RHEON Multi-Row Encrusting Machines: Two-Row KASEIJIN, Mega Former, and Multi Confectioner

From One Row to Twenty

A single-row encrusting machine produces one piece at a time, up to several thousand per hour. When orders run to tens or hundreds of thousands of pieces a day, a multi-row machine is needed: several sets of nozzles and shutters arranged side by side on the same machine, extruding simultaneously.

RHEON went down this path early. According to its official company history, the "Multi Co-Extruder" released in 1986 was the first multi-row encrusting machine; the eight-row version could produce 57,600 pieces per hour and was widely used for filled cookies in Europe and the Americas. The company also explains that it was the non-stick encrusting cutting mechanism released the same year that made multi-row designs possible; see Dusting Flour and Anti-Stick Measures.

Current Multi-Row Models

According to RHEON's Japanese website:

Two-row KASEIJIN (火星人) WN155 (wagashi, Western confectionery, prepared foods)

• Up to 12,000 pieces/hour, weight 10–250 g.
• Maximum output of 1,000 kg when using both rows.
• A two-stage conveyor version keeps small products landing steadily in line during high-speed production.
• Can be fitted with an enlarged hopper (40 liters), a dough pusher (45 liters), and an automatic loading lift.

Two-row KASEIJIN WN156 (for bread dough)

• A compact body with the capacity of two KASEIJIN machines: up to 7,200 pieces/hour, weight 10–250 g, ratio 1:0–0:1.
• Dedicated feeding mechanisms for both dough and filling, with a vertical hopper on the dough side.

Mega Former (meat, seafood, and other prepared foods)

• Two-row model: up to 24,000 pieces/hour, weight 20–250 g.
• Four-row model: up to 48,000 pieces/hour, weight 10–120 g.
• Cycloid feeding and rotary shutters; the body is mainly stainless steel, with shot-peened outer panels to resist rust and dirt.
• A "row-doubling conveyor" can be added to turn two rows into four, or four into eight; 240-liter large-capacity hopper on each side.

Multi Confectioner (for confectionery)

• MX110 (16 rows): up to 115,200 pieces/hour; MX112 (20 rows): up to 144,000 pieces/hour; both 10–25 g.
• The machine is less than 2 meters long, with shorter transfer paths for the dough and filling than the company's older machines.
• The ratio can be adjusted freely, or the ratio can be fixed while changing only the weight.
• Options include a wire cutter with a mosaic nozzle, a triple-encrusting unit, and a twist nozzle with a guillotine.

Who Are Multi-Row Machines For?

• High volume of a single product: The same product made in tens of thousands of pieces or more per day, such as frozen prepared foods or cookies for mass-market retail.
• Small product sizes: The Multi Confectioner's weight range of 10–25 g is just the size of bite-sized cookies and small snacks.
• Already-automated lines: Mixing and loading equipment upstream, and automatic panning, continuous steaming or baking, or blast freezing downstream.

How Much More Do They Produce Than Single-Row Machines?

A rough comparison using the maximum figures on the website: the single-row KASEIJIN CN700 makes up to 3,600 pieces/hour (5,100 with the two-stage conveyor version); the two-row WN155 makes 12,000; the four-row Mega Former 48,000; and the 20-row Multi Confectioner 144,000. However, maximum capacity assumes ideal conditions; actual output depends on product size, material properties, and how much the downstream equipment can handle.

Drawbacks of Multi-Row Machines

• Narrower weight range: The more rows, the smaller each piece usually is; for example, the Multi Confectioner only goes up to 25 g, and the four-row Mega Former up to 120 g.
• Downstream must keep up: At tens of thousands of pieces an hour, panning, proofing, steaming or baking, freezing, and packaging must all be on the same scale. RHEON also offers a "narrowing conveyor" to help adjust row spacing and connect to downstream equipment.
• Long changeover and cleaning times: With multiple sets of nozzles, shutters, and hoppers, disassembly and cleaning take longer than on a single-row machine, so small batches of many varieties are not cost-effective.
• Consistency between rows: Output must be even across every row, or products on the same tray will vary in weight, which makes tuning more demanding.
• Investment and space: Equipment costs, power, floor space, and supporting equipment are all higher than for a single-row machine.

Dong-Yih's Machines

Dong-Yih Machinery manufactures models in Tainan including the DY-201 Automatic Steamed Bun and Mantou Machine and the DY-528MS/DY-528M dividing machines. To find out whether they suit your product, call us at 06-257-4644 or leave a message on our Contact page.

FAQ

Q: Who are multi-row encrusting machines for?
A: Factories that make tens of thousands or more of a single product per day, with relatively small product sizes, and whose upstream and downstream processes are already automated.

Q: How much more do multi-row machines produce than single-row ones?
A: Based on the maximum figures on RHEON's website, the single-row CN700 makes 3,600 pieces/hour, the two-row WN155 12,000, the four-row Mega Former 48,000, and the 20-row Multi Confectioner 144,000.

Q: What are the drawbacks of multi-row machines?
A: A narrower per-piece weight range, downstream equipment that must keep up, long changeover and cleaning times, demanding row-to-row consistency, and greater investment and space requirements.

Q: What was the first multi-row encrusting machine?
A: RHEON's Multi Co-Extruder, released in 1986; the eight-row version produced 57,600 pieces per hour.