Sugar Handling Challenge

Joseph Dobson & Sons, a traditional sweet manufacturer, needed to improve part of their production process while protecting the quality and character of their famous hard candies.

Previously, operators had to manually weigh sugar into buckets and lift them shoulder height to tip into the steam pan. This was labour-intensive, posed health and safety risks, and made it difficult to maintain high hygiene standards.

The company set clear goals: improve hygiene, create a safer working environment, and reduce manual labour without compromising their unique candy-making process.

Flexible Screw Conveyor Solution

Joseph Dobson & Sons worked with Spiroflow, an Akona brand, to install a flexible screw conveyor. This new system included a sack tip hopper in the boiling room, which feeds sugar directly to the steam pan using the conveyor.

The steam pan, mounted on load cells, needs an exact preset quantity of sugar. Since sugar, glucose, and water are all added at the same time, the conveyor works as a reliable volumetric feeder, delivering consistent and accurate amounts of sugar about 10 feet from the hopper to the pan.

The new setup removed the need for manual lifting and ensured a smooth, precise flow of ingredients.

The Sweet Result

The flexible screw conveyor delivered immediate and clear improvements:

• Better hygiene and safety by eliminating manual handling of heavy buckets.
• Accurate and repeatable feeding, consistently achieving the required sugar weight in 9.4 minutes per batch.
• Reduced manual labour, allowing operators to focus on other key tasks.

The system supports at least 42 batches during an 8-hour shift, helping the company meet production demands more easily.

Stephen Walshaw, Managing Director at Joseph Dobson & Sons, said, “We are very pleased with the accuracy. Akona supported us every step of the way quickly and efficiently.”

Want to learn more?

If you’re interested in our centrifugal sifters and cone blenders and want to learn more, speak with our team. We’ll work closely with you to find the best solution for your material processing and operational goals.