Turbo Systems, the UK machinery firm behind there-launch, claims that confectionery accounted for 11 per cent of new product launches within the food and drink sector in 2005.
As a result, food makers need to incorporate a degree of flexibility in their operations to ensure that they are able to quickly meet new consumer demands.
The company says that the heads can help food makers achieve this because they are capable of multi filling small quantities of ingredients simultaneously.
Types of ingredients include chocolate, caramel, and fondant, and typical applications include warm chocolate filling centres and tempered liquid chocolate. The heads have twin skin jackets and are capable of circulating warm water to keep chocolate and other fillings flowing freely.
Capable of depositing up 24 fillings simultaneously, Turbo Systems'decorating heads operate at speeds of up to 25 cycles per minute, representing a total of up to 600 applications every minute.
Manufactured in stainless steel, with British Standard pipe fittings, the heads are available in a range of variants, including decorative print heads, star tube print heads, rotating heads, shower nozzles, multiple outlet rotary spade nozzles and heated jacket nozzles. All aimed to meet a range of production and design needs.
Turbo Systems recommend that the special heads be attached to a Turbo D150 Depositor that has a hot water circulation system, which passes through the hopper, main product cylinder, valve-block and through to the decorating heads.
The company claims that at present, the decorating heads are operating in a number of factories throughout the UK, including two of the leading confectionery manufacturers, who are using the heads to deposit caramel and chocolate into a range of confectionery items.
"We, as manufacturers of confectionery processing systems, have a duty to align ourselves to the strategic shifts within confectionery manufacturing, whilst keeping pace with the changing consumer eating habits that are driving food product development," said Clive Butcher, UK sales manager of Turbo Systems.
"We have to monitor and anticipate those trends and to keep food manufacturers abreast of the new equipment.
"Machinery suppliers have to be at the heart of product trends so they can quickly react to the plans of retailers in conjunction with theirfood-manufacturing partners. That way our food line systems developsimultaneously with new food products."