A shape that sticks
Now you can produce uniquely 3D shaped lollipops inline - with the GEA Aquarius 3D PopLine. It is specifically designed to form, cool and wrap the imaginative 3D shaped lollipops. This complete equipment solution ensures you get perfectly formed lollipops with little to non deformation while preserving the design detail in a sandwichwrap style.
GEA Aquarius 3D PopLine
Main applications
For solid or center filled hard candy 3D lollipops in unique shapes such as cartoon characters, sports, animals or seasonal themes.
High quality. High speed. High performance
- Continuous and seamless process from forming to wrapping
- Quality checks and automatic rejection points assure continuous operation and product quality
- 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 end of each production cycle
- 24/7 dedicated customer support plus 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 prevents 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
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.
Unmatched shaping possibilities
The forming sets are the very heart of the 3D PopLine. With a huge range of different shapes and sizes to meet your market needs, they give you flexibility and virtually endless possibilities to help you succeed. Each lollipop forming set is durably designed and produced according to a specialized hardening process. They will last for up to 5 years (depending on speicific circumstances).
Technical details
| Complete line specifications | GEA Aquarius 3D PopLine |
| 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)
| 75 - 102 mm |
| Stick material | PVC, PP, Paper, Wood |
| Wrapping material | Cellophane, Polypropylene, PVC |
| Spot dimension | 4 x 8 mm |
Line equipment
The GEA Aquarius 3D PopLine 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. The cooler has a limited buffer capacity to take up the lollipops from inside the production machine in case of a downstream error behind the cooler. The re-circulation mode in the cooler starts when the machine behind the cooler stops. Using this re-circulation mode prevents lollipops to deform.
GEA Aquarius SandwichWrapper
Once the lollipops are cooled, 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 the opportunity to present the 3D-shaped lollipops in transparent wrapping. The equipment also allows wrapping the lollipops in strips up to 10/pack.
Automation control
The line offers various quality checks and automatic reject points to ensure efficient and continuous operation as well as product quality. For good synchronization in line, each machine is servo controlled. Each chain of every individual machine in the line has its own shift register with information about the content of each gripper: empty, good or bad lollipop. This shift register is used for:
- Lollipop presence
- Ensure synchronization
- Run empty mode
- Fewer production losses, sugar infeed stops automatically
- Rejecting bad lollipops
- Running empty mode
This makes it possible to control each machine individually in line and makes synchronization of the line possible. This ensures easy cleaning and maintenance possible on the line. To prevent uncontrolled stops by opening doors when the line is running lockable door switches.
