Lindor truffles melt the hearts of chocolate lovers all over the world. Its global success is mainly due to the wide range of variations, which are geared to the preferences in flavors of the different nations.
Lindt is known for its top-quality chocolate, which is produced to the highest Swiss quality standards. The same is true for Lindor. With the hard shell, fine chocolate covering and irresistibly smooth, melting center, every bite into a Lindor creation reveals a magical moment.
The Lindor truffles are available in over 30 flavors. The variety of the product range reflects the chocolate preferences of the different cultures. Thus for the English, chocolate is inextricably linked with peppermint. The Swiss prefer classic milk chocolate. Americans are crazy about caramel. The Japanese like the taste of green tea. The French love a high cocoa content. Australians enjoy the summery, fruity flavor of mango. While for Italians, it’s hazelnut.
It’s Magic
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Using augmented reality, the Lindor brand proves that it is still open to new ideas 75 years after its launch and makes the Lindor truffles come alive in new dimensions.
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Manufacture
By the time a new Lindor praline creation is ready to go into production, it has already covered a considerable distance on its way to market launch. At the very beginning, the Lindt Master Chocolatiers develop the recipe and determine the shape. The masters of their craft thoroughly refine and experiment until the praline prototype meets their high standards in every aspect. This stage of the product cycle takes up about a third of the development time, which can last between two and three years in total. At this point, however, the work of the Lindt Master Chocolatiers is far from complete. When it comes to transferring the new creation to the large production line, craftsmanship meets technology. The in-house process technologists work together closely with the product developers in this phase. What unites them are their high quality standards and their precision – the masterful craftsmanship is implemented in the production process such that the handcrafted appearance of the end product is guaranteed right down to the smallest decorative element. The matching packaging design is created at the same time.
The high standards also apply to the partners in mold making and plant construction, which work closely with Lindt & Sprüngli in the development phase. Creating the wide range of customized molds for casting the new praline creations requires the utmost precision and reliability. Both properties are equally essential in order for the plant and system builders to optimize the complex manufacturing process. The contribution of both partners in the product cycle is indispensable and the valuable collaboration with Lindt & Sprüngli has been well established and proven for many years.
Craftsmanship and technology complement each other in the production of Lindt & Sprüngli creations. The end product reflects the perfect interaction of a wide range of skills. The common denominator is the demand for premium quality at every stage of production.
“Today, Lindor is one of the most popular pralines in the world.”
If you consider that more than seven billion Lindor truffles leave Lindt & Sprüngli’s production facilities every year, you might be tempted to think that they go through a rapid manufacturing process. But the truth is far from this. Premium quality takes time. Once the chocolate mixture and the smoothly melting filling have been produced according to the secret recipe, each of the truffle undergoes a five-stage forming process until completion.
In production, these steps are carried out almost in a single pass. The effect thus achieved is revealed to anyone who unwraps a Lindor truffle. The smell of chocolate that fills your senses is fresh and intense, as if you were standing in the middle of a chocolate factory.
Although many process steps have been automated since the day the first Lindor truffles rolled off the production line in 1967, people still play an important role – be it in the operation, monitoring and maintenance of the systems or in the visual inspection of particular quality features. The production employees thus also play an important role in the success of the product.
01
Casting
The chocolate shell of the Lindor truffles delights connoisseurs with its fine sheen and delicate firm texture. The key criterion is the chocolate temperature during production. The pre-crystallized mixture is filled from nozzles into the bottom chocolate mold in precisely measured portions. The molds are sealed with a matching counterpart. The two halves close magnetically to form the spherical shape. Lindor’s typical hollow chocolate shell is created by what is known as spinning the chocolate mixture. The molds rotate on their own axis and are gently shaken.
02
Cooling
To cool down the chocolate mixture, the molds, which remain closed, are transported to a cooling chamber. At a lower temperature, the chocolate mixture continues to crystallize and during this process, it solidifies completely. When the molds are removed from the cooling chamber, the top half is lifted off, revealing the finished chocolate shells with a small opening. The most complex part of the forming process is then complete.
