Baker Perkins ServoForm lollipop depositors

Improvements in lollipop depositing are being introduced by Baker Perkins. The piece weight range has been increased to between 9 and 31 g, and totally spherical ball lollipops can now be produced.

Larger lollipops give greater opportunity for creativity in design from a repertoire that includes clear products with hard or soft centre-fills, two-, three- and four-colour lollipops with stripes and swirls, plus side-by-side and layered products.

The ability to deposit totally spherical ball lollipops improves appearance and gives a greater support area for the stick - especially important for centre-filled products.

These developments follow the recent introduction of flat lollipops, which can now be deposited in the same varieties as conventional ball and 3D products.

ServoForm lollipop depositors handle up to four different components independently, right up to the point at which the product is formed, giving limitless scope for different variations of end product.

The lollipop systems include automatic weighing, feeding, dissolving and colour/flavour addition, and involve the ‘Microfilm’ cooker from the AutoCook range - accepted as the industry standard for sugar and sugar-free high-boiled lollipops and candies.

High-capacity, fully automated ServoForm lollipop cooking and depositing lines have capacities close to 80,000 pieces/h, and may be direct linked to wrapping machines for complete automatic operation from ingredient feed to wrapped product. Systems are already at work producing ball and 3D-shaped lollipops.

Capability includes the ServoForm Duo, a combination system that enables hard candies and either ball or flat lollipops to be produced on the same machine.

As well as product variety, consistent high quality is the reason many manufacturers choose depositing technology ahead of conventional die-forming. Good appearance, high clarity and rapid flavour release with a smooth mouthfeel are among the advantages. The nature of the depositing process creates complete control throughout the system, leading to high-dimensional shape and weight accuracy with negligible scrap rates and efficient wrapping, plus maximum hygiene with low maintenance.