Views: 32 Author: Site Editor Publish Time: 2026-08-18 Origin: Site
In a candy factory, the last 30 minutes of every shift determine the first 30 minutes of the next. Residual sugar, gelatin film, and acid droplets left on machine surfaces do not just attract pests—they ferment, crystallize, and corrode stainless steel. For small and mid-sized plants, a daily cleaning routine must be thorough enough to pass an unannounced audit, yet fast enough to let your team go home on time.
At Sweets Machinery , every machine we build—from the compact SWM-LD50 Laboratory Depositor to the full-scale SWM-HCD Hard Candy Depositing Line—is engineered for cleanability. This guide walks through the post-production cleaning routine for each core equipment module, using the exact specifications and access points designed into our machines.
The SWM-AFD is where syrup is born. Its 280 L weighing tank and 320 L dissolving tank handle sugar, glucose, water, and acid streams through six liquid valves, one water valve, and a screw sugar feeder. After a production run, sugar film and acid residues remain on the tank walls.
Basic cleaning steps:
From the HMI, select CIP Cycle → Dissolving Tank. The system opens the CIP spray ball inside the tank lid and flushes with 60–70°C hot water for 8–10 minutes.
If the batch included citric or malic acid, follow with a 1–2% food-grade caustic (NaOH) circulation for 5 minutes, then rinse with soft water until pH neutral.
Remove the screw feeder chute by releasing the single hand knob at the inlet—no wrench required. Rinse the auger under a hose.
Verify the 316L tank interior (mirror polish, Ra ≤ 0.4 µm) is visually free of sugar film. If any burnt syrup spots remain near the heating jacket inlet, use a soft nylon brush—never steel wool, which scratches the passive layer.
Hygiene standard met: No visible residue, pH-neutral rinse water, dry tank surfaces before next startup.
The SWM-MC (300 or 500 kg/h) operates at 150–160°C with steam pressure below 0.7 MPa. After shutdown, a thin sugar film coats the microfilm heating cylinder and the vacuum chamber walls.
Basic cleaning steps:
From the HMI, trigger Cooker CIP → Microfilm Cylinder. The machine reverses the steam flow briefly to blow out residual syrup, then opens the internal spray nozzles.
Flush with 70°C hot water for 10 minutes. For hard candy lines running caramel or cola flavors, add a peracetic acid sanitizer rinse (150 ppm) for 3 minutes.
Open the vacuum chamber access door (tool-free, quarter-turn latch). Wipe the chamber walls with a food-grade sanitizing wipe. Check the vacuum pump oil sight glass—if the oil looks milky (water ingress), drain and replace.
Inspect the microfilm scraper blades. If sugar buildup exceeds 1 mm thickness, remove the blade assembly (four hex bolts, torque sequence in the service manual) and soak in warm caustic solution.
Hygiene standard met: No sugar film on heating surfaces, clear sight glass, vacuum chamber dry and odor-free.
The SWM-JC600 handles pectin, gelatin, and carrageenan slurries at 600 kg/h. Gelatin residues are protein-based and require alkaline cleaning—unlike sugar, which dissolves in plain water.
Basic cleaning steps:
Select CIP → JC600 Cooker on the HMI. The system first flushes with 50°C warm water to remove loose gel, then circulates 1.5% NaOH at 60°C for 12 minutes.
Rinse with 65°C acidified water (0.5% nitric acid) for 5 minutes to neutralize and passivate the 316L surfaces.
Open the cooker inspection port. Check the evaporator cone for gel buildup. If any remains, use the supplied Teflon scraper—never metal tools.
Drain the condensate receiver. If condensate smells sour, run an extra sanitizer cycle before next use.
Hygiene standard met: No protein film, passivated 316L surfaces, neutral pH rinse, condensate clear.
The SWM-HCD (300–600 kg/h, 40–55 strokes/min) features a servo-driven depositor head, nozzle plate, and mold alignment system. Sugar strings and burnt droplets accumulate on the nozzle tips and mold rims after every run.
Basic cleaning steps:
From the HMI, select Nozzle Purge → Hot Water Flush. The depositor cycles the shut-off valves three times to clear internal syrup paths, then flushes the nozzle plate with 75°C water for 3 minutes.
Tilt open the hopper (gas-spring assisted, no tools). Spray the hopper interior and the rotor pump body with hot water. The pump head swings away on a hinge for full access—no wrench needed.
