Forum Activity for @Jim Greenberg

Hi, we sell new table top panning machinery. If you would like info please send an email to jim at unionmachinery.com

Thanks, Jim Greenberg - Union Confectionery Machinery Company

Hi - how much are you asking for these machines?

Thanks, Jim Greenberg

Union Confectionery Machinery

I have one - contact me at jim@unionmachinery.com thanks

Jim Greenberg

Hi, Sabrina. I am happy to help. Please send me an email with all of your contact info and I'll send off a quote for some machinery thanks.

Jim

Great would you accept $1300 packed for shipment to NY? Thanks kindly. If you want to speak see my info below.

Jim Greenberg 203.913.9656 mobile 

Hi where are you located thanks?

Jim Greenberg

Hi,Ryan, how are you? - call me anytime. I have a 100lb ss unit.

Jim Greenberg

The real story here lies in the mechanization of chocolate bar wrapping machinery. David is correct that most bars have a taper to them and when running bars through a commercial wrapping machine, the bars are levated from the infeed conveyor up into the foil and label already cut from rol stock as part of the machine's operation. The bar and wrapping material is then forced upward through a box to initiate the folding. If the bar was introduced to the foil and paper 'bottom up' the taper would not accept the folding action correctly. When folding by hand anything goes but when it comes to machinery this is the only way to achieve a tight and form fitting wrap.

Thanks,

Hi. My name is Jim Greenberg and I co-own Union Confectionery Machinery Company.

We buy, sell and rebuild all machinery in this space and have a 103-year old family legacy and customers in over 100 countries.

If you need high quality used equipment, seek advice on start up or confectionery manufacturing in general, or have equipment to sell just let me know thanks!

My brother and I had the pleasure of knowing Mott from the day he decided to produce Tree-to-Bar chocolate.

He bought his first machinery from us and it was evident in our initial meetings that he was laser focused and hell-bent on making this project happen.

At Union Confectionery Machinery we are exposed to chocolate from every corner of the world and I have made a practice of offering my most interesting client's bars when I hold chocolate tastings and chocolate lectures. Inevitably it is Grenada Chocolate that wins the Best Bar Award when we go to vote at the end of each session.

May we all hold dear the memories of Mott and the values he lived by throughout his lifetime - sincerity, sustainability and simplicity. He was a treasure in the industry and a gift to humanity.

Hi, Andy - the answers to your question are long, but the condensed version is that the Kitchen Aid attachment does not work due to the inappropriate angle of the bowl.

I sell new and used pans amongst our many offerings of confectionery machinery and have sold over 1000 table top pans that we build new. I can get you through the panning process quite easily. Email me jim@unionmachinery.com when you are ready to explore your options thanks.

Jim Greenberg, President

Union Confectionery Machinery

Bad post! The ratio should have said 1:1 Chocolate to nutmeats 1.25 hours. 2:1 chocolate to nutmeats 2.5 hours.

Standards do not exist but I see most panning at 2.5:1 chocolate to nutmeats and it takes time to build good layers with proper cooling.

New panners please note that tempering of the coating is unnecessary as tempering causes more problems than good in this process. Tempered chocolate is too viscous and does not coat well whereby untempered coating flow better and the glazing process provides the nice shine later. Many folks just pan and then powder coat - lots of options.

Jim

PS - my company goes by both Union Confectionery Machinery & National Equipment Corp.

The time is takes to 'pan' a batch under optimal conditions is as follows:

1) Nut meats and chocolate = 1.25 hour per grossing. If the final ratio of nut meats to chocolate is 1:1 = 1.25 hour. 2:1 = 2.5 hours etc. If the air flow is wrong, temp off and RH too high then it will take longer and the end result will be poor.

Jim

Hi, all. The Kitchen Aid Panning Attachment was, conceptually, a great idea. However, the pan is not situated at the correct angle and the bowl is not properly shaped.

We sell brand new pans in 12", 16" and 24" sizes that are fully self-contained in that they come with a base, drive, speed controller 0-36RPM,removablebowl, and optional blower for both hot and cold panning,removable polishing ribs and extra bowls if needed.

We have sold thousands of these pans around the world to retail confectioners, R & D labs, pharma labs and snack food companies. Comes with instructions, too, and my assistance as needed. I have been involved with panning for years and taught the National Confectioners Association Panning Class. Happy to help.

To view the pans please use this link:

Yes I have been in discussion with Colin for a few years.

We do not build new sprayers we sell them as brokers. Can you send me literature on yours and also advise if yours can supply pans from 16" diameter up to 42"?

Thanks,

Jim

Colin - you know you can email me anytime

Jim at unionmachinery dot com

The sprayer is not the answer. Colin.

Here is a greattrick - get a wheel type machine like a JKV and cut a small piece of PVC pipe on a bias - 45 degree angle - and then rig the PVC into the mouth of the pan and let the wheel feed into it. The pipe should be 1" ID. You can walk away and let the chocolate flow freely. Now, that said, you must have proper air conditions as follows:

RH = 50% or <

Air Temp - 60F degrees is optimal

Air Flow - for a pan your size 100 CFM will work

If you deliver the air too cold or too fast the chocolate will set up too quickly causing poor flow. If you deliver an inadequate supply of air or the air is too warm you will get doubles and triples all day long.

