plant, designed for all common jellying agents, is characterized by a compact design, offering the possibility to produce high quality aerated and transparent jellies with HPG machines even if space is limited. The JellyStar cooker can also be integrated in existing plants as well.

Christian Werner, general sales director

Hebenstreit: Excellent engineering equals delicious results

For decades, Hebenstreit has been known for setting the standards in wafer-production technology. In the early 80’s Hebenstreit launched the revolutionary new plate size of 700 x 350 mm. This is still today’s standard and many of these high capacity wafer production lines are in operation, worldwide. This development was also paired with the introduction of the vertical hook locking system, which is the most advanced locking technology and appreciated by many wafer manufacturers around the globe.

Today, Hebenstreit is presenting the next step in wafer technology — the 1,000 x 350 mm wafer plate, the largest size ever! This means the highest capacity and efficiency on a minimum floor space.

Additionally, Hebenstreit’s focus has been on developing equipment to meet the needs of modern users by reducing capital costs, reducing ongoing operational costs, increasing efficiencies, and reducing the environmental aspects of wafer line operations. To achieve these objectives Hebenstreit has concentrated its efforts in a number of specific areas. The introduction of new burner technology, combustion chambers and air exhaust systems has led to a 20-percent reduction in oven gas consumption. Moreover, these measures has also led to a 60-percent reduction in CO₂ emissions.

However, it is not only the wafer line that has benefitted from recent developments. Hebenstreit has developed a system of automatically fully opening and closing the baking plates at the rear of the oven and then using a laser to quickly and efficiently clean the plates. This method allows for a complete oven to be cleaned in a single shift, is fully automatic after set up and ensures superior plate cleaning with minimal environmental impact.

Hebenstreit also recognizes that a good, quality wafer starts with a good, quality batter. Following the acquisition of new designs and staff to supplement its own range of equipment, Hebenstreit is now in a position to offer an extensive range of batter preparation equipment from simple, manually fed batter mixers up to fully automatic systems with automatic dry goods handling systems, automatic feeding of dry and wet ingredients, mixing, resting and feeding systems to one or more ovens.

Based on the former know-how and the input of additional expertise in food extrusion, the company has also developed a series of complete state-of-the-art extrusion lines for manufacturing savory and sweet snacks as well as breakfast cereals. Depending on the recipes and the sensory characteristics, the capacities of the lines range between 200 to 800kg/h of finished product.

As a result, it’s no surprise  that many of the worldwide popular wafer and snack food products are made with Hebenstreit’s technology and support.

Wolfgang Pförsich, managing director

Hosokawa Bepex GmbH: Innovations enhance flexibility

Hosokawa Bepex is one of the leading suppliers of automated processing equipment for the confectionery and bakery industries. Leading branded manufacturers of these sweet treats place their trust in the company and its mechanical engineering heritage and experience.

Specializing in hygienic design, sustainability, energy saving technologies, efficiency/TCO, flexibility and fast product changeovers, the company incorporates the latest developments in automation and  technology in several areas, such as bar lines used in the production of cereal bars, baked or non-baked bars.

This autumn, Hosokawa Bepex will present these developments to confectionery and bakery professionals at various trade fairs.

At the IBA show in Munich this September, Hosokawa Bepex will present — amongst other machines — the enrober Chocoat, which features a quick changeover design. This enrobing machine has been especially designed for processing multiple chocolate masses with different colors, such as dark chocolate and white chocolate. Because of the quick changeover concept, the masses can be quickly changed with minimum effort and shorter downtimes.

In-process cleaning becomes obsolete and there is no risk of contamination with water. Since changeover times are reduced to only 35 minutes, the quick changeover design allows a larger variety of different enrobing masses.

At the Process Expo in Chicago as well as the Pack Expo in Las Vegas, both of which also take place in September 2015, Hosokawa Bepex will show the latest developments  in its cooking kitchens. With the CandyFlex, the highly flexible 3-phase cooking system, Hosokawa Bepex will be presenting the next innovation in an unmatched hygienic design.

Because  of the quick heat exchange as well as simultaneously extremely high or low temperatures from cooking under pressure or vacuum, the CandyFlex is especially suitable for continuously producing a broad range of different products such as sugar, sugar-reduced and sugar-free products. Even very clear, sensitive or light products containing milk can be made. In short, the new kitchen’s significant advantages are versatility, good cleanability and durability.

These shows enable Hosokawa Bepext to display its innovations in action, reinforcing how flexibility works when ingenuity, engineering and design mesh together.

