The Universal Chocolate Depositor is designed for the manufacture of hollow or one shot chocolate products as well as being suitable for those filled with solid ingredients. The machinery incorporates shell forming technology to ensure shell shapes remain even and constant. After moulding, the products are passed through cooling boxes to meet shaping requirements. Changeover time with the machine is 15 minutes due to depositor modularity. According to OPM, the fully-automated equipment is highly reliable with mechanical synchronisation remotely operated by a computer system - allowing for automatic resetting of servomotors if processing is interrupted. With a raft of health scares recently hitting the confectionery industry - major players Cadbury Schweppes and Hershey have both been dogged by salmonella scares in the last year - hygiene has become an even more important factor in processing operations. OPM say its depositing machine has a smooth design which facilitates easy cleaning as well as a special feature to deal with the problem of chocolate dust. The dust collects in a steel layer around the lower length of the plant with special ducts keeping cables and circuits clear of contamination.
