Cheap and versatile bakery machine promises success

A new machine designed to decorate bakery and confectionery products with up to 150 different items has been launched by Russia's Ekma-Konfi engineering group. The versatility, reliability and cost effectiveness of the technology are expected to make it a big hit, as Angela Drujinina reports.

The machine is said to offer a simple and reliable method of applying glazes of all shapes and sizes to a range of confectionery and bakery products, while additional options include the ability to create new shapes for a more personalised service.

For example, one option is a twisting function that allows manufacturers to produce individual designs which can give them a competitive edge in an increasingly crowded marketplace.

"This is entirely proprietary technology," claimed Andrei Sorokin, PR manager of Ekma-Konfi. "Our engineers created the machine from scratch without using previously existing technical solutions."

"Our machine costs much less than similar foreign equipment and this excellent quality:price ratio gives our product a competitive advantage," Sorokin said. The Ekma-Konfi machine costs only RUR590,000 ($20,900), while similar technology imported from western Europe would cost €70-80,000.

According to Sorokin, Ekma-Konfi has already sold one of the decorating machines to one Russian customer, and is close to finalising a deal with a second. The company is planning to roll out a number of new machines for confectionery industry in 2005.