Most people in the global snack food industry love chocolate coating products for their rich taste. The market share of coating products such as candies, cookies, desserts, and nuts has steadily increased in the snack food industry, especially during Valentine’s Day and Christmas when demand is higher. This has been driving coating equipment manufacturers to enhance their competitiveness and innovation capabilities. How to make chocolate coatings?
Becoming a frequently asked question. As a professional manufacturer with years of experience in food processing machinery and equipment, we are well aware that a stable and high-yield device is the key to enhancing your product competitiveness. The chocolate coating line developed by our company has undergone years of market testing. Whether it is a small or medium-sized chocolate workshop or a large food processing plant, it can meet their diversified production needs and stand out in fierce competition. It is your reliable partner for winning the market.
I. Coating Chocolate Definition
Coated chocolate is usually based on chocolate, with added sugar, cocoa butter, or other spices. After heating and melting, it is kept at 40° – 45°C to ensure its fluidity, allowing it to evenly wrap or soak into the surface of food. The coated chocolate product is cooled after coating.
II. Introduction to Chocolate Coating Machine
1. Principle
This machine is a specialized equipment for producing chocolate coating products. It can apply various chocolate pastes on the surfaces of various foods, such as candy, pastries, cookies, etc., for bottom coating, top coating, or full coating.
Chocolate coating process: First, heat and melt in a melting pot to maintain a liquid state. Then, feed it onto a disc and enter a pouring hopper to form a waterfall-shaped chocolate slurry curtain. The product to be coated is transported by a conveyor belt to the pouring area to receive a uniform coating on the front side; the excess chocolate slurry on the surface of the coated product is blown away by the rear air knife for recycling, reducing waste and lowering costs. Finally, it is transported by a conveyor belt to a cooling fan for cooling, and the product is formed. The front and rear ends of the coating machine can be used in conjunction with chocolate temperature controllers, precision grinders, and packaging machines.
2. Composition
The chocolate coating machine mainly consists of three parts: melting pot, pouring area, and conveyor belt.
The whole machine is made of stainless steel material, which is easy to clean and occupies a small area; the melting pot is equipped with a built-in heating module, which can accurately control the temperature of the chocolate slurry with a small range error, ensuring that the slurry is always in a flowing state, ensuring the earliest molding state and taste of the product.
The slurry spraying area is fed into the hopper by a disc from the melting pot. The side plate on one side of the hopper is fixed with screws and can slide up and down to adjust the size of the slurry spraying. There are two plugs in the slurry spraying hopper that can be used with the side plate for upper, lower, and full coating, adapting to different production needs. The fan and scraper at the back end can remove excess chocolate slurry, and the frequency can be adjusted.
The food grade conveyor belt is equipped with variable frequency speed regulation, which can adjust the speed according to your needs to adapt to products with different coating thicknesses, ensuring uniform coating. The belt seamlessly connects with the cooling link at the back end, allowing the product to cool quickly and prevent adhesion and deformation. A fan can cool a small coating capacity, while a larger capacity necessitates a cooling tunnel.
3. Advantage
The overall stainless steel material of the equipment is sturdy, durable, and easy to disassemble and clean; accurate temperature control and a built-in sensor for real-time detection of chocolate slurry temperature ensure optimal flow of the slurry. The device has high adaptability, a compact overall structure, and a small footprint and can be used alone or combined with candy machines, biscuit machines, packaging machines, etc. to form a small production line; the equipment is relatively simple, and operators can quickly get started with production.
III. Daily cleaning and maintenance of chocolate coating machines.
Clean the equipment promptly after use. Chocolate solidifies quickly, and residual slurry can clog the pipeline, affecting its use.
Firstly, cut off the power before cleaning, discharge the remaining chocolate slurry, and remove the detachable parts such as the feeding hopper, pipeline, and pouring slurry for easy cleaning. Sealing of electrical boxes, motors, etc. can be done by directly flushing the residual chocolate, hoppers, conveyor belts, etc. on the surface of the equipment with hot water. The water temperature should not be too high, around 50°C, as excessive water temperature can damage the equipment. The chocolate residue on the surface of the rear cooling conveyor belt can be directly wiped with a hot towel. After cleaning, wait for the machine to dry before reinstalling the disassembled components in place.
Equipment maintenance is relatively simple. Daily checks are conducted to ensure that the tension of the conveyor belt, bearing lubrication, and heating system are working properly. If there are any abnormal situations, they should be adjusted and replaced in a timely manner, and lubricating oil should be added. Regularly check the temperature control sensor, as there may be deviation over time, and ensure accuracy. Regularly disassemble equipment and thoroughly clean areas that are not easy to clean with food-grade cleaning agents to prevent bacterial growth over time.
IV. Types of chocolate coating machines
Coating machines are divided into multiple types based on their production capacity, which is one of the core indicators of the equipment. You can choose the suitable model according to different production needs.
1. Small coating machine A small coating machine occupies a small area (about 3 square meters), has a compact structure, is low cost, and can be produced without excessive personnel. However, its production capacity is relatively low, with a daily output of about 60-100kg, suitable for small chocolate workshops, small enterprises, bakeries, etc.
2. Medium-sized coating machines are equipped with precise temperature control systems. Medium-sized machines take up slightly more space and have a daily production capacity of around 160-320 kg. The front and rear ends can be paired with small chocolate insulated cans and cooling tunnels to form a small production line.
V. Summary
In today’s global market, facing the continuous increase in demand for chocolate coating products, our coating machine will become your reliable partner with efficient quality, diversified adaptability, and reliable after-sales service, whether it is a small workshop or a large enterprise. We will provide you with one-stop services such as solution design, logistics, and customs clearance.
Join hands for mutual benefit and create the future. We look forward to working with you to seize the opportunities in the chocolate coating market and win recognition and trust.
