 Whether you call them suckers, lollies, or sticky pops, these sweet treats are a favorite of kids and grown-ups alike. And with dozens of flavors and colors, this is one candy you surely won't get tired of. A worker prints artwork on thin sheets of vellum. These designs will be printed onto the sucker's stick. The vellum is placed between special glass and covered with an epoxy that reacts with UV light. The plate assembly is then placed into a special UV cabinet for processing. Once removed from the cabinet, a worker carefully scrubs the newly formed epoxy piece, first by hand, then dishwashing soap and a soft brush go to work to remove more stubborn debris. To complete the epoxy stamp, it's sent back into the cabinet for a few more minutes. What emerges is a completed stamp that will be used to print on the sucker's sticks. The stamp is loaded onto a metal plate onto the stamping machine. A worker ensures that the hopper of blank sticks is kept full. In a typical shift, the machine can go through nearly 50,000 blank sticks. The sticks are printed one at a time as the epoxy stamp rotates on the metal drum. The machine can print nearly three sticks per second, making quick work of a tedious process. The printed sticks drop into a bin below the machine. The ink dries nearly instantly, leaving the sticks smudge-free and looking crisp. Each batch of suckers starts with glucose, which is a fancy name for sugar syrup. The glucose is mixed with other secret ingredients before being moved to a copper kettle for cooking. The copper kettle is brought to a specific temperature to ensure the proper consistency as the candy cooks. Copper kettles are used for their superior heat distribution properties, which is important so that the candy doesn't burn. After cooking at high temperatures, the candy is brought under vacuum using a specially designed copper lid. The vacuum removes any moisture that may be present in the candy, which helps prevent the candy from cracking or breaking. The vacuum is slowly increased to draw out the remaining moisture in the candy. A worker stands watch over the kettle to ensure the vacuum is released at just the right moment, which is about 26 psi. Once the vacuum is removed, a worker slowly raises the lid from the copper kettle. Then, the worker scrapes the inside of the vacuum lid using a specially designed copper tool. Care must be taken during this step as the candy is still incredibly hot. Each batch of candy weighs in at approximately 100 pounds. The copper kettle is lifted from the burner using a lift and is moved to a table for further processing. It takes two workers to position the kettle and prepare it to empty the candy onto the work table. The candy is still hot enough at this stage to be mostly molten. One worker positions the candy while the other scrapes the inside of the kettle so that no candy is left behind. The candy itself is cooked without flavoring so that the flavoring doesn't become bitter. A worker mixes a flavoring syrup with citric acid, then spreads it into the pot and then scrapes it into the pot. This step is what gives the sucker its iconic flavor. The worker then rolls the candy up to make it easier to move, and then with the help of another worker carries the candy to a roller-needing machine. This machine needs the candy to evenly mix the flavoring that was just added. After each rotation, the worker flips the candy over folding it into the process. The candy is divided into two pieces each approximately weighing 50 pounds. This makes the candy easier to work with. The folding action helps cool the candy which is still too warm to turn into suckers at this stage. It also helps remove any air that may be trapped inside. Once the candy is cooled sufficiently, it is loaded into a roller-lined hopper that feeds the machinery which makes the suckers. The angled rollers turn the large candy blobs into a thin rope that can be more easily shaped and formed. The newly formed candy rope is fed through a series of rollers towards a cutter that portions the candy in exactly the right size. The candy pieces are placed into individual trays before being unloaded into a press assembly. The press assembly not only gives the sucker its signature shape, but inserts the stick as well. It's a highly orchestrated process to make sure the stick gets placed inside the candy disc immediately before shaping. Here you can see it in slow motion. Another jig grabs the semi-completed sucker to move it onto the next step. Similar to how the sticks are printed, an epoxy mold on a metal drum applies an edible icing to each sucker. These stamps last for tens of thousands of suckers before being replaced. A roll of cellophane wrap is spoolsed to another press below that seals each sucker. Then a mechanical pair of scissors cuts the suckers apart, doing the job much faster than a human worker could. From here the suckers travel up a conveyor belt to a cooling tunnel where they'll spend the next several minutes. This is an important step as the suckers are still warm enough at this stage to be molded. Once the suckers act as a tool, the suckers can be used to make the stick to the surface of the metal. Once the suckers act as a tool, the pieces are used to make the stick to the surface of the metal. As long as the cooling tunnel is scooped up by a worker and packaged. Each box of suckers is packaged by weight. Now the only thing left to do is to unwrap a sucker and enjoy.