03
Filling
The quality of the chocolate shells is checked either mechanically or by a production employee before the molds continue on the transport belt. In the next step, the Lindor truffles receive their incomparable smooth melting filling. Through the fine opening, nozzles insert a precise measure of the liquid Lindor filling into the hollow shells with pinpoint accuracy and lightning speed. Finally, the chocolate shells are sealed with a small dab of chocolate.
04
Cooling
The chocolate dab is the only little bump on the otherwise completely smooth surface of the Lindor truffle and is thus a characteristic feature. The truffles remain in the molds during the subsequent cooling process in a large cooling chamber. The cooling process serves to cool the filling and prepares the finished truffles for the packaging process, which follows. After this, the process accelerates exponentially. As soon as the truffles leave the cooling system on the transport belt, they are gently lifted out of the molds by suction heads and placed on a narrow conveyor belt, where they are fed individually to the wrapping machine. This all happens at high speed.
05
Wrapping
Unwrapping a Lindor truffle is a treat that chocolate lovers enjoy taking the time to do. At this point, almost nobody would imagine that the truffle has been wrapped at what feels like the speed of light. Gripper arms attached to turntables bring the individual truffles into position while the wrapping paper is unrolled from large rollers. The paper is cut, the truffle is wrapped in it and the two ends of the paper are twisted. The characteristic Lindor truffle is finished. This technique is impressive when examined in slow motion, but it is even more remarkable when the wrapping machine is operating at full speed and wrapping all the Lindor truffles. A sensor then checks that the wrapping is correct before the Lindor truffles finally leave the manufacturing process and take the next step on their way to chocolate lovers all over the world.
01
Casting
The chocolate shell of the Lindor truffles delights connoisseurs with its fine sheen and delicate firm texture. The key criterion is the chocolate temperature during production. The pre-crystallized mixture is filled from nozzles into the bottom chocolate mold in precisely measured portions. The molds are sealed with a matching counterpart. The two halves close magnetically to form the spherical shape. Lindor’s typical hollow chocolate shell is created by what is known as spinning the chocolate mixture. The molds rotate on their own axis and are gently shaken.
02
Cooling
To cool down the chocolate mixture, the molds, which remain closed, are transported to a cooling chamber. At a lower temperature, the chocolate mixture continues to crystallize and during this process, it solidifies completely. When the molds are removed from the cooling chamber, the top half is lifted off, revealing the finished chocolate shells with a small opening. The most complex part of the forming process is then complete.
03
Filling
The quality of the chocolate shells is checked either mechanically or by a production employee before the molds continue on the transport belt. In the next step, the Lindor truffles receive their incomparable smooth melting filling. Through the fine opening, nozzles insert a precise measure of the liquid Lindor filling into the hollow shells with pinpoint accuracy and lightning speed. Finally, the chocolate shells are sealed with a small dab of chocolate.
04
Cooling
The chocolate dab is the only little bump on the otherwise completely smooth surface of the Lindor truffle and is thus a characteristic feature. The truffles remain in the molds during the subsequent cooling process in a large cooling chamber. The cooling process serves to cool the filling and prepares the finished truffles for the packaging process, which follows. After this, the process accelerates exponentially. As soon as the truffles leave the cooling system on the transport belt, they are gently lifted out of the molds by suction heads and placed on a narrow conveyor belt, where they are fed individually to the wrapping machine. This all happens at high speed.
05
Wrapping
Unwrapping a Lindor truffle is a treat that chocolate lovers enjoy taking the time to do. At this point, almost nobody would imagine that the truffle has been wrapped at what feels like the speed of light. Gripper arms attached to turntables bring the individual truffles into position while the wrapping paper is unrolled from large rollers. The paper is cut, the truffle is wrapped in it and the two ends of the paper are twisted. The characteristic Lindor truffle is finished. This technique is impressive when examined in slow motion, but it is even more remarkable when the wrapping machine is operating at full speed and wrapping all the Lindor truffles. A sensor then checks that the wrapping is correct before the Lindor truffles finally leave the manufacturing process and take the next step on their way to chocolate lovers all over the world.
