28/02/2020
Choosing your confectionery filling machine – a handy guide
Investing in an automatic or semi-automatic filling machine (or turnkey line) for your confectionery products can be very worthwhile for your business. Benefits include improved levels of precision and fewer opportunity for operator errors, better dependability of fill, less expensive product waste, enhanced speeds and more. Obtaining the right equipment to suit your products is therefore essential to ensure your procedures are elevated to save time and money, and ultimately add value.
Whatever your filling needs, Adelphi Manufacturing can help you find the solution that best matches your confectionery production requirements. Below are 3 key areas that must be considered before making a purchase…
Product Viscosity & General Product Characteristics
Viscosity is the measure of a substance’s resistance to flow. Confectionery fillings such as syrups have a much lower viscosity than, for example, a thick caramel, and finding the filling machine best suited to your product is essential. At Adelphi we offer a comprehensive range of filling machines, which can handle everything from water to thick pastes, even with small chunks. The Response Benchtop Filler can be configured to suit most if not all of your product types; a wider diameter nozzle is used in conjunction with a hopper feed suits thicker products, while a lower viscosity product would be filled using a slimmer nozzle and a non-return valve feed pipe. A product’s fracture/stickiness is also essential to consider.
Accuracy
The food industry often specifies precise requirements for your filling accuracy. A good rate of filling accuracy also reduces costly product wasteage for your business. Adelphi Manufacturing’s Response Benchtop Filler has an exceptional accuracy of +/- 0.25%, which is far superior to the industry average of +/- 1%.
Hygiene
Selecting a machine which will continue to comply with strict food industry regulations is essential for your peace of mind. All contact parts on the Response Benchtop filler are manufactured in 316L pharmaceutical grade stainless steel, PTFE and Viton. An all-stainless monocoque construction with curved and sloping surfaces meets GMP requirements, and adheres to food safety regulations. Clean, lubricant-free pneumatics, Tri-Clover sanitary hopper connections, and a quick-strip design combine to ease cleaning.
Fill rate; Number of containers/moulds filled per minute
There are many variables at play when considering the working fill rate of a machine. One such example is that a higher viscosity product will fill very differently than one with lower viscosity, as lower viscosity products can sometimes produce splashback which needs to be reduced. Another example is that a larger container or mould will, of course, take more time to fill than a smaller mould. Adelphi Manufacturing’s Response Benchtop Filler anticipates up to 40 containers per minute as a realistic working fill rate.
Adelphi Manufacturing is an ISO 9001:2015 certified, award-winning manufacturer, with a keen focus on sustainable production, charity and community. Whether you are an artisan or a multi-national manufacturer, the Response Benchtop Filler can improve production for your confectionery business without compromising the values at its heart. Don’t hesitate to contact Adelphi Manufacturing on +44 (0)1444 472300 or email sales@adelphi.uk.com to see how we can help grow your business.
