How Does Depositor Machine Work?

[Travis Kalanick]

A Depositor Machine is an automated piece of equipment used in the food, bakery, confectionery, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical industries to dispense a precise amount of product into molds, trays, or containers. It’s designed to save time, ensure consistency, and improve hygiene compared to manual portioning.

Here’s a breakdown of how it works:

1. Product Feeding

• The machine is filled with the product (e.g., cake batter, chocolate, jam, cream, sauces, gels, lotions, or pastes).
  
• Feeding can be done manually (pouring into the hopper) or via a pump system connected to larger production lines.
  

2. Hopper & Agitator

• The hopper holds the bulk product.
  
• Some machines have an agitator (mixer) inside to keep the product uniform and prevent settling, clumping, or separation.
  

3. Portion Control System

• A piston, gear pump, or diaphragm pump mechanism measures exact amounts of product.
  • Piston depositor: Uses a cylinder and piston to draw in and push out fixed amounts.
    
  • Pump depositor: Uses rotating pumps to control flow and volume.
    
• The portion size can be adjusted digitally or mechanically.
  

4. Nozzle Dispensing

• The product is pushed out through a nozzle onto a conveyor, tray, mold, or directly into packaging.
  
• Special nozzles control flow, cut-off (to avoid dripping), and shapes (for decoration, layering, or filling).
  

5. Automation & Controls

• Modern depositors use PLC (Programmable Logic Controller) or touchscreen interfaces.
  
• Operators can set:
  • Deposit weight/volume
    
  • Deposit speed
    
  • Timing (for synchronization with conveyor belts)
    
  • Number of cycles
    

6. Conveyor / Molding Integration

• In large-scale production, the depositor is integrated with conveyors, molds, or packaging lines for continuous operation.
  

7. Cleaning & Hygiene

• Machines are designed with easy-to-clean, food-grade stainless steel parts.
  
• Many have quick-release components for sanitation.
  

Example Applications:

• Depositing muffin or cupcake batter into trays.
  
• Layering cream in cakes.
  
• Filling chocolates with caramel centers.
  
• Depositing sauces, jams, or spreads into jars.
  
• Filling cosmetic jars with creams or gels.
  
• Dosing pharmaceuticals like gels or pastes.