WORLD OF INDUSTRIES - MOTION, DRIVE & AUTOMATION 5/2017

Making multi-layered chocolates
with a single stroke
MEASUREMENT AND CONTROL
A sweet final product: With ‘one-shot’ technology
from Siemens, even multi layered chocolate products
– for example, a base, filling and a coating – can be
created in a single work process
Belgian company ‘Hacos’ is one of the very few companies in the
world that specializes in manufacturing machinery for purely
artistic chocolate production line with partial or complete automation
systems. To meet its customer’s requirements in terms of flexibility,
production quality and integrated automation, the company
uses control technology from Siemens in its machines, which can
be used either as standalone systems or as an integrated part of the
production line. The portfolio of machinery manufacturer ‘Hacos’
from Belgium includes molding and dosing machines, spinning
and decorating machines, as well as all the accessories required for
these applications. The ‘Hacos’ systems are used in the production
of chocolate products. “From our point of view, the market is divided
into different application segments: artisan chocolate production,
semi-automated chocolate production, smaller automated
lines and industrial lines,” ex-plains sales & marketing manager Raf
Tuytelaars. To be able to meet the varied demands of these quite
different target groups, ‘Hacos’ uses Siemens components for the
automation of its machines.
Solution for market players of all sizes
“For us, it is important to support growth, particularly among the
emerging smaller and medium-sized chocolate manufacturers.
This is why many of our products are designed to work not only as
a stand-alone solution in a small company or for manufacturers of
hand-made delicacies, but also as an integrated element in partially
or fully automated production environments – and they can also
be used as a retrofit solution,” explains Raf Tuytelaars. This also applies,
for example, to the expansion of existing production capabilities.
The level of investment required here is reduced noticeably as a
result, which makes it easier for smaller companies in particular to
take the step from purely hand-made, artisan production towards
automated production. In the process, connectivity between the
different machine modules is crucial for the machines from ‘Hacos’,
as this enables subsequent modifications or upgrades in terms of
functionality. To this end, even the smallest machines are equipped
with a Simatic touch panel with liquid crystal display (LCD).
Integrated automation systems offer high flexibility
Thanks to the integrated open automation, the systems can be adapted
to new requirements at any time. For Raf Tuytelaars, the advantages
are plain to see: “The integrated technology offers the benefits of sim-
About Siemens AG
Siemens is a global powerhouse focusing on the areas of
electrification, automation and digitalization. One of the
world’s largest producers of energy-efficient, resourcesaving
technologies, Siemens is a leading supplier of
products and systems across the entire automation value
chain, right from controllers, IO systems, software for
controllers, high-end motion control system that combine
the powerful hardware with efficient engineering
and innovative software. In the fiscal year 2016, Siemens
had around 350,000 employees in more than 200 countries.
The company generated revenues more than € 79
billion with a net income of € 5.6 billion.
WORLD OF INDUSTRIES – MOTION, DRIVE & AUTOMATION 5/2017