What equipment is needed to make gummy bears?
The delightful world of gummy bears is not just about the sugary goodness that melts in your mouth; it's an complicated combination of equipment and processes that bring these iconic treats to life. Let's take a behind-the-scenes look at the specialized manufacturing equipment involved in the art of making gummy bears.
Dosing the Essentials
The journey of crafting gummy bears begins with precision dosing of pre-cook ingredients. The premix vessel, a crucial player in this process, is designed to dose and blend these ingredients seamlessly.
Adding the sweetness
Given that sugar is a cornerstone of the gummy bear formula, a powder-screw-feeder or vacuum transport takes center stage, expertly dosing crystal sugar into the premix vessel. This ensures the perfect sweetness in every bite.
Precise Gelling Agent and syrup dosing
Equally important is the dosing of the gelling agent, flawlessly executed by another powder-screw-feeder. This step contributes to the unique chewy texture that defines gummy bears. For the sugar syrup, a pump takes charge, often accompanied by a pre-heating step to achieve the ideal viscosity. Balancing the liquid elements is a delicate dance that impacts the final consistency of our beloved gummy bears.
Cooking your gummy mass
Once the premix is a homogeneous blend, it is transferred to buffer vessels, ensuring a continuous supply to the cooker. The cooker, powered by steam, raises the temperature to the critical cooking point, a necessary step in gummy bear alchemy. Various cooking technologies are available, tailored to the specific type of gummies being crafted. After reaching the optimum temperature, the candy mass is cooled down, achieving the required dry solid content by undergoing a vacuum process in a dedicated vessel.
Adding colour and flavour
The journey doesn't end there. Enter the ABS vessel (Automatic Blending System), where post-cook ingredients – acid, color, flavour, and optional functional additions like vitamins – are introduced. Delicately blending the candymass with these final ingredients transforms it into a delightful fusion of fruity appearance and flavour.
Depositing Delight
The depositor, also known as the Mogul, takes over, depositing the liquid candy mass into the iconic gummy bear cavities. The trays move through this sophisticated machine, ensuring each cavity is filled with precision, creating the diverse array of gummy bear sizes.
Curing and Conditioning
The trays head to the conditioning rooms for curing. Here, under specific conditions of temperature, humidity, and time, the gummies transform from liquid to a shelf-stable delight. The demoulder then steps in, removing the gummies from the trays.
Finishing
The final steps add a touch of finesse. An oiling drum applies a glazing agent, leaving the gummies shiny and non-sticky. Alternatively, a sanding drum adds a crunchy sugar layer, elevating the textural experience. Now, our gummies are ready to join your packaging line.
Conclusion
Gummy candy creation is a delicate process of dosing, cooking, shaping, and finishing, which needs specialized equipment. The result? The beloved gums in any shape that bring joy to candy enthusiasts of all ages. Would you like to know more about producing your own gummy candy, our team of expert is ready for you. Tanis has its own Innovation Center to help you develop your perfect candy and design your perfect gummy production line. All our manufacturing equipment is tailored for your needs, read more about our gummy manufacturing equipment.