BATCH VS CONTINUOUS PRODUCTION
production switches. The right calculation considers the full order economics, rather than unit cost alone.
Responding to a more varied product mix The pressure to accommodate more product
variants is also influencing
equipment development. In its April 2026 announcement ahead of interpack, TNA Solutions identified increasing SKU complexity, labour shortages and rising operating costs as issues facing confectionery manufacturers. Its latest planned mogul enhancements focus on faster changeovers, improved process control and reduced waste, with the company reporting output of more than 3,000kg per hour. The announcement
illustrates how
flexibility and high throughput are not necessarily competing objectives. TNA’s developments include in-line tray weighing before and after depositing, allowing the pump stroke to adjust dynamically during production. The aim is to maintain weight consistency, reduce product giveaway and identify out-of- specification trays earlier in the process. The company also outlined changes
intended to make changeovers faster and safer, including clean-in-place hoppers and remote-controlled hopper compartment valves. Its wider focus is on reducing manual intervention and improving equipment availability in high- mix production environments. These developments matter because a
shorter run is only commercially attractive if the time and resources required to switch products do not consume the benefits. A line that can manufacture several variants but loses substantial production time between them may struggle to deliver the flexibility customers need at an acceptable cost. Chocolate processing provides another
example of the way equipment design can support a wider range of production requirements.
In May 2026, Bühler
presented its CompactMix system as a modular solution for chocolate masses used in spreads, fillings and coatings. The system combines mixing and grinding technologies, handles recipes from low-fat to high-fat applications and offers scalable capacity from 400kg/h to 3,000kg/h. Bühler says product changeovers can be completed with cleaning times of less than two hours, with minimal waste.
The capacity range is significant because
it gives manufacturers options between small-scale development and industrial production. It does not remove the need to plan recipes, schedule production or validate the finished product, but it demonstrates how modular systems can serve different volumes without requiring every application to follow the same production model.
The cost of changing products The benefits of shorter runs must be considered alongside the operational demands they create. Every change in recipe, format or packaging can introduce additional work, whether that involves cleaning equipment, adjusting settings, replacing components, checking product
quality or preparing new
packaging materials. Carol recognises the additional
complexity that comes with frequent changes. “Switching frequently between different products, combined with shorter production runs, adds complexity around scheduling, changeovers and waste, so careful planning is essential. “We focus on managing those changeovers efficiently,
46 • KENNEDY’S CONFECTION • OCTOBER 2026
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