Solutions in Action

The ECOGRAV machine is a flexible gravimetric weighing

unit with a buffer and an integrated continuous dissolver

Wernigerode, Germany-based CHOCOTECH is a privately owned

company employing 180 people. It’s a sister company of Sollich KG, a
third-generation family business known for its market leadership in
chocolate and bar manufacturing equipment. The long list of especially
satisfied customers not only includes some of the world’s multinationals,
but also midsized and smaller confectionery companies.

Allen-Bradley CompactLogix In addition to the ECOGRAV system, CHOCOTECH is also a key supplier
programmable automation controller of turnkey kitchen systems for the following: the SUCROMASTER for
hard candy; the MICRON for fondant; the CHEWMASTER for chewy; the
SUCROFILM / CARAFLEX for caramel; the JELLYMASTER / JELLYMIX for
jellies; the TORNADO for aerated products; and much more.

CHOCOTECH has a state-of-the-art laboratory in Wernigerode, which

houses the complete scope of the company’s kitchen systems for
capacities up to and beyond 1,000 kg/hr. For recipe development, the
Allen-Bradley PowerFlex 525 laboratory also houses the Princess range of cookers. The lab is run
variable-speed drive family by experienced process engineers who have gained their experience
and knowledge not only in the classroom, but also from Allen-Bradley ControlLogix® PACs. Operator interaction is
commissioning confectionery lines for leading industry enabled through the use of FactoryTalk View® Machine Edition
customers all across the globe. (ME) or FactoryTalk View Site Edition (SE) on larger installations.

The company’s popular ECOGRAV machine is a flexible According to Martin McDermott, Director of Sales and
gravimetric weighing unit with a buffer and an integrated Marketing: “The service and support from Rockwell
continuous dissolver, which uses the moisture from glucose Automation is really good, coupled to significant industry
(corn syrup) to dissolve crystal sugar (or a sugar-free ingredient experience; most parts we use also have preferred availability.
such as isomalt) without having to add any additional water,
“We use Rockwell Automation products for many reasons,”
thus saving significant energy. The ECOGRAV is ideal for hard
he continues. “These include specific customer requirements
candies, chewy candies, fondants, cooked sugar solutions for
coupled to the ability to streamline our design times. We also
bars and allows a dry solids level of up 90% to be achieved
benefit from reduced programming efforts and easier trouble
prior to cooking. This approach substantially reduces the
shooting, testing and validation. The integrated approach also
energy required compared to starting the cooking process at
gives us the ability to scale up and it offers us the flexibility
75 to 80% dry solids, offering energy savings of 30 to 50%.
to more easily evolve machine designs for future market
Another advantage of the ECOGRAV system stems from the demands.
flexibility of a gravimetrical weighing system, which enables
“Our machine’s method of operation, coupled to the Rockwell
easy recipe and ingredient changes. The whole unit is
Automation solutions, delivers reduced energy consumption,
backed up by an Allen-Bradley® programmable automation
easier and remote maintenance, reduced training and
controller (PAC), which handles recipe control, recipe storage,
changeover times and, as a result, minimised installation and
temperature control, etc.
start up,” he concludes.
The advantages continue even beyond the individual
ECOGRAV unit. First, because of the higher solids level entering
the final cooker, a smaller heat exchange surface is required
and thus, a smaller cooker. In addition, when an existing batch
weigher is replaced by the ECOGRAV the capacity of the line
can be increased as the strain or load on the existing final
cooker is far less due to the higher incoming dry solids.
For more information, contact:
At the heart of the machine’s control architecture is an Allen-
Martin McDermott
Bradley CompactLogix™ PAC, coupled to other components
Director of Sales & Marketing
via EtherNet/IP™, including Allen-Bradley PowerFlex 525
Phone: + 49 39 43 55 06 13
variable-speed drives, using Allen-Bradley POINT I/O™.
Fax: + 49 39 43 55 06 22
The company also deploys Allen-Bradley Guardmaster® for
Email: [Link]@[Link]
safety solutions. For larger projects, the infrastructure can
www. [Link]
be easily scaled up and integrated to exploit more powerful

Allen-Bradley, ControlLogix, CompactLogix, FactoryTalk View Machine Edition (ME), FactoryTalk View Site Edition (SE) Guardmaster, LISTEN. THINK. SOLVE., PowerFlex and Rockwell Automation are trademarks of
Rockwell Automation, Inc.
EtherNet/IP is a trademark of the ODVA
Trademarks not belonging to Rockwell Automation are property of their respective companies.

Publication OEM-AP471A-EN-P – September 2015 Copyright © 2015 Rockwell Automation, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Printed in the USA.