A growing trend toward diverse bread varieties as well as the global growth in bread consumption not only results in higher capacity production runs, but frequent changeovers. As such, easy-to-operate, high quality industrial bread lines are needed now more than ever, notes Onno Kuiper, process/bakery technologist, Rademaker BV, Culemborg, The Netherlands. Among the issues bread bakers must be concerned with are consumers' emergent health consciousness and their interest in environmental care, Kuiper adds.

“Although the basics of bread are very healthy, a strong demand from consumers to reduce fat, replace hydrogenated fats with non-hydrogenated fats, reduce flour enhancers, and reduce or replace emulsifiers with enzymes, is very obvious,” Kuiper says. “This leads to adjustments in formulas that results in changes in typical dough characteristics.”

Equipment investment for the future must address consumers' growing interest in healthful products, and consequently the changes in dough handling properties these changes bring, Kuiper adds.

Environmental issues, such as energy scarcity, also impact equipment design. Bread systems that minimize energy use and reduce waste, while delivering higher yields at reduced operating costs, meet bakers' production demands.

Today, bakers need bread systems that provide the flexibility to produce a range of bread and roll products, and at various volumes of production.

HIGH-WATER/SLACK DOUGH

The trend in the world-wide bread market is the use of sheeting lines, such as Rademaker's Crusto^® concept for high water dough and/or slack dough products that produce high quality breads with more flavor. Sheeting has tremendous benefits for these doughs even with high capacity outputs. Sheeting lines can be easily equipped to reach capacities like 6000 kg dough per hour. With modules like Rademaker's weighing module^® and Rademaker's de-gassing unit^®, bakers can obtain a high accuracy and perfect fine structure for sandwich loaves.
Rademaker
330 650 2345
www.rademaker.com

INVERT PANS

The PanVerter™ Automated Pan Turner by Weldon Solutions takes empty bakery pans and inverts them to clean out debris. Pans normally are stored on their bottoms, which can cause damage because of their weight. When pans are stacked upside down, they rest on their band and no weight is on the actual pan. PanVerter also turns pans right side up prior to filling. A conveyor side clamp ensures trouble-free operation. The system offers easy adjustment for a range of bread and roll pans.
Weldon Solutions
717 846 4000
www.weldonsolutions.com

PLC CONTROLS

PLC controls are taking a larger role in today's bakery pan handling and management. Automatic speed settings for multiple pan types picked from menus that are product specific offer greater flexibility. A “dashboard” main screen indicates the product being processed as well as important system parameters. Other screens include maintenance mode, cleaning mode and speed adjustments as well as sensor states. Password protection can be added to any screen for different operator levels of use.
Benda Manufacturing Inc.
708 633 4600
www.bendamanufacturing.com