Tetra Pak has launched an extrusion wheel that produces stick ice cream products with large-sized inclusions, such as whole nuts, real fruit segments, or cookie dough chunks at high capacity.
The Tetra Pak Extrusion Wheel, which can be added to existing lines, uses a vertical rotating design that moves continuously at a synchronised speed to the line, to produce up to 12,000 products per hour per lane, double the capacity of what is currently available.
The new equipment also reverses the traditional method of stick ice cream production. Rather than inserting the stick into the ice cream at the end of production, it is there from the start, so the ice cream with large inclusions is then filled around it. This maintains the position of the stick as well as the integrity of the inclusions – which can be up to 25mm in diameter. The wheel design includes moulding cavities that ensure uniform product shapes, and a smooth surface.
Tetra Pak product and concept manager Elsebeth Baungaard said the ice cream market is forecast to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 3.8 per cent in value, and 2.2 per cent in volume between 2017 and 2022, mainly driven by premium single-serve ice cream products with new flavours and recipes.