Jim

Also - you need 80 PSI to atomize a fat-based material such as chocolate so the viscosity must be held at a constant (which is determined by fat content and usage temp).

Jim

If the spray gun and the head are not jacketed for warm water flow then the gun will NOT work.

The tube, head and any connections must have 105-108F water running constantly to avoid crystallization. Remember you do not want to use tempered chocolate when panning or you will never achieve the yield and coverage. By heating the spray gun you insure a proper delivery temp.

Jim Greenberg, President
Union Confectionery Machinery Company

We sell a small pneumatic spray gun with tank and a self cleaning nozzle that has a pin that goes in and out to clear the plug that inevitably develops.

I do not have the info set up as a link so if you want details pls send me your email address thanks.

Jim

The size of the pan does not affect the fall line but if you overload the pan that can be detrimental.

Go to 20C on the air, make sure that the air flow faces toward the side of the pan opposite the fall line and also be certain you have enough CFM.

Jim

I can answer any and all questions about panning, as we sell both new and used table top and commerical sized pans plus a full range of chocolate melting equipment. I also had my own panning company a few moons ago.

Send on specific questions and I will be happy to address machinery, procedural and supply questions.

Jim

Hi, Colin. Forgive me for asking, but are you using a fan to deliver cool air into the pan during the engrossing stage? If not, then you will never be able to control the process of coverage or drying. Double occur when excessive amounts of chocolate settle in the deadzone area which is the fall line of the cascading motion create once the chocolate is forst applied and coverage/drying begin.

If you are using a fan, then the problem may be that the air flow volume is too low - you need to have enough air to evacuate the volume of the pan everything 3-4 seconds and also the air must be in the range of 17-20C. Since the fan is drawing make up air from the room in which it sits, the humidity and temperature in your panning room should be 50% RH or so and 17-20C.

If you need more help just let me know at jim@unionmachinery.com

Thanks,

Jim

I am still amazed what folks will pay at POP retail for chocolate. That, in itself, leads me to believe that the education of the consumer, through both private and public channels, has reached a noteworthy state.

As far as claims made about the cost of purchasing beans at a super-premium price, let's allow the truth to filter to the surface instead of digging for it. We must be professional in our pursuit of excellence and careful about the time spent monitoring the activities of others. Big world, lots of customers, do what you do and stay the course.

PS - look to Guatemala for some big breakthroughs in both crop maintenance and drying/fermentation practices in the next two years. Some money is being invested and it will improve the quality of their already interesting bean crop.

I have received a number of emails from folks around the globe asking for further information about the table top foiler we once sold. It was a device - nothing more - that had a small pedestal and a brush cut to the shape of your small molded piece. The operator would take a pre-cut piece of foil, place it over the chocolate and then place both on the tiny pedestal and then pull the brush device down over the chocolate by hand. Once done the operator would remove the piece by hand and then smooth the sides and bottom. Quite time consuming and not very effective, We had offered this item for sale through someone who had built a few but it never really took off for obvious reasons so we are no longer offering them.

Foil wrapping by hand is laborious and, sadly, no one has ever produced a low cost, entry level full-fledged machine to do the work so the next best option is a used/rebuilt machine which we do offer but prices start in the mid $20K range and that is a major barrier to entry for most folks in early stage businesses.

Happy to discuss foil wrapping any time - jim@unionmachinery.com

Thanks

Jim Greenberg, President
Union Confectionery Machinery Company

We sell a small table-top foil wrapper for flat bottomed solid goods with very inexpensive tooling.

Please contact me jim@unionmachinery.com for a quote.

We are always here to help. After 100 years in the business, we have come to find great satisfaction in helping companies start up, grow and prosper.

Brad, always a pleasure to have such nice feedback.

Jim

Understood -

Jim

I did not realize it was private - not intended to be so, Clay.

Thanks,

Jim

Jim Greenberg here from Union Confectionery Machinery...jim@unionmachinery.com

Brad is correct in that without real throughput the ROI on a foil wrapper is long and arduous.

His comment about pricing is also correct - even a used machine presents a barrier to entry in the machinery acquisition world for small co's. Call me anytime just to chat and I can educate you on your options without any commitment from you to buy and then you will have some fuel for thought going forward.

Thanks,

Jim Greenberg, President

Union Confectionery Machinery

And we move on from here...

Thanks, Mindy.

Jim

I feel compelled to ad my 2 cents here as I have had to explain to non-industry folks at chocolate tastings I have conducted the difference between a chocolate producer and a chocolatier/confectioner. We all know the difference, but we also know that creativity and craftsmanship may be expressed in many forms. While M & M/Mars is a volume producer of mass-market commericial finished goods, they also roast a lot of beans. Conversely, the good folks at See's Candies have never roasted a bean and they are driven to quality as much as the next guy.

It is paramount the we educate the consumer on their options and teach them to differentiate so that they can make decisions based on knowledge and not solely advertising, negative or otherwise. The information must be conveyed thoughtfully, objectively and accurately. I do not condone 'bashing' as a form of education. We are not the Chocolate Police but it is not inconceivable that a little respectful policing is in the best interest of the industry.

Roast, melt...whatever you do, do it with integrity, passion and creativity and advocate for an open and collegial environment for all to thrive and succeed.