Special focus of the research and development activities will be on the optimisation of customer’s production process that Sollich achieves through high availability and improved handling of their machines.

In order to realise high machine availabilities and to meet at the same time the increasing hygiene standards, Sollich KG sets highest value on an efficient, easy cleaning of the machines. Further improvements in research and development have been made in the scope of digitalisation regarding the information exchange between machine operator and the provider. Together with other leading suppliers of confectionery machines, Sollich KG has founded the company SweetConnect GmbH. On this platform, users can manage all their integrated production machines at a glance. Documents such as operating instructions, spare parts catalogues and cross-manufacturer maintenance managers are just some of the basic functions made possible with the help of SweetConnect®. In conjunction with the "Fast Lane" remote maintenance system, data from the application process are transmitted to optimise services and increase machine availability. Referring to the subject „artificial intelligence“ Sollich will introduce for the first time an approach to self-analysis of their tempering machines. In the future the self-analysis of the machine shall be combined with an automatic adjustment of the temperature values in order to reduce human working capacities and to increase the quality of the tempered chocolate at the same time.

The variety of the equipment features at each machine has been increased and contributes to an improved quality. This includes, for example, the dew point display within the cooling tunnel or the automatic measurement of the degree of temper in the enrobing machine with the Tempergraph.

1) An enrobing machine type Enromat® M6-1050 with 1050 mm belt width. The enrober is equipped with a new electronic reproducibility aid of the mechanical settings (patent pending). Following the Enromat® M6-1050 is a part of a chocolate cooling tunnel of the Thermo-Flow®+ type LSK.

2) A Turbotemper® type TE 1800 for feeding the enrobing machine type Enromat® M6. The Turbotemper® including an automatic Tempermeter type Tempergraph.

3) A complete chocolate coating machine type Minicoater MC 420 with 420 mm belt width will be on display with chocolate, followed by a Thermo-Flow®+ cooling tunnel type LSK 420. This machine is running very successfully at small and medium-sized companies setting new standards in the sector of mini enrobing technology.

4) A special caramel enrobing machine type CA 820 with 820 mm belt width for enrobing wafers or biscuits with caramel or – after slight machine adjustment – also with sugar icings.

5) A highlight at the iba will be the Sollcocap depositing line for refining biscuits, e.g. fillings like caramel, fondant, nut paste, jelly, milk or yoghurt cream or chocolate can be deposited together with ingredients. The performance of the system has been highly increased and guarantees a high quality production of sandwiching products. Products, which do not meet the quality demands, e.g. a biscuit does not match the shape, will be sorted out automatically by the machine.