Aug

All About Small Scale Gummy Making Equipment

Not every manufacturing project aims for scaled-up production. Small-scale production offers a lower-risk point of entry. Or, small-scale production can be the perfect approach for the production of high-value, boutique-quality goods.

As an emerging, high-value product line, gummy products are often produced on small scales.

Many manufacturers either want to start small before scaling up or to add small-scale gummy production as an auxiliary product line.

Today, let’s learn all about small-scale gummy-making equipment, including:

Advantages of small-scale gummy production
Are there differences between large- and small-scale gummy manufacturing operations?
Equipment needs for small-scale gummy production

Advantages of Manufacturing Gummies at a Small Scale

Small-scale gummy manufacturing allows for more focused and efficient operations. Small-scale operations enjoy the following benefits in comparison to larger enterprises.

Consistent Results

Working with small batches allows for greater consistency. Less effort is required to ensure that every unit in a batch is identical.

As a result, you can produce more consistent gummies at a higher quality in a more scalable fashion. This lessens the chance that defective or contaminated products reach your quality control team before packaging.

Devote More Time to Quality Control

Excellent quality control is more easily achieved when working with small batches.

Common gummy production issues such as high or low water content are easier to spot and remedy. Defective batches are identified quickly, allowing for real-time adjustments that prevent heavy losses of products and time.

If a defective product is identified during small-scale production, this can also result in less product loss than with larger batches. You can more easily pause operations and troubleshoot the errors that led to the product defect before continuing on with the rest of your batch.

Efficient Use of Manufacturing Resources

Smaller batches demand the use of fewer resources at a time. While still benefiting from bulk material purchases, you can complete batches with lower up-front costs, less floor space, and less energy use.

Is the Production Process Different for Small vs Large Scale Manufacturing?

Small-scale and large-scale gummy operations follow the same process.

Gummy manufacturing involves these three phases:

Cooking: Heating ingredients into a “slurry” liquid state.
Depositing and Cooling: Slurry is moved into molds, then cooled, then dried.
Coating and Quality Control: After an optional coating phase, gummies are inspected for quality and consistency.

The above outlines the standard gummy production process. However, there will be some other factors to consider. Each manufacturing operation will have its own nuances that may require some alterations or additions to ensure quality.

For example, if you are creating vegan or sugar-free gummy vitamins, the base ingredients will have different melting points than ones made with gelatin. Quality control phases also typically follow proprietary processes.

Equipment Needs for Small-Scale Gummy Production

Equipment and material needs for small-scale gummy production include the following.

Gummy Depositor

Gummy depositor machines come in varying sizes to match different batch size needs. Small-scale machines produce around 15,000 gummies per hour in a fully-automated and customizable process.

Gummy Molds

Gummy molds are customizable, allowing manufacturers to organize gummy slurry into desired sizes and shapes. Using an industrial-grade gummy mold will provide you with a durable solution that results in more precise shapes as well as a decreased chance of sticking.

Gummy Coating Machine

Coating is an optional part of the gummy manufacturing process. Gummy coating machines can be used to add an extra layer of flavor and texture to each gummy. Learn more about our oil coater or sugar coater and how you can enhance your gummies.

Auxiliary Manufacturing Equipment

The following equipment is not specific to gummy production. However, if you’re starting a manufacturing operation from scratch, you’ll need these items to form a production line:

Counter or checkweigher for filling containers
Conveyors
Infeed and accumulation tables

Quality Control Tools

Quality control involves various inspections along with the use of water activity meters. These machines indicate when water activity levels are too high or too low. Imprecise water levels can affect the taste, texture, and shelf life of gummies, so it’s critical to monitor these measurements closely.

Packaging Materials

The three most commonly-used packaging options for gummies are:

Cartons
Bottles
Sealed bags

If you choose to use bottles, your production line will require a bottle unscrambler, a capping machine, and a sealing machine. These machines automate production to rapidly prepare shelf-ready products.

Ingredients

Finally, there are the ingredients.

These are the most common ingredients in gummy vitamins and supplements:

Sugar or a non-sugar sweetener
Colors and flavorings
Active ingredients
Coating materials (optional)
Citric acid to balance pH
Pectin
Glucose syrup

Most of these ingredients can be purchased through a pharmaceutical supplier. However, if you need to find a source for one or more of these ingredients, you can also ask your equipment manufacturer to see if they can offer recommendations.

Small-Scale Manufacturing Equipment From Gummy Tech

Gummy Technologies is a subsidiary of CapPlus Technologies, a leader in innovative packaging solutions for the pharmaceutical industry. We strive to equip your gummy pharmaceutical manufacturing team with the most complete, integrated, and highest-performing solutions available on the market today.

All of our equipment is designed and produced in the USA from our Phoenix, Arizona headquarters. As part of our commitment to bringing elevated scalability to the pharmaceutical industry, we also offer on-site training, support, and education to help you maximize the value generated from your investment.

To learn more about our small-scale gummy manufacturing solutions, contact us today.