With a wide range of options and features to choose from, as well as the ability to configure your own unloader, you’re positioned to maximize safety and efficiency for your unloading operations.
Bulk Ingredient Handling for the Candy and Confectionery Industry: Overview
Candy and confectionery makers handle a diverse array of bulk dry ingredients — including sugar, bits, morsels, and inclusions, and milk powders — to create mouthwatering temptations. Beyond managing the variety of unique ingredient characteristics, dry bulk handling systems must also provide dependable first-in/first-out flow to maximize product freshness, maintain batch control, preserve hygienic conditions, and mitigate dust. Whether a recipe calls for powders, inclusions, or add-ins, AZO’s design and engineering team will deliver the safe, reliable dry bulk ingredient handling solution that safeguards product purity.
Typical Candy and Confectionery Industry System
Ingredient Feeding Station
Centrifugal Screener DA-Series
AZO’s Centrifugal Screeners utilize centrifugal force in the screening chamber to propel particles outward to the surrounding screen.
Raw Ingredient Storage Silo
Robust and space-efficient, AZO’s silos provide vertical storage solutions for dry and free-flowing bulk ingredients.
Vacuum Scale Receiver
Minor Ingredient Feeding Station
DFS Dosing Feed Screw
The AZO DFS dosing screw allows for the continuous and discontinuous conveying and metering of bulk materials in conveying lines, scales, and more.
Dry Powder Mixer (Buyout by AZO)
Bulk Ingredient Handling for the Candy and Confectionery Industry: Common Challenges
Candy and confectionery manufacturers must meet hygiene and consumer safety requirements.
Candy and confectionery manufacturers must meet hygiene and consumer safety requirements.
Food safety is a critical concern for candy and confectionery manufacturers, as contamination can not only affect end product quality, but also pose risks to consumers. Whether dosing or weighing, candy and confectionery manufacturers must comply with proper hygienic handling practices for all bulk ingredients through regular sanitation and wash-downs. They must also eliminate cross-contamination risks, verify cleanliness, and prevent allergen cross-contact.
Variety of bulk candy and confectionery ingredient characteristics.
Variety of bulk candy and confectionery ingredient characteristics.
There is an enormous variety of ingredients used in candy and confectionery manufacturing. The form and characteristics of each ingredient must be considered during the design and engineering of the bulk handling system to ensure accurate dosing and continuous flow. Good engineering in design prevents unexpected surprises during start-up.
Handling non-free flowing ingredients.
Handling non-free flowing ingredients.
Handling non-free flowing candy and confectionery ingredients can be exceptionally difficult, with each presenting a unique challenge. It is important to perform lab testing of non-free flowing ingredients to verify proper design parameters. These parameters must be considered when designing material storage, conditioning, weighing, dosing, and dispensing for difficult-to-handle ingredients.
Candy and confectionery manufacturers must contain dust.
Candy and confectionery manufacturers must contain dust.
A method for containing the high volumes of dust generated by many ingredients used in candy and confectionery manufacturing should be included in every bulk material handling system design. Fugitive dust can lead to any number of problems, including attracting vermin, operator exposure, or in the worst case, combustion. Improper dust control creates an unsafe working environment for personnel and increases the risk of possible product contamination.
Bulk ingredient handling requires space for explosion protection.
Bulk ingredient handling requires space for explosion protection.
Bulk ingredient handling systems must include appropriate explosion protection and dust mitigation equipment. This is especially important when upgrading legacy systems, which may require some design creativity to ensure that necessary protection can fit into the available space.
Operator safety and ergonomics.
Operator safety and ergonomics.
The safety and well-being of personnel is a concern that spans all industries, including candy and confection manufacturing. To help keep employees safe and reduce the risk of ergonomic injuries and accidents, it is important to utilize semi- or fully-automated bulk ingredient handling systems that are easy to operate, troubleshoot, and maintain.
AZO’s Bulk Ingredient Handling Solutions for the Candy and Confectionery Industry: Outcomes & Benefits
AZO’s experienced design engineers understand the unique challenges facing candy and confectionery manufacturers. Every bulk ingredient handling system we create incorporates equipment and solutions that reliably and effectively address the challenges outlined above. As a single-source provider of automated ingredient system equipment, AZO designs and engineers bulk handling solutions that enhance both safety and productivity in your facility.
With an AZO bulk ingredient handling system, your candy and confectionery manufacturing operation will:
With an AZO bulk ingredient handling system, your candy and confectionery manufacturing operation will:
- Maintain proper hygiene and eliminate cross-contamination risks with easy-to-clean equipment.
- Easily accommodate a broad range of bulk candy and confectionery ingredient characteristics.
- Receive ongoing support in adapting to changing recipes and new ingredients.
- Safely contain dust and significantly reduce explosion risk.
- Keep employees safe by reducing ergonomic injuries and accidents.
