A new generation of confectionery depositors

APV Baker is launching a new generation of 'ServoForm' depositors for the production of hard and soft candies, toffees, gums, jellies and lollipops. With over 400 installations world-wide, APV Baker depositors are the recognised market leaders: the new range continues to set the standard for depositor design by incorporating a range of innovative features that improve flexibility, increase output and make operation easier. The new 'ServoForm' depositor is capable of producing a wide range of high-quality, multi-colour and multi-component hard and soft candy products, including lollipops, in one, two, three and four colours, in stripes, layers or random patterns. The machine can handle a range of different textures enabling multi-component products with one or two centre-fills to be made. These systems offer greater quality and production flexibility than the traditional die forming process. Superior appearance, high clarity and rapid flavour release with a smooth 'mouth feel' are key quality advantages. The nature of the depositing process creates complete control throughout the system, leading to extremely high dimensional, shape and weight accuracy; negligible scrap rates and efficient wrapping; plus maximum hygiene with low maintenance. Major benefits of the new 'ServoForm' design are greater flexibility and improved process control, made possible by the adoption across the range of servomotors to control machine movements. Servo control has been used for many years to provide enhanced flexibility and process control on APV Baker's laboratory and high-specification machines, but the new range takes the benefits of electronics a stage further. Three-axis control is standard, enabling deposit patterns fillings and weights to be changed at the touch of a button. This gives the operator complete mastery of the depositing process, including 'on-the-run' fine-tuning of operation. An optional fourth axis of control is available for the mould lift. The servos are under the control of a PLC and a touch sensitive HMI screen that provides full process visualisation, recipe management, alarm handling and data logging. The system can be integrated with upstream and downstream equipment, or into a plant supervisory system (SCADA). Higher output is another key benefit, and this is achieved by mounting drive components on the machine frame rather than on the depositing head. This unique 'underband' design reduces the inertia of the head allowing a higher depositor running speed. It also contributes to improved hygiene and easier maintenance. A new, guided piston arrangement enables quality to be improved even at the higher speeds by minimising product 'tailing' Downtime due to product changeover and clean down has been reduced by the introduction as standard of a modular carrier mould, with quick release attachments. The solid construction improves dimensional stability and ejection efficiency, ensures the most efficient use of the cooling circuit by maximising heat transfer, and offers the highest hygiene standards and minimum maintenance. Unique aluminium mould construction contributes to improved efficiency through optimum heat transfer, with reduced cooling times and energy usage, while ensuring the highest end-product quality. The introduction of a totally self-draining hopper ensures an improved product flow, with reduced hopper retention time and no reduction in capacity between single and two component product depositing. The unique underband design provides extra room for flexibility in the feed area, where differing hopper configurations can easily be accommodated as retrofits. It also makes a significant contribution to rapid maintenance and cleaning. A new cooling tunnel features inverter controlled airflow giving the ability to match the cooling profile exactly to the needs of each individual product. APV Baker is also introducing a new generation of depositing system specifically for the lollipop market, incorporating many of the features of this latest candy depositor, plus the specialised mould circuit and stick placer required for automatic lollipop production.