What Is Built-in Airflow in Panning machines and Is It Needed?

Imagine you are choosing a panning machine. You have two options: one with built-in airflow and one without. Which one should you choose? Should you pay extra for an additional feature or manage with alternative methods?

Let’s explore when built-in airflow is truly necessary and when you can save money.

What Is Built-in Airflow and Why Is It Needed?

Built-in airflow is a system that supplies air (hot or cold) directly into the drum. It allows control over the drying or cooling process of the coating, which is crucial for achieving a high-quality product. But is it really necessary? The answer depends on your production tasks and volumes.

Hot Airflow: When and Why Is It Needed?

Hot airflow is actively used in panning when applying sugar-based and other water-soluble coatings. Warm air (typically from ambient temperature up to ~40–60°C) accelerates the evaporation of moisture from the applied syrup or suspension, allowing the layer to dry and harden faster.

For example, in sugar panning, colored sugar glazes, vitamin-fruit syrups, and similar coatings, hot airflow is necessary for rapid sugar crystallization and preventing panned products from sticking together.

Beyond faster drying, moderate hot air reduces the relative humidity inside the drum, creating optimal conditions for forming a smooth sugar shell. However, temperature control is crucial: excessive heat (beyond the recommended range) can cause defects such as cracking of the sugar coating or even melting of previously applied layers (especially if there is a chocolate layer underneath).

Hot air is not only useful for sugar coatings but also for certain stages of chocolate panning. While the primary process of applying chocolate requires cooling, short-term warm airflow can be used to solve specific problems. For example, if the chocolate coating is uneven (with lumps or rough spots), a gentle stream of warm air can slightly melt the top layer, allowing it to redistribute and smooth out the surface of the panned product.

This technique eliminates defects without manual intervention and gives the product a more professionally polished appearance. Additionally, at the end of the chocolate panning process, warm airflow makes equipment cleaning easier: warm air melts chocolate residues on the inner walls of the drum, simplifying their removal.

Thus, hot airflow in panning machines is a versatile tool that, when used correctly, accelerates drying and helps achieve high-quality coatings.

How to Organize Hot Air Supply?

• For small panning machines (up to 20 liters), an industrial heat gun is sufficient. It is easy to use and requires no complex settings. Simply direct a stream of warm air onto the product, and the coating will dry faster. Additionally, such a heat gun can warm the drum from the outside, simplifying cleaning. If you choose a machine up to 20 liters, built-in warm airflow is an optional feature that can streamline the process.
• If your panning machine is larger than 20 liters, an industrial heat gun will not be enough – a built-in hot air system is required. This is more advanced equipment that ensures even heating and temperature control.

Pros of Hot Airflow:

• ✔ Faster drying speeds up production volume.
• ✔ Even moisture evaporation ensures a smooth, uniform coating.
• ✔ Industrial heat guns can be an affordable option for small productions.

Cons of Hot Airflow:

• ❌ Increases room temperature, making the workspace uncomfortable.
• ❌ Additional costs: built-in airflow systems increase equipment costs and may require a climate control system to cool the workspace.

Problems Associated with Hot Airflow: Overheating in the workshop

Hot airflow can significantly raise the ambient temperature, affecting comfort and other production processes.

Solutions include:

• Placing the panning machine in a separate room.
• Installing a powerful climate control system to compensate for overheating.

Cold Airflow: Essential or Optional?

Cold (or cool) airflow is primarily necessary for working with chocolate and fat-based coatings. Unlike syrups, chocolate must cool and crystallize during application, so the drum is supplied with unheated or actively cooled air.

Ideally, cool, dry air at around +6…+15°C with controlled humidity (no higher than ~50–60%) is used.

Most tabletop and mid-sized panning machines labeled as having “cold” airflow actually just supply room-temperature air without heating (i.e., simple ventilation). To achieve genuinely low temperatures, external sources of cooled air are used, or panning is performed in a climate-controlled room.

Cold airflow is also used in the final stages of some sugar-coating processes – for example, after a series of hot drying cycles, cool air may be applied to completely harden the product and enhance its stability. Additionally, alternating hot and cold airflow is sometimes used to create a natural shine: as the sugar shell cools after heating, it polishes itself and develops a glossy finish.

