It claims it made the changes because the ice cream market is competitive thanks to a growing global demand for single serve ice creams, which is attracting more producers to the market – whether they are newcomers to the ice cream sector or businesses looking to expand their range of products.
Affordable treat in Southeast Asia & South America
Peter Lindstrom, category director, Tetra Pak, told DairyReporter, this is a mass market where consumers make purchase decisions on the spot.
“Ice cream is increasingly being seen as an affordable treat in Southeast Asia and South America, which is driving demand and encouraging smaller manufacturers to increase production,” he said.
“The Tetra Pak Ice Cream Filler A3 was modified from the previous model, but the cone dispenser, chocolate sprayer and lid dispenser are new developments.
“It offers a number of improvements. Firstly, it has an increased capacity as it uses six lanes instead of four lanes on a standard machine. This means it can produce up to 18,000 ice cream cones per hour.
“Secondly, the increased capacity combined with the improved cone handling of the cone dispenser, a more accurate chocolate sprayer and a more consistent and precise lid dispenser, means the machine achieves significant cost savings.
“This includes a 17% reduction in energy consumption; a 17% reduction in climate impact based on calculation of CO2 equivalent; a 25% reduction in water consumption; an 18% saving in materials used during the full production process and a significant reduction in product losses.
“Our pilot tests show customers can save up to €69k a year on the cone dispenser alone, thanks to reduced wastage.
Sturdier and more flexible
“Thirdly, to secure a safe and reliable higher operation speed, all the main functions have been re-designed for a higher load.
“The new main frame design is both sturdier and more flexible compared to previous models and the operating equipment functions are clamp-mounted onto the frame.”
Tetra Pak claims the A3 has easy equipment changeovers, which allows customers to switch between different cone sizes or cups, as well as ice cream flavours, in a few minutes, which minimizes costs associated with downtime.
It says the redesigned machine has now been installed by a large North European producer of leading regional brands and several producers of leading brands in Southeast Asia.
According to Lindstrom, existing manufacturers are looking for more production flexibility to take advantage of the growing global demand for ice cream, and small and medium producers in the segment want to offer different products to the market with minimal capital equipment investment.
“Our customers face the challenge of providing quality products to consumers while keeping costs down. Our new filler improves cone handling and delivers different products on one machine,” he added.