Miriam van Dijk, managing director

Royal Duyvis Wiener, B.V.: Where process meets innovation and variety

The Royal Duyvis Wiener group, the sole global supplier of cocoa and chocolate processing equipment from bean to bar, is constantly moving forward by innovating and expanding its business. The globalization of our company is a steady process and we are able to serve and support our customers from several locations around the world with the highest quality standards throughout our 130 years of service.

During the past years, it has become clear during discussions with our customers worldwide, that taste, flexibility, energy savings and control of operating costs are critical components for the future of cocoa and chocolate.

To be prepared for the future and the global demands in product  and processing technology,  Royal Duyvis Wiener will open a 1,500-sq.-meter, state-of-the-art Technology Center this November in the Amsterdam area. The new center will enable us to focus on processing and product development as well as training and R&D for our customers. It will be the only cocoa and chocolate experience in the world where all different technological solutions available are at customers’ disposal for comparison and recipe development.

As for Log5, our dedicated pasteurizing system, technologists will be able to show customers everything about dry food processing pasteurization, sterilization, roasting, grinding, refining and hydraulic “prime” pressing. The unique Log5 system, which enables clients to pasteurize all kinds of dry products using an atmosphere with precisely controlled water activity and temperature, will be in place at the center as well.

Our dedicated staff all around the globe is looking forward to translating your challenges in cocoa and chocolate processing into sustainable solutions.

Ralf Schäffer, executive vice president

Sollich KG: Finished products represent the first step in innovation

Sollich KG represents innovative and comprehensive solutions for chocolate and confectionery production. Its product range covers equipment for most chocolate, confectionery, snack and bakery applications including enrobing, tempering, cooling, bar and praline center forming.

One of the innovative highlights in our equipment range involves the Turbotemper Top tempering machines, which come in various sizes and executions.  Together with the automatic Tempergraph for continuous quality control, the Turbotemper Top series provides optimum tempering technology with best tempering results.

The on-going development of the Flex Temper and the cleaning device allows an optimum use of the machine adapted to the requirements of consumption when using different chocolate and filling masses. Therefore, oversized tempering machines and high-energy consumption are history. In combination with these tempering systems, various sieving, mixing and flavor dosing systems complete the program.

The extended capacity range of the Reworktemper —with capacities of 125 kg/h (new), 250 kg/h and 400 kg/h — guarantees an exact traceability of the raw materials due to direct processing of the rework (chocolate with ingredients like nuts and raisins etc.). With the RWT 125, Sollich offers an economic and efficient solution to operators of smaller moulding lines.

The newly developed enrobing lines Sollcoater SC and SCT, which feature working widths  between 520 and 820 mm, as well as the Conbar line and Sollcocap line, show that the company is investing significant resources and effort into its R&D center to continuously optimize equipment. Besides innovations to improve the processing technology, the energy saving, hygiene and the increase of overall efficiency of the production lines remain the research and development focus at Sollich.

Sollich has also developed a new Sollcocap Sandwiching System for a refined finishing process of biscuits with viscous fillings such as caramel, fondant and nut paste, jelly, milk and yogurt cream or chocolate. The improved execution of these specific depositing systems with high performance levels allows very precise production of biscuits with fillings or of sandwich biscuits.

Sollich combines machine and processing know-how with an “innovative view into the future.” The company does not build a machine for the purpose of running a machine; rather it builds a machine to produce a finished product.

Thus, innovation at Sollich is not about solving a problem by adding or changing a component; rather innovation at Sollich begins with the finished product for our customers. The company then evaluates the processing steps and necessary components to tailor-make the equipment to address the client’s needs.

But innovation does not stop at the development of machines and processing techniques. A good deal of innovation has also been devoted to the production facilities in order to build the machines in a more efficient and flexible way. By expanding the factory site by about 40 percent, the machines are built in the most modern way to guarantee first-class quality as well as flexibility.

The service offered by Sollich is known to be one of the best services worldwide. Now it can be supported by the newly developed Sollich “Fast Lane” Online Support to speed up the start-up of production lines as well as to provide online trouble-shooting on very short notice.

Thus, the focus of Sollich’s innovations is always customers’ needs, whether for the support of developing new products, delivering a high quality line with high efficiency or guaranteeing a trouble-free production for decades to come with the installed line. 

Markus Rustler, president and chief executive officer

Theegarten-Pactec: Small sizes, big ideas

Theegarten-Pactec, the packaging machinery manufacturer from Dresden, provides a complete selection of wrapping styles and performance levels for small-sized confectionery items. In order to meet this aim, the mid-sized family company has come a long way based on many decades of experience and the know-how of more than 10,000 delivered machines.