Types of Cold Airflow:

• Natural cooling(external air without additional cooling) – the simplest solution but not always effective, especially in warm environments.
• Forced cooling with room-temperature air – helps stabilize applied layers more quickly.
• Chilled air (via cooling systems) – necessary for professional production when maintaining a stable temperature is critical for high-quality chocolate coatings.

Pros and Cons of Cold Airflow

• ✅ Helps control chocolate crystallization.
• ✅ Prevents overheating of the product.
• ✅ Requires little energy if natural cooling is used.
• ❌ Additional cooling systems may be needed in warm environments.

The Problem with Built-in Cooling: Overheating the Workspace

Purchasing a panning machine with built-in cooling means you are effectively buying both a machine and a mini air-conditioner. However, such a system has a drawback: to get cold air in one place, you must remove hot air elsewhere. As a result, while cooling the product inside the drum, you simultaneously heat the workspace.

If you have only one machine, this may not be a big issue. But what if you have two, three, or ten? The workshop turns into a sauna, and air conditioning struggles to keep up. Additionally, each cooling unit requires servicing, increasing operating costs.

Optimal Solution: A Centralized Workshop Cooling System

Climate control in the workshop has several key advantages over using built-in airflow systems in panning machines, especially in industrial production:

1. Consistent temperature and humidity control

   Airflow in the drum only affects the product inside, but it does not regulate the surrounding environment. If the temperature and humidity in the workshop are unstable, this can lead to coating defects. Room conditioning solves this problem by providing stable conditions for the entire production process.
   For example, in chocolate panning, humidity should be maintained between 50–60%, and the temperature should not exceed 22°C—otherwise, the chocolate may condense, soften, or develop a dull surface.

2. Reduced thermal load on the workspace

   Using hot airflow in the drum can significantly heat the workshop, especially if the equipment operates continuously. As a result, the operator has to cool the space additionally to prevent overheating not only of the product but also of the working area. A centralized air conditioning system prevents overheating, ensuring a comfortable environment without sudden temperature fluctuations.

3. Energy and resource savings

   Using built-in airflow in every individual panning machine increases energy consumption. In small-scale production, this may not be a major issue, but in large workshops with multiple production lines, these costs can quickly escalate. Centralized air conditioning generally requires less electricity than multiple individual airflow systems in each machine, especially when using modern energy-efficient equipment.

4. Higher product quality

   Certain types of products are sensitive to temperature fluctuations. For example, in chocolate panning, it is crucial that the ambient temperature remains stable throughout all stages of cocoa butter crystallization. If the air inside the drum is cooled locally while the temperature in the workshop fluctuates, it can cause undesirable changes in the chocolate’s texture. In a climate-controlled room, conditions remain consistent both during the panning process and during storage.

5. Flexibility in equipment choice

   If the workshop already has a well-designed climate control system, it is possible to purchase panning machines without built-in airflow, which reduces costs. On the other hand, if a machine with airflow is used in a non-conditioned workspace, the efficiency of cooling or drying will depend on external factors (for example, if the room is too warm, even cold airflow will not produce the desired effect).

6. Improved working conditions for employees 

   Working in an overheated environment, especially when using hot airflow, can be uncomfortable and even harmful to health. Air conditioning helps maintain an optimal microclimate, improving working conditions and reducing the risk of worker overheating.

We recommend purchasing panning machines without built-in airflow – they are cheaper and easier to maintain. Instead, invest in a centralized cooling system for the entire workshop, with ducted airflow directed to the panning machines.

This approach solves multiple problems:

• True product cooling – air is supplied from an external source rather than recirculated within the workshop. 
• Heat removal outside the workspace – prevents overheating and stabilizes temperature. 
• Lower maintenance costs – central cooling is simpler and more cost-effective than having separate mini-systems for each machine. 

Conclusion

For stable and efficient production, it is important not just to cool panning machines but to manage the temperature of the entire workshop. A centralized climate control system ensures optimal air conditions – drying when needed, heating if necessary, but most importantly, providing targeted cooling while removing excess heat outside the workspace. This is the optimal solution for those seeking not only high-quality results but also a comfortable working environment.