The Cookie Capper

 “The Cookie Capper” is our flagship machine for providing a turnkey and highly flexible solution to our customers worldwide. The Cookie Capper takes a full flow of product directly from a continuous oven band, orienting individual cookies, indexing and flipping every other row, applying accurate amounts of filling, and then positioning the tops onto the bottoms automatically at speeds up to 300 cookie rows (150 rows of sandwiches) per minute. The sandwiched products are then transported for enrobing, wrapping or further processing.  Our system is designed to run delicate soft cake, wire-cut and rotary molded cookies that fluctuate in size and shape because of upstream processes. We control placement of filling and top cookie within + or - 1 mm and control filling target weights to within ±1 %.

Machine widths up to 2 meters wide (~79 inches) enable high production rates by processing many products per machine cycle.

Infeed Section

A special endless conveyor belt with many features to unscramble, receive the product, places it into lanes, accumulate the product appropriately and synchronize it into the Rotodex 1 Indexing device to be registered and prepared for other functions downstream. Products can be aligned and spaced as required with easy changeover of custom made parts.

Flip-slide Section

The most versatile and efficient method in the market for flipping every other row to provide alternate rows of tops and bottoms. Our innovative designed provides speeds to 300 rows per minute with also providing the ability to switch to a bypass/conveyor mode with a simple press of a button in the HMI. After a timely release of the products by the flip/slide platform, a precise registration of the product prior to depositing and capping operations is accomplished with Rotodex 2.

Deposit Section

Deposit of the crème, jam, chocolate, caramel, marshmallow, or other similar fillings is accomplished with the deposit manifolds. Our State-of-the art manifolds are mounted onto traveling platforms for easy removal and cleaning. Weight balancing of the deposit for each nozzle can easily be adjusted through the HMI. No Product No Deposit Capability is also offered.

Capping Section

It is at this Station, where the sandwiching operation takes place.  The top cookie comes to its final registration at Gate 3.  The Jet picks up the top cookie to a programmable position, which clears the approaching cookie with deposited filling.  Once the deposited cookie reaches final registration at Gate 3, the Vacuum Jet places the top cookie onto the bottom to create a precision sandwich.

Features

• Quick Changeover and Versatility– Easily accomplished with change parts in 10-15 minutes. One system is able to run 50+ products with different size, filling, style and number across with a simple changeover and a press of a button in the HMI. All this without any complicated assemblies
• Flexibility – Our system can handle products from 20 mm to greater than 70 mm diameter. Any style and size of cookie you can think of, including wire cut, die cut, square or rectangular products, soft cakes, and much more!
• Simple Process – Our system provides the most smooth, high speed and easy-to-care operation compared to our competitors.
• Sanitary Design – Our latest improvements on sanitation offer a sanitary and easy to maintain system the most hygienic operation. Stainless steel, titanium, and anodized aluminum construction. This latest design offers minimized plate to plate contact, non-tube penetration for device mounting and stand-offs for an easy clean/stay clean operation. Other design upgrades include:
  • IP65 washdown capable electronic components
  • No chains – Timing belts used for belt drives
  • Polyolefin belting
• Remote electrical panel - Hoffman Nema 4X water-shed type enclosures utilized. Improved access of electrical devices located within enclosures. Hoffman Wash-down A/C unit utilized on main electrical enclosure.
• Automatic Product Alignment – Advanced device to track the wander of product as a result of incoming conveyors belt tracking systems.
• Automatic Speed Synchronization - Monitors product backlog prior to Rotodex 1. Our system switches speed automatically to match incoming rate of product rows.
• Automatic Belt Tracking– Tracking roller provided to change the angle in response to a special tracking valve, which monitors the edge of the belt.
• New Capping design – Our new Linear capping design is the latest innovative concept in sandwich processing created inhouse specifically for increased machine speeds and performance. With this new design, more precision is achieved for the perfect sandwich at speeds up to 300 rows a minute.
• New Rotodex 2 design – Our Rotodex 2 has been redesigned to have a single barrel servo driven rotary device which provides increased performance in product alignment, thus improving deposit and capping performance as well as ergonomics in product changeovers.
• Advanced scrap module with dual belt scrape system – Mobile scrap cart with dry side/wet side segregation. Our dual belt FDA approved scrape system with scrape-spray-scrape process is utilized for superior belt cleaning ability.
• High-Tech Control Systems – Fully integrated operator interface, machine timing and control system package for recipe management, maintenance, diagnostics (SCADA), and servo settings. Pivoting touch screen panel to allow easy operator control access from either side of machine.
• Servo Driven Technology - For maximum flexibility and scalability. Eliminates the need to change mechanical cams to obtain the required sandwich height. Direct Drive Rotary servo motors are utilized for accuracy, eliminating gear boxes and maximizing cleanability.
• Central Lubrication – Provides automatic lubrication to all lubrication points simultaneously. Multiple zone distribution blocks.
• Belt washer – Controlled automatically or by toggle switch to allow water to clean the belt while running. Complete with catch pan for waste and funnel that attaches to drain. All stainless steel.
• Distribution Piping – Includes digital temperature probe and pressure gauge with quick connect hook ups to the deposit manifold.
• Belt By-Pass/ Conveyor Mode - Allows products to pass-through our system on all belt-to-belt transfers. A belt take-up system allows the main belt to be utilized for the pass-through.
• Metric Execution – Precise control of deposit weights and balancing of each deposit nozzle. In the capping area, the sandwich height can be modified from the HMI while the system is in operation.
• Easy Manifold Removal – Manifold easy slide on/off machine for cleaning. Manifold removal carts available.
• No Product/No Deposit – High-tech scanning detection system which will detect when products are out of phase or missing. If products are out of phase per a particular lane, the manifold will not deposit filling in that particular position. Our system minimizes contamination on the belt
• Upgraded Pneumatic System – Optimized pneumatic piping layout. SMC I-O link-controlled valve interfaces. Sealed wash-down enclosure for all SMC valve components.
• Crème Mixing Option – Our 40+ years of experience working with industry leading crème suppliers allow us to provide turnkey solutions for Crème mixing/tempering/aeration systems easily integrated with our machine.
• Clean-In-Place – CIP for all feed piping and hoses up to the deposit manifolds and integrated with crème system. Cleaning water will be returned to the crème system to complete the loop.