WDS set for major PackExpo 2023 chocolate plant technology showcase

German-based industry equipment business, WDS is set to showcase its latest systems including chocolate plant technology at this year’s PackExpo in Las Vegas,US, writes Neill Barston.

The company, which last year established a new subsidiary in America, has more than a century of manufacturing history, with decades spent developing machinery for the complete spectrum of machinery for deposited sweets and turnkey jelly solutions.

As the business noted, its product innovation centre has enabled it to engage with a broad array of customers across the sector, serving capacity sizes from lab to productional scale and individual project realisation for your confectionery project.

For PackExpo, taking place between 11-13 September, the company’s booth (SU-7222) is to feature a core emphasis would include a further development of its moulding processes, which will include displays of a lab depositor for product and process development at its booth. These are reportedly designed for all types of pour and tearable masses, with starchless and traditional starch moulding options, as well as capability of depositing chocolate masses with different technologies, shapes and ingredients.

In terms of its plant solutions, the business, which recently made a key contribution to this year’s Interpack event (pictured below) offers chocolate moulding machines for all capacity sizes, based on modular machine design enables future growth-oriented expansion with only little effort.

Its manufacturing plants show a whole range of proven but also completely new advantages.  As the company added, a paint-free design, easy accessibility and focus on hygiene requirements are of key consideration. In light on this, EasyClean components enable easy set-up and cleaning in all areas with mass contact.

As the company noted, for the past few years, starchless production technology has been used very successfully for the manufacturing of jellies. Referring to the rapidly growing market for OTC gums and jellies with its high demands for hygienic production plants WDS has developed a new direction regarding the moulding processes.

Furthermore, as the business observed, until a few years ago silicone technology was clearly favoured by the sector, though this has changed towards  polycarbonate moulds allowed the development of a completely new, modern, clean and highly efficient plant technology for fruit gum manufacturing, which has its roots in the moulding of chocolates. In response WDS, has developed starchless plants that are characterised by precise cavity spraying, exact mass depositing and absolutely ordered demoulding.

Through its mogul plants, WDS has also gained notable experience in the production of jelly and gum (on gelatine or pectin basis, gum arabic, agar-agar, carrageen), as well as liquorice, fondant, cream, marshmallow foam and similar masses. A core expertise is the depositing of centre-filled products with e.g. a fruit paste filling.

WDS serves small to large sized businesses with capacities from 200 kg/h to 7000 kg/h. Its lab equipment enables product development and innovative depositing processes. The ConfecECO is the start-up line for the production of plain or centre-filled products and masses with inclusions in various shapes – suitable for jellies or chocolate.

Consequently, its ConfecPRO is a production plant for confectionery manufacturers who want to target a medium to high output quantity. Its modular design together with the decentralised electrical control ensures an easy future growth-oriented expansion at small expenditures for jelly or chocolate production. ConfecVARIO is a new, highly innovative and flexible machine concept for the production of chocolate products, gum and jelly sweets as well as OTC sweets. With the chainless drive system with switch technology WDS has moved beyond concepts of conventional confectionery machines.

Another key area of focus for the business has been seen in developing a strong relationship with partner companies Hänsel Processing and Pinco SA, in order to establish  JET – the Jelly Excellent Team. This alliance between highly specialised machine manufacturers enables development of equipment for the confectionery, nutraceutical and pharmaceutical industry. By combining industry expertise with these key businesses, JET provides turnkey solutions for the production of gums and jellies.