From their start as small shop fronts or little operations out of a home kitchen, commercial bakeries have come a very long way to become the industrial bakeries of today. Some of this advancement can be attributed to the inception and popularization of the assembly line in the early 1900s, while the increasing automation of industrial bakery equipment in the 1960s exponentially accelerated innovations in the industry. Modern bakers benefit from this long history of engineering and design with state-of-the-art equipment and robust secondary markets. Whether they use the latest technology unveiled at this year’s trade show or use quality used industrial ovens from trusted brands, industrial bakeries can attribute their efficient, high-throughput operations to early inventors who created early versions of key equipment bakers use today.
First dough sheeter Before mechanized dough sheeters, bakers had to undertake the slow process of rolling out dough by hand. This made achieving consistency in the sheet of dough challenging and prohibited high volume production. With the invention of the mechanized dough sheeter, however, these obstacles were overcome and bakers began using them for laminated doughs to produce baked goods such as croissants or pastries, or for the production of flatbread and pizzas. Dough sheeters are composed of two or more rotating rollers that compress the dough which is then conveyed to several gauging rollers that further shape the sheet of dough to the desired thickness. In 1953, Rondo founder Gustav A. Seewer invented and took out a patent on the first mechanized dough sheeter. The machine was composed of a long conveyor and a roller positioned at the center that was operated by a hand crank. Rondo and other industrial bakery equipment manufacturers have improved significantly on this design and dough sheeters are a common component of new and used bread production lines. First spiral mixer Mechanized mixers have taken many forms over the centuries: from the hand-cranked, dual-whisked egg beaters invented in the mid-1800s to the handheld electric mixers in many home kitchens since the 1920s to the stand mixers that commercial bakeries utilize. Electric mixers for commercial use gained popularity at the turn of the 20th century, with industrial bakery equipment manufacturers like DIOSNA producing mixing and kneading machines since 1911. The spiral mixer, however, has specific functionality and applications that some of the earliest mixers couldn’t achieve. Spiral mixers provide low friction, consistent mixing for large quantities of dough that require low temperatures to ensure the dough rises properly. Sancassiano debuted the first industrial baking spiral mixer with a central rotating post in 1971. Today the design of the spiral mixer hasn’t changed much, but the equipment and industrial bakers have benefited from more sophisticated automation technology. Artisan Capital Partners tailors solutions and services designed to create liquidity from industrial bakery assets while consistently managing transaction risk. Artisan Capital Partners helps bakeries manage assessing equipment, dismantling, and transportation, as well as design, installation, and testing to provide bakeries with a liquidity event that meets their goals. Sprouted grains have recently gained popularity within the baking industry, and many bakers are beginning to consider how to incorporate this ingredient into the processes of their used bread production line. Unlike conventional grains used in baking, sprouted grains can yield a baked good that is more easily digestible for consumers with specific food intolerances and caters to an increasingly health-conscious consumer base opting for foods with more “whole” ingredients. With such a rapidly growing market, industrial bakers are experimenting with sprouted grains and uncovering some of the opportunities and pitfalls of their use in bread production.
Sprouted grain benefits Sprouted grains are created by cultivating the right conditions for whole grains to begin to germinate. This sprouting process involves soaking and rinsing the grain, usually over the course of several days, until it swells and the outer shell cracks, producing a shoot that is allowed to grow until it is twice as long as the grain. The sprouted grain is then set to dry and milled for use in baking. By enabling the grain to germinate, it undergoes an enzymatic process that has multiple health benefits; namely that is is easier for the body to digest and absorb its nutrients. Furthermore, this process causes the grain to convert its starchy components into sugars, which has operational benefits for bakers. The increased sugar content of the grain helps feed yeast and can shorten fermentation time for leavened bread, creating opportunities for expedited bakery production. Additionally, the natural sweetness of sprouted grains means that bakers will not need to purchase and use as much sugar as with conventional whole grain products, which tend to be more bitter and require sweetening to balance flavor, potentially saving money for bakers in ingredient expenses. Sprouted grain challenges Although the use of sprouted grains in industrial baking presents several benefits, there are also pitfalls that are important to note. For example, some nutritionists contend that the heat of milling sprouted grains and baking in used industrial ovens can diminish its nutritional benefits so as to render them more or less the same as for unsprouted grain products, with the exception of its improved general digestibility. Additionally, the process of sprouting grains has an increased potential for the development of food-borne pathogens and illness, as the conditions required for grain germination are also ideal for bacterial growth. Given this concern, it is paramount to contract with millers who maintain a meticulous and hygienic sprouting process, which has the logical consequence of increasing the price of wholesale sprouted grains and as such, could potentially negate other cost savings in ingredients for bakers. Artisan Capital Partners tailors solutions and services designed to create liquidity from industrial bakery assets while consistently managing transaction risk. Artisan Capital Partners helps bakeries manage assessing equipment, dismantling, and transportation, as well as design, installation, and testing to provide bakeries with a liquidity event that meets their goals. Industrial bakery operations are optimized to avoid many types of food safety and workplace hazards. Whether a bakery relies on new or used bread production lines, it is imperative that its facility and equipment, as well as its procedures and safety practices, are geared to minimize risks to their customers and bakery employees. One workplace safety hazard that industrial bakeries may confront is dust explosions. These dangerous events can cause severe injuries to people and damage to the facility but can be guarded against with an understanding of its risk factors and a proactive safety culture within an industrial bakery.
