IPCO Celebrates 40 Years Of Rotoform Granulation

In 2020, IPCO celebrates a 40-year milestone in its history, since the world’s first rotary dropformer was developed by the company.

The Rotoform technology has undergone significant advances over the years, and more than 2,000 units have meanwhile been installed, pastillising many different products from bulky masses, all the way through to fine chemicals such as those used in the cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries, plus a wide range of food products. At the heart of every IPCO high-speed, high-capacity chocolate forming system is the Rotoform rotary depositor, a unit first developed for the chemical industry but subsequently adapted for food processing.

The IPCO Rotoform granulation system combines a Rotoform drop depositor with a steel belt cooler. Molten product is fed to the Rotoform pastillator via a pump and then uniformly deposited – in the form of consistently sized, dust-free granules – across the full width of the steel belt.

The drops are solidified and cooled as they travel along with the belt. Water sprayed onto the underside of the belt removes the heat of the product and ensures cooling of the pastilles.

The solidified product is discharged at the end of the steel belt in the form of hard, uniform pastilles optimally shaped. The pastilles are free-flowing and virtually dust-free, and are ready for storage or bagging.