The following is the relevant introduction to the chocolate filling machine:
Working Principle
Heating and Melting: The chocolate filling machine usually has a heating device that can heat solid chocolate to an appropriate temperature, melting it into liquid chocolate with good fluidity.
Quantitative Conveying: Through metering devices such as piston pumps, screw pumps, or gear pumps, etc., the conveying amount of liquid chocolate is precisely controlled to ensure that each mold or container receives an accurate filling amount.
Filling Operation: The melted chocolate is conveyed into the mold or container through the pouring pipeline or nozzle to complete the filling process. During the filling process, the pouring speed and flow rate can be controlled as needed to ensure that the chocolate is completely filled and reaches the required shape and size.
Cooling and Solidification: After the filling is completed, the chocolate needs to go through a cooling and solidification process to restore it to a solid state. This can be achieved through natural cooling or by using cooling equipment such as a cooling tunnel, cold storage, etc.
Structural Composition
Melting System: It includes heating elements, melting tanks or melting vessels, etc., which are used to heat and melt the chocolate. The heating methods can be electric heating, steam heating, or heat transfer oil heating, etc.
Stirring System: A stirrer is installed in the melting tank to uniformly stir the chocolate, preventing the chocolate from overheating or caking during the melting process, and ensuring that the temperature and fluidity of the chocolate are uniform.
Metering System: It is used to accurately measure and control the filling amount of chocolate. The common metering methods are volume metering and weight metering. Volume metering usually uses piston-type, screw-type, or gear-type metering pumps; weight metering is achieved through load cells or electronic scales.
Filling System: It is composed of pouring pipelines, nozzles, valves, etc., and conveys the metered chocolate into the mold or container. The design of the filling system should ensure that the chocolate can be uniformly and accurately filled into each mold or container, and can be adjusted according to different product requirements, such as filling speed, filling amount, filling shape, etc.
Control System: It is used to control each working link of the chocolate filling machine, such as heating temperature, stirring speed, metering parameters, filling operation, etc. The control system usually adopts advanced control technologies such as PLC (Programmable Logic Controller) or touch screen to achieve automated operation and precise control.
Cooling System: After the filling is completed, the chocolate needs to be cooled and solidified to reach the required hardness and shape. The cooling system can adopt methods such as natural cooling, forced air cooling, or water cooling, and an appropriate cooling method can be selected according to the production scale and product requirements.
Mold or Container Conveying System: It is used to convey the mold or container to the filling position and convey it to the next process after the filling is completed. The conveying system can adopt methods such as conveyor belts, chains, rollers, etc. to achieve automated material conveying.
Classification
Classification by Degree of Automation
Semi-automatic Chocolate Filling Machine: It requires manual placement of the mold or container at the filling position, and then the machine completes the filling and cooling process of the chocolate. The semi-automatic filling machine is suitable for enterprises with a small production scale and a large variety of products, and has the advantages of flexible operation and low cost.
Fully Automatic Chocolate Filling Machine: From the conveying of the mold or container, the filling of the chocolate, the cooling to the output of the finished product, all are automatically completed by the machine without manual intervention. The fully automatic filling machine has high production efficiency and stable product quality, and is suitable for chocolate manufacturing enterprises with large-scale production.
Classification by Filling Method
Pouring-type Chocolate Filling Machine: The melted chocolate is directly poured into the mold or container through the pouring pipeline, which is suitable for making various shaped chocolate products, such as chocolate bars, chocolate sticks, chocolate balls, etc.
Injection-type Chocolate Filling Machine: The chocolate is injected into the mold or container through an injection needle, which can achieve precise control of the filling amount and filling of complex shapes, and is suitable for making products such as filled chocolates and chocolate pastries.
Dripping-type Chocolate Filling Machine: The chocolate is dripped into the mold or container in the form of droplets, which can make small and delicate chocolate products, such as chocolate beans, chocolate grains, etc.
Classification by Applicable Chocolate Type
Pure Chocolate Filling Machine: It is specially used for filling pure chocolate and can meet the special process requirements of pure chocolate, such as temperature control, fluidity adjustment, etc.
Compound Chocolate Filling Machine: It is suitable for filling compound chocolate, that is, chocolate products containing other ingredients (such as nuts, fruits, biscuits, etc.). The compound chocolate filling machine usually needs to have more complex stirring and mixing functions to ensure the uniform mixing of the chocolate and other ingredients.
Application Fields
Chocolate Manufacturing: It is used to produce various shaped and flavored chocolate products, such as chocolate bars, chocolate sticks, chocolate balls, filled chocolates, etc.
Candy Production: It can be used to make chocolate-filled candies, chocolate-coated candies, etc., to enhance the taste and attractiveness of the candies.
Bakery Products: Fill chocolate in bakery products, such as chocolate cakes, chocolate breads, chocolate cookies, etc., to improve the quality and taste of the bakery products.
Gift Packaging: Produce exquisite chocolate gift boxes for use in festivals, celebrations, business gifts, and other occasions to increase the grade and value of the gifts.
Other Fields: It can also be applied in the production of foods such as ice cream, yogurt, and sauces, adding chocolate ingredients to create unique tastes and products.
