COCOA DOLCE — OPERATIONS PROPOSAL

Retire the polishing cloth.
Automate the bottleneck.

A 90-day plan to replace hand-polishing of polycarbonate chocolate molds with ultrasonic cleaning — validated with a parallel pilot before any full commitment.

4.5 mo
Realistic payback
85%+
Labor time cut
$18.9K
Annual savings
$7.17K
Equipment cost

Three phases, twelve weeks

Procure and train, then prove it against the current process before touching full production.

1
Procurement & Setup WEEK 1–2

Get the machine on the floor and one operator confident running it.

  • Order the SharperTek XP1500-21G ($7,170 list price, equipment only) and schedule vendor install
  • Procure food-safe detergent — Alconox Liquinox, $104/gal — and run compatibility test on retired molds
  • Train one operator: load/unload procedure, cycle timing, solution upkeep
  • Log baseline metrics — current cycle time, labor hours, mold condition — before anything changes
Exit criteria — equipment operational, operator trained, baseline logged
2
Parallel Pilot WEEK 3–6

Run manual and ultrasonic side by side — don't take anyone's word for it, including ours.

  • 25 molds manual vs. 25 molds ultrasonic, repeated across 3 production cycles
  • Time every cycle end to end, both methods
  • Photograph and inspect finish quality; log any damage, cracking, or dulling
  • Track actual labor hours — people involved, not just clock time
Exit criteria — ultrasonic matches or beats manual quality, saves 3+ hrs/cycle
3
Decision Gate & Deployment WEEK 7–12

Let the pilot data decide, then move fast if it says go.

  • Week 7 decision: go full deployment, pivot parameters, or hold at manual
  • If go: roll out to all production cycles, monitor closely for 4 weeks
  • Reconcile actuals vs. model — labor hours, equipment cost, payback period
  • Collect staff feedback on the new process
Exit criteria — payback holding well under 12 months on real pilot data

Risks, watched from day one

RISK — MITIGATION

Equipment supply delay (2–4 wks)
Order immediately; keep manual process running until arrival
Mold damage in ultrasonic
Pilot on 25 molds first; polycarbonate is vendor-tested for 20+ yrs
Detergent not optimal for cocoa residue
Cabrellon POLICARB is chocolate-tested; adjust pH if needed
Operator doesn't adapt
4-hr training + 2-week supervised ramp-up

SUCCESS METRICS

  • Cleaning time down 80%+ — 4 hrs to under 1 hr per cycle
  • One operator instead of three
  • Finish quality at parity or better than manual
  • Zero equipment damage, zero product defects
  • Annual labor savings ≥ $20,000 (conservative)
DECISION TRIGGER

Payback must hold under 12 months on pilot data, and quality must match or exceed the manual process. Anything short of both, we adjust before we scale.

What the numbers rest on

Figures are based on manufacturer/distributor listings, BLS wage and employer-cost data, and vendor case studies. Equipment pricing is a listed price; operating results, time savings, mold life, and payback require validation through Cocoa Dolce's pilot.

MetricValueSourceConfidence
Equipment — SharperTek XP1500-21G (list price, equipment only)$7,170UltrasonicsDirect (distributor)Medium
Loaded labor rate, Wichita$22.94/hrBLS OEWS + ECECHigh
Cleaning time reduction (ultrasonic, general food mfg.)85%+Omegasonics — Cavendish Farms case studyHigh
Ultrasonic cycle time15–60 min/batchEmerson (15–20), Crest (general), Omegasonics (30–60, mold-specific)High
Industry payback benchmark1–3 yearsOmegasonics ROI GuideMedium

Sources

Direct links where available. Unlinked entries are named vendor/case-study sources that weren't independently verifiable with a public URL.