Scenario summary
Confectionery factory producing chocolate, gummy candy, hard candy, marshmallow, caramel, or jelly products. Production trays: chocolate molds (polycarbonate), gummy starch-mold frames, hard-candy cooling tables, marshmallow setting frames.
The cleaning challenge
Chocolate production has a unique fat-cocoa solid mix that requires alkaline cleaning. Gummy production uses food-starch molds which absorb syrup and require dry-vacuum cleaning then sanitization. Hard-candy boil residue is the worst — boiled sugar carbonized onto stainless requires aggressive Heavy cycles with extended pre-soak.
Recommended PTW-1900 setup
Chamber: Standard 750 × 1000 × 1900 mm. SUS316 for plants making acidic candy (sour-coated, citric-acid candy).
Heating: Electric 70 kW + steam 7 kW dual (chocolate molds need gentle warming, hard-candy pans need aggressive heat).
PLC profiles:
- Chocolate Mold Cycle 6-min — alkaline pH 11.0, 60°C (gentle — protects polycarbonate molds)
- Hard-Candy Cycle 15-min + pre-soak — boiled sugar removal
- Gummy Frame Sanitization 8-min — sanitization-only (starch frames don’t aqueous-clean)
- Color Reset 8-min + acid rinse — between different-color candy production
Critical accessories: Two booster tanks (one at 60°C for mold cycles, one at 82°C for sanitization), multi-profile PLC, FOG (fats, oils, grease) trap on drain.
Expected ROI
- Labour savings: 4 wash workers → 1 → ~$95,000 annual
- Mold service life: gentle 60°C cycle extends polycarbonate mold life from 8 months to 3 years
- Payback: ~6 months
Confectionery FAQ
Q: Polycarbonate chocolate molds — 82°C cycle damages? A: Yes, 82°C is too hot for polycarbonate over time. Run Chocolate Mold Cycle at 60°C with extended detergent dwell. Save 82°C for sanitization-only cycles when molds are not loaded.
Q: Gummy starch molds — can they go through? A: No. Starch molds are dry-process consumables. The PTW-1900 sanitizes the metal frames that hold the starch trays, not the starch itself.
Q: Color carryover between productions (red → green candy)? A: Run Color Reset cycle — alkaline wash + acid rinse + sanitization. Documented in PLC log as evidence.