The manufacturing program is organized in a matrix comprising of more than 30 individual solutions; which fall under the three main product categories:

1. Hard candy and pre-formed products
2. Soft and hard caramels, chewing gum and bubble gum (cut & wrap method)
3. Chocolate

Several additional food and non-food applications are also available. In each of these categories the typical wrapping styles can be offered. In co-operation with its customers, the company develops new designs and solutions; be it to optimize the wrapping material consumption or to provide innovative solutions for the presentation at the point of sale.

Innovations for all performance levels

One of the key competences of Theegarten-Pactec has been the development of continuous-motion high-speed machines. The EK4 is the world’s No. 1 twist wrapper for high-boiled sweets, reaching an output of 2,300 candies per minute. For hard and soft caramels, chewy sweets, chewing gum and bubble gum, the WHF (fold wrap) and WHD (twist wrap) units again are unmatched on the market with outputs of 1,800 pieces per minute.

However, Theegarten-Pactec also continues to invest in the low-speed arena (up to 500 pieces per minute) recognizing that high-speed solutions are not always suitable for every market and every manufacturer. The highest priority is given to a wide range of products in order to cover all output requirements.

With the models MCC (for chocolate) and MCH (for high-boiled sweets as well as delicate products such as jelly for instance), a modular concept has been created so as to offer more flexibility for the medium-sized manufacturer. These machines allow an uncomplicated change of product sizes and wrapping styles without excessive down-times.

The HCW4/FPC5 and HCW4/F3/F4, a new generation of machines, offers several new features for packaging high-boiled sweets in bottom-fold packaging as well as further packaging into stick packs and then flow packs. The machine features a new unit, which groups individual products for secondary packaging and completes any product formation. Defective products are rejected without affecting the grouping operation. The grouping unit buffers any empty cycles until the right number of products for transferring to the secondary wrapping machine has been reached.

Moreover, Theegarten-Pactec presented another innovation with the updated CWM2. The packaging machine for chocolate products boasts significantly improved ergonomics and accessibility for users compared to its predecessor. Wrapping styles and formats can now be changed in no time at all and can also be easily reproduced.

Theegarten-Pactec’s innovations originate in its research and development departments, the company’s creative nerve center. Of the more than 400 staff members, about 70 work in these departments. The R&D groups also handle concrete customer requirements, such as integrating individual packing machines by appropriate feeding, separating and collecting systems to form complex packaging lines.

Rainer Runkel, managing director

Winkler und Dünnebier: The power of innovation triggers solutions

Winkler und Dünnebier Süßwarenmaschinen GmbH (WDS) is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of confectionery production machines. With its comprehensive machinery and production portfolio, WDS has the capability to cover the whole spectrum of deposited confectionery products within various application and capacity ranges. All WDS moulding lines are modularly designed in order to provide highest flexibility.

WDS mogul plants are customized for manufacturing all starch-moulded products, such as jelly and gum (on pectin basis, gum Arabic, gelatin, agar-agar, carrageenan), as well as licorice, fondant, cream, marshmallow foam and similar items. The equipment is also suitable for depositing liqueurs into chocolates.

The company’s well-known power of innovation always results in new solutions for confectionery production’s day-to-day needs. When it comes to the production of chocolate the company presents a range of exciting solutions.

For the production of hollow figures such as a chocolate Santa Claus or Easter Bunny, the FSC (Flash Shell Cooling) cold stamping process is an effective alternative to conventional production with classical shell forming. The method has been advanced by WDS so that it is now possible to form very large and complicated shells precisely in a few seconds.

Benefits are, among others, the homogeneous shell thickness of less than 2 mm. and the opportunity to also produce other chocolate products such as bars, tablets and pralines with this machine type, even out of seasonal production.

And speaking of innovation, WDS also has succeeded in depositing two pressurized aerated masses using the one-shot technique at the same time, each aerated mass nested into another. Thus, filled aerated chocolate products can be manufactured, so that bars or tablets of aerated chocolate can now also contain an aerated or foamed filling or a second aerated chocolate. This offers completely new possibilities of product variations to confectionery manufacturers.

The “EasyClean” principle reduces the downtime during mass changes and cleaning work to a minimum — without unnecessary long interruptions to production.

On the basis of a WDS shell moulding line Type Confec, the “EasyClean” concept can be illustrated as an example. The centrifugal shell-forming station as well as the scraping station of the production line are equipped with chocolate troughs, which can be easily extracted from the respective stations in case of a cleaning cycle or product change.