The Proposition of Using Dimpled Surface Vibratory Conveyors in Confectionery Industries for Product Movement

Abstract

The confectionery business in the overall food and beverage sector has been gaining popularity and growing at an exponential rate, with many new companies entering the market to embrace the untapped market and supply customers with higher quality products like gum, chocolate, chilling plates, candy, gummy candy, enrobers, etc. One of the significant challenges faced by all the companies in this sector is to manage the movement of the product, whether bulk or packaged, from one part of the production line to the other effectively and efficiently. Various companies traditionally rely on conveying systems procured from Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) or designing them in-house to fulfill this requirement. The capital investment in these conveying systems was kept to a minimum in the past as they were not considered critical to day-to-day operations. However, there has been a shift in the business strategy, and nowadays, companies do extensive research and allocate significant capital to deploy an effective and efficient conveying system to support their production. In this theoretical study, we explore different available conveying technologies used in confectionery companies and their challenges in dayto-day operations. We also review a new and upcoming technology of using a vibratory conveying system with a dimpled surface texture of the conveyor itself to support gentle handling of the product and how it is advantageous over the traditional conveying system. This study aims to aid confectionery companies in identifying and selecting the most effective and efficient conveying solution for their production lines to move products within the facility