Bühler has unveiled the latest advancement in its chocolate mass processing technologies: the Finer S Edition 26 five-roll refiner and the ELK S Edition 26 single-shaft conche.
These enhanced systems build upon the company’s established DoMiReCo framework, which includes dosing, mixing, refining, and conching. The new machinery operates more cleanly, intelligently, and efficiently. For those in the chocolate and confectionery sectors, these innovations provide a strategic approach to managing fluctuations in raw material availability, lowering energy expenditure, and streamlining the production process.
The introduction emphasizes sophisticated processing technologies that focus on crucial stages in chocolate mass production—refining and conching—where the final product’s texture, flavor, and material costs are crucially influenced.
Precision Refining to Address Cocoa Volatility
With the ongoing challenges of cocoa supply shortages and fluctuating prices, the Finer S Edition 26 emerges as an essential tool for optimizing the use of raw materials. This five-roll refiner maintains Bühler’s capability of achieving a particle size distribution of as fine as 12 micrometers while incorporating advanced automated digital sensor technology.
This technology facilitates real-time monitoring of production parameters, automatically adjusting roll speeds, operating pressures, and working temperatures. By minimizing the influence of operator variability on the production line, this automation ensures consistent product fineness. For manufacturers, achieving strict particle uniformity helps avoid expensive fat overdosing during the conching phase, thereby safeguarding profit margins. Moreover, the system features high-efficiency IE5 motors, leading to overall energy savings of up to 3%.
Improved Conching for Energy and Fat Efficiency
Complementing the refining process is the ELK S Edition 26, which manages flavor development, moisture extraction, and flow characteristics. Utilizing Bühler’s traditional conching tool design for effective shearing and fat release, the machinery has been entirely redesigned around a modified frame.
This redesign introduces significant cost-saving benefits. When combined with enhanced conching controls, the system reduces energy usage by as much as 30% and increases throughput without compromising chocolate quality. Additionally, advanced shearing tools promote better fat release, allowing food manufacturers to achieve fat reductions in recipes of up to 2%.
A Digitally Enhanced Production Environment
Integral to both Edition 26 machines is Bühler’s Playone automation system, a web-based interface that transitions processing into a more transparent digital realm. “Our new automation system, powered by Bühler’s Playone, empowers operators to concentrate on higher-value activities such as quality assurance,” remarked Skeljzen Nesimi, head of product management for chocolate and flavor creation at Bühler. “Its web-based format allows access from any authorized device within the factory, including tablets, desktops, or smartphones, enhancing production flexibility.”
For producers facing high turnover rates among staff, this automation simplifies everyday operations, accelerates worker training, and facilitates remote monitoring of machine diagnostics to avoid unexpected maintenance interruptions.
Hygienic Design for Continuous Operations
To ensure maximum uptime in round-the-clock manufacturing environments, both systems are designed with streamlined hygiene features. The smooth surfaces of the components reduce material accumulation and provide easier access for cleaning teams. This design expedites washdown cycles and minimizes maintenance requirements, thereby actively decreasing facility downtime while ensuring compliance with food safety standards.
