The world's first fully automated lollipop coating line
Now you can produce imaginative and tasty coated lollipops inline - with the GEA Aquarius Coating Line. It creates perfectly formed 3D lollipops before coating them with powders to add different tastes, colors and flavors. The combinations are ample. The fully automated line also wraps the lollipops in sandwichwrap, so consumers can see the attractively coated lollipops inside.
Main applications
Main applications include solid or center filled hard candy 3D lollipops in various shapes, inline coated with powders of your choice.
High quality. High speed. High performance
- Continuous and seamless process from forming to wrapping
- Inline chain dipping and coating system with grippers enables high quality coated lollipops
- Integrated inline chain cooling avoids lollipop form deformation
- Speeds up to 600 lollipops/min for 22-32 diameter
Easy to operate, clean and maintain
- Adjustable stick hopper for easy change-over of different stick lengths
- Quick change set for the forming set enables easy switch in 3D lollipop shapes
- Automated Clean-in-Place system (CIP) ensures proper cleaning at the end of each production cycle
- 24/7 dedicated customer support and application training on request
Durable, high-performance design
- Continuous line performance monitoring on temperature, consumption and system pressure
- Automatic inline lubrication ensures smooth line operation
- Reduced wear & tear and cleaning thanks to closed machine housing, preventing sugar dust getting inside
- Automated machine damage protection system to ensure the forming set will not get damaged
Specifications
Advanced technology
Patented take-over transfer wheel
Patented take-over transfer wheel
This unique take-over transfer wheel ensures that each and every lollipop is transferred smoothly from former to cooler with the help of grippers. The design detail of the lolly can be retained and it is suitable for various shapes or diameters of lollies.
Technical details
| Complete line specifications | GEA Aquarius Coating Line |
| Output | 450 to 600 lollipops / min |
| Filling inside lollipop | 15-20% non-fluid filling |
| Diameter/width lollipop (min to max) | 22 - 32 mm |
| Minimum rim ball lollipops | 4 mm |
| Minimum rim 3D lollipops | 2 mm |
| Diameter stick (min to max) | 3,2 - 5,5 mm |
| Stick length (min to max) | 74 - 102 mm |
| Stick material | PVC, PP, Paper, Wood |
| Wrapping material | Cellophane, Polypropylene, PVC |
| Spot dimension | 4 x 8 mm |
Line equipment
The GEA Aquarius Coating Line includes the following equipment:
GEA Aquarius SandwichWrapper
GEA Aquarius FlexFormer SC for 3D lollipop lines
The GEA Aquarius FlexFormer SC can produce virtually any shape of lollipop you require. Once the lollipops are formed, a unique (patent pending) take-over transfer wheel takes the lollipops out of the die set towards the cooling area. The design of the wheel also makes it possible to change between different shapes and diameters lollipops. To shorten the cleaning effort and time, a CIP unit (Clean-In-Place) has been added to the FlexFormer. This system is equipped with a number of nozzles which can clean the forming set in approximately 30 minutes.
GEA Aquarius PopCooler C
After being formed, the lollipops are transferred by means of grippers directly to the PopCooler C for cooling. The grippers system is equipped with an automated chain to avoid deformations or loss of design detail. The lollipops circulate in the cooler for approximately 3,5 minutes before the take-over wheel transfers the lollipops automatically to the coating unit.
GEA Aquarius PopMoisterer and GEA Aquarius PopCoater
At the Aquarius PopMoisterer, the cooled lollipops are dipped in water and afterward automatically transported toward the PopCoater for inline coating with powders. Any excess coating is automatically removed to guarantee the desired lollipop weight. The system is also equipped with a water-circulation system for necessary freshness.
GEA Aquarius PopDryer
To avoid losing coating material, the lollipops are directly transferred from the PopCoater towards the PopDryer. In the PopDryer the lollipops are guided in line using chain grippers and circulate there for approximately 4,5 minutes. This ensures that the coating layer attaches well to the lollipop and that the absolute minimum of coating particles ends up loose in the packaging.
GEA Aquarius SandwichWrapper
Once the lollipops are coated and dried, they are transported towards the GEA Aquarius SandwichWrapper. Thanks to the transfer grippers, each lollipop is positioned exactly between the bottom and top film. The sandwich wrap style gives you the opportunity to present your coated lollipops in transparent wrapping. The equipment also allows wrapping lollipops in strips up to 10/pack.
Approfondimenti GEA
The breakthrough that changed spray drying
In 1976, NIRO engineers responded to a competitive challenge by rethinking what spray drying could do. Their idea became the multi-stage dryer MSD. Fifty years later, the same fundamental principle helps turn liquids into the powders used in essential nutrition products and important medicines around the world. Refined through decades of engineering expertise, customer insight and continuous development, MSD is a story of innovation with lasting impact.
Oltre le macchine: come migliorare le prestazioni dell’impianto
Una macchina efficiente non garantisce automaticamente l'efficienza di uno stabilimento. Il vero miglioramento spesso inizia guardando oltre le singole attrezzature e comprendendo come i processi, i sistemi energetici e le decisioni operative si influenzino a vicenda. Si tratta di un approccio olistico pensato per individuare opportunità che altrimenti potrebbero sfuggire.
Come una valvola rivoluziona la produzione di alimenti e bevande
Negli impianti di produzione di alimenti e bevande, le valvole vengono solitamente azionate tramite aria compressa. GEA Hydract® Actuation Technology utilizza l'acqua all'interno di un circuito chiuso e controllato digitalmente. Il risultato è una valvola che può essere mantenuta esattamente in posizione e regolata con per piccoli incrementi con grande precisione. Ciò si traduce in un minor consumo energetico e in un maggiore controllo.
