IPCO is a major manufacturer of chocolate forming/moulding equipment, supplying production solutions for industrial ingredients – chips, chunks, drops and blocks – and decorative products such as shavings, rolls, pencils, blossoms and many more.
The company will use Pack Expo to showcase the latest enhancements to its flagship Rotoform HP rotary drop depositor and will also highlight the productivity advantages of its innovative triple pass systems.
High productivity forming with Rotoform chip production
The Rotoform rotary depositor module (RDM) is a market-leading chip-forming system and is at the heart of all of its high-capacity solutions. This year’s Pack Expo will see the launch of an upgraded Rotoform HP (High Performance) model, with a range of system enhancements including increased productivity and improved size distribution across the full width of the cooling belt.
The Rotoform consists of a heated stator, which is supplied with liquid chocolate or compound, and a perforated rotating shell. This shell turns concentrically around the stator to deposit drops of chocolate onto a continuously running steel belt.
Drops are delivered with uniform pressure across the entire belt width, ensuring consistent shape, size, and weight tolerances. Heat from the drops is transferred to cooling air blown onto the product and into the belt itself – a short cooling time ensures minimal oxygen penetration.
Chips are free flowing for easy handling, storage and dosing, with different sizes – from 80,000 to 300 pcs/kg – produced simply by exchanging the rotary shell and nozzle bar.
Maximum productivity with triple pass cooling systems
IPCO manufactures a range of triple-pass cooling systems, each delivering high throughput rates while minimizing floorspace requirements.
The IPCO CCM) triple-pass steel belt cooler line is a chip and chunk production system, incorporating Rotoform and extrusion equipment. The product is deposited on the first belt and adheres to the underside for a second pass, before being removed onto a second conveyor for a third pass.
This versatile system can be further enhanced with the addition of the company’s piston depositor module (PDM). This uses a D-motion to deliver chocolate or compound directly onto a moving belt, rather than the belt-to-depositor movement commonly employed on other systems. The speed and height of the depositor is software controlled, ensuring that it travels at exactly the same speed as the belt.
This integration allows for three depositing systems on a single line, providing maximum production flexibility. It can also be installed as an upgrade to older CCM lines, or as a standalone system on new lines.
Steel belt-based conveying lines
With over 1,100 chocolate conveyors installed across 60 countries, is able to offer steel belt-based conveying systems proven in real industrial chocolate production environments.
Systems can be configured to handle throughputs ranging from approximately 2,700 kg/h up to 10,000 kg/h, with operating speeds up to 70 m/min for the most demanding production environments. Typical belt widths are 400 mm and 500 mm. A comprehensive range of belt tracking technologies, controlled drive systems, belt support components and cleaning systems ensures dependable long-term operation.
Visit IPCO at Stand S-2287
