Mitchell Paquaij, Managing Director Food Equipment at IPCO, and Michael Graban, Managing Director at ChocConcept, discuss their groundbreaking piston depositor project
To begin, could you provide an overview of the new piston depositor installation at ChocConcept and explain why this project is so significant?
Mitchell:
This is a wonderful project, and I’d like to start by thanking Theo and Michael for giving us the opportunity to make it happen. It’s especially exciting because ChocConcept is only 45 minutes from our own factory, so it’s a perfect showcase for us.
It also shows real entrepreneurship from Michael and his team. They’re a young company, but with generations of experience behind them. After three years of development, seeing this first piston depositor up and running is a big milestone for all of us.
Michael:
Yes, and to add to that, IPCO brings all the technical know-how of the machinery, while we bring the chocolate expertise. Together, we’ve been able to move beyond theoretical concepts to real, practical production with chocolate on the line.
As a young, ambitious, and entrepreneurial company, we’re proud to be developing a unique machine that doesn’t exist anywhere else in the world. Of course, there are challenges, but we’re ready for them.
If we can make this happen, it will be a major achievement and will show the market that we’re a fast-moving, innovative company setting the pace. And I believe that once we succeed, others will soon follow.
What unique features does this particular installation have and how does it integrate with the systems already in place?
Michael:
Piston depositing technology exists, Rotoform drop depositing technology exists, but we’ll be the first in the world to combine both on a single line.
One of our key performance indicators is flexibility: short lead times, minimal set-up times, and the ability to adapt quickly to customer needs. By combining these technologies – and adding a chunk extruder – we’ve created a unique line that can produce existing products but also opens the door to new product development in the future.
This combination of technologies simply doesn’t exist anywhere else.
How would you say this addition aligns with ChocConcept’s wider production strategy?
Michael:
Right now, we’re the only company in the world offering fresh production on a four-week cycle. Most others take nearly twice as long. With this new line running at our premises, we can be even more flexible, respond faster, and better meet customer demands.
It also reflects our commitment to innovation. The chocolate industry has traditionally been slow to change, dominated by a few large multinationals. As a medium-sized, family-owned business in Belgium, we see this as a unique opportunity to bring fresh ideas, innovate, and push the industry forward.
And how do you approach joint development projects? What does working hand in hand with IPCO look like in practice?
Mitchell:
From IPCO’s side, I would say we go far beyond our standard scope when working with ChocConcept. It shows the special relationship we have.
We’re involved in everything – from unloading liquid chocolate when it first arrives to managing the connections for packing in bags, big bags, super sacks, and everything in between. We handle the pipework, the heating systems, and of course, the moulding lines themselves. It goes well beyond what we typically deliver to a customer.
Michael:
I agree. Everyone within IPCO really sees our factory as their own because they’ve been so heavily involved. It’s completely state of the art – brand new equipment, tanks, piping, and machinery, all fully integrated.
Moving into the technological side of things: how does the combination of the piston depositor, rotary drop depositor, and chunk extruder enhance versatility, efficiency, and performance?
Mitchell:
As Michael mentioned, chocolate factories are dealing with a growing number of recipes and frequent product changeovers. The goal is to keep downtime as low as possible.
Each technology has its strengths. The Rotoform rotary drop depositor is ideal for small pieces – like 20,000 pieces per kilo – while the piston depositor is better for larger products, such as heavy wafers over 25 millimetres. The rotary system is also easier to clean, which helps when switching from dark to white chocolate or vice versa.
By combining both systems, we can reduce downtime and increase flexibility, producing a wider range of products on a single line. Adding the chunk extruder gives us a third production capability, so it’s incredibly versatile.
On top of that, this line also includes our triple-pass plastic belt technology, which is another unique feature from IPCO.
Read the full interview in our latest issue here