Remove the nozzle plate by releasing the quarter-turn cam locks. Soak in warm water with a mild detergent. Use a soft-bristle brush to clear the micro-holes.
Wipe the mold alignment rails with a sanitizing cloth. Check the ±0.3 mm alignment pins for sugar buildup—clean with a cotton swab if needed.
If the line includes a cooling tunnel, wipe the belt surface with a food-grade belt cleaner. For U-shaped or linear compact configurations, ensure no syrup drips have pooled under the belt frame.
Hygiene standard met: No sugar strings on nozzles, clean mold cavities, dry belt, no pooled liquids under the frame.
The SWM-JCD (150–600 kg/h) runs solid, striped, layered, and center-filled jelly on metal molds. Gel residues are stickier and more prone to bacterial growth than hard candy syrup.
Basic cleaning steps:
Select CIP → JCD Blend & Deposit Loop on the HMI. The system flushes the blend tank with 55°C water, then circulates 1.5% NaOH at 60°C for 15 minutes through the depositor head and product pipes.
Rinse with acidified water (0.5% nitric, 55°C) for 5 minutes. This passivates the 316L and removes any residual alkali.
Detach the depositor nozzles (quarter-turn release). Soak in warm caustic for 10 minutes, then rinse. For center-filled nozzles, use the supplied micro-brush to clean the inner filling channel.
Wipe the metal molds with a sanitizing wipe. Check the demolding pins for gelatin film—if present, spray with a mild enzyme cleaner and wipe clean.
For the SWM-JCD-S40 compact line (40 kg/h, 9×1.3×2.55 m), the same CIP routine applies. Its smaller footprint means the entire clean-down takes about 35 minutes instead of 50.
Hygiene standard met: No gel film in blend tank, passivated pipes, clean nozzle channels, dry mold surfaces.
The SWM-LD50 (30 kg/h, 3 kW, four wheels) is designed for R&D and small-batch testing. Its compact size makes cleaning fast—but skipping it leads to cross-flavor contamination between trials.
Basic cleaning steps:
On the HMI, select CIP → LD50 Loop. The system flushes the 15 L dissolving tank and the depositor head with 60°C water for 5 minutes.
Remove the hopper by releasing the single hand knob. Rinse under a tap.
Detach the nozzle (quarter-turn) and soak in warm water.
Wipe the machine exterior with a sanitizing cloth. The stainless steel panels (Ra ≤ 0.8 µm) clean easily with a single pass.
Hygiene standard met: No cross-flavor carryover, visually clean tank and nozzle, dry exterior.
After the core machines are flushed, finish with the peripherals.
Cooling tunnel belts: Wipe with a food-grade belt cleaner. Check for pooled condensate under the belt—if present, adjust the dehumidification setting (target 45–55% RH for gummy lines).
Conveyor frames: Spray with hot water and wipe. Check for sugar drips on the frame rails—common near the depositor exit.
Air knives and blowers: Remove any sugar dust from the air knife slots. Blocked slots cause uneven drying and sticky candy.
Utility connections: Close all compressed air (0.4–0.6 MPa) and steam valves. Drain any residual water from the glycol lines to prevent freezing overnight.
Equipment Module | Cleaning Time | Key Action | Hygiene Standard |
SWM-AFD dissolving tank | 12 min | CIP spray + hand-knob chute removal | No visible residue, pH neutral |
SWM-MC cooker | 15 min | Reverse steam + CIP flush + chamber wipe | Clear sight glass, dry chamber |
SWM-JC600 cooker | 22 min | Alkali circulation + acid passivation | No protein film, passivated 316L |
SWM-HCD depositor | 18 min | Nozzle purge + tool-free hopper tilt | No sugar strings, clean molds |
SWM-JCD depositor | 25 min | NaOH circulation + acid rinse + nozzle soak | No gel film, clear channels |
SWM-LD50 lab unit | 8 min | CIP loop + hopper removal | No cross-flavor, dry exterior |
Cooling tunnel & conveyors | 10 min | Belt wipe + frame spray + drain check | No pooled liquid, dry belts |
Total daily clean-down time: 35–50 minutes for a full line. One person. One hose. No scrub brushes on stainless surfaces.
At Sweets Machinery , we do not treat cleaning as an afterthought. Every machine—from the SWM-AFD to the SWM-JCD-S40—is designed with orbital-welded 316L pipes, CIP spray balls, tool-free disassembly, and HMI-controlled wash cycles. The result: a daily cleaning routine that protects your product, satisfies your auditor, and gets your team home on time.
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