The ingredients of a dust explosion Dust explosions can happen in several industries and types of operations, such as in textile production, timber processing, and in industrial bakeries. What is primarily required to trigger a dust explosion is fuel, an ignition source, and oxygen. In bakeries, the fuel is often flour, sugar, starch, or spices. Only 1/32 of an inch of this flammable particulate organic material on five percent of the surface area in space is enough to fuel a dust explosion, while ignition sources can include sparks from equipment, open flame, or merely electrostatic discharge. When the three necessary ingredients of a dust explosion are paired with a sufficient concentration of dust dispersed in the air and the confinement of the dust cloud, an explosion is imminent. Once ignited, the dust particles combust and can create a domino effect, triggering secondary dust explosions as the force of the initial blast kicks up more dust into the air or damages safeguards meant to contain it. Incidents of this sort lead to numerous injuries and even fatalities in food processing operations across the world. Ways to mitigate dust explosion risk The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recommends industrial bakeries use several basic safety practices to minimize the risk of dust explosions, including installing adequate ventilation systems, regularly inspecting equipment and surfaces for dust accumulation, using cleaning methods and equipment that don’t disperse dust into the air, and keeping heated surfaces and systems away from areas where dust clouds may develop. In addition, it is crucial to incorporate equipment, new or refurbished, that utilizes hygienic design. Hygienic design in bakery equipment is primarily meant to protect against food contamination, but it also lends itself to workplace safety. Many prominent brands offer this kind of equipment, such as used Mecatherm industrial bakery equipment, that is easy to cleanse of particulate materials and avoid recesses or cavities in the machinery where dust can collect during operation. Artisan Capital Partners tailors solutions and services designed to create liquidity from industrial bakery assets while consistently managing transaction risk. Artisan Capital Partners helps bakeries manage assessing equipment, dismantling, and transportation, as well as design, installation, and testing to provide bakeries with a liquidity event that meets their goals. In 2018, people from all over the world in the industrial baking industry convened for six days at the iba conference in Munich. The events at iba help to inform the industrial baking industry, from trends in sourcing alternative baking ingredients to market shifts predictions and strategies to discussing how to optimize a bakery’s used mecatherm industrial bakery equipment. No matter what aspect of the industry a business owner comes from, the conference offers a great opportunity to learn about trends, network with other professionals, and catch a glimpse of the latest innovations.
What is iba? Every three years iba brings together wholesale and artisan bakeries, research and development professionals, equipment manufacturers, distributors, and even restaurateurs and food retailers for an exploration of all things baking, snacks, and confectionary. At the 2018 conference there were over 1,300 exhibitors and 77,020 visitors brokering nearly 2.1 billion euros in trade contracts. Visitors participated in over 100 lectures and many cited the live competitions among industry professionals as a conference highlight. The motto of the conference was “Look and marvel” and allowed visitors to see firsthand new production line equipment and strategies such as cutting machines, dough preparation equipment, and transportation systems. Key moments in iba The conference featured many speakers in their Speaker’s Corner presenting on a variety of topics. Royal Swedish court confectioner Gunther Korffer was among the speakers, as was Confectioner World Champion Bernd Siefert who spoke about the upcoming trends in the pastry industry. Axel Schmitt, sometimes called the “Metal Baker,” demonstrated his baking prowess while other bakers and confectioners filled the exhibit hall with the aroma of their freshly baked goods. The coveted Backtechnik iba Award for amazing innovations in manufacturing for industrial and line-orientated baked goods was given to a noteworthy group of manufacturers: Fritsch, Rondo, Mecatherm, Konig, Wachtel, and Werner & Pfleiderer. These key moments resonate in industrial baking’s primary and secondary markets, influencing bakery expectations for new and used bread production lines, pasty make-up lines, and much more. Artisan Capital Partners tailors solutions and services designed to create liquidity from industrial bakery assets while consistently managing transaction risk. Artisan Capital Partners helps bakeries manage assessing equipment, dismantling, and transportation, as well as design, installation, and testing to provide bakeries with a liquidity event that meets their goals. Proofing is a vital component to the quality of every bakery product and is a key step in industrial baking production lines. From the first proof to intermediate to the final proof, proofing provides the dough the environment needed to rise the appropriate amount in order to be ready for the next stage of the process. Industrial baking proofers provide a range of options to meet the needs of a variety of products and process.
Proofing Objectives Proofing ovens create a controlled environment to allow a dough product to rise the specified amount. This is mainly achieved through the combination of heat and humidity. However, the challenge is to provide air circulation, consistent heat, and humidity throughout the proofer without any lost costs of operation. Humidity can be achieved through several methods, including with cold water atomizers using compressed air. Maintaining a consistent temperature throughout the proofer is important and can be assisted with air movement in the proofer facilitated by high-efficiency fans. The throughput of a proofer and its cleaning requirements determine how much product can be created over time by an industrial bakery with that piece of equipment. For some bakery operations, proofing can be accelerated by proofing sheets of dough instead of individual units. First Proof Industrial first proofers provide bulk fermentation for an entire batch of dough. The first proof is done before the dough is cut or shaped, and provides additional flexibility and control of the baking process and resulting product. Important characteristics of a first proofer include selecting the right type of infeed system, which is determined by the type and quality of dough your production line produces. Intermediate and Final Proof Intermediate and final proofs are not the same. The former gives yeast-risen dough the opportunity to rest and recover from the deformation of dividing and rounding, while the latter promotes leavening to bring the product to its ideal volume for baking. This means that intermediate proofers can actually operate at ambient temperature and humidity, as long as it will not cause dough surfaces to dry. Like first proofers, final proofers must be temperature and humidity controlled to create the precise conditions for a reliable final product. Artisan Capital Partners tailors solutions and services designed to create liquidity from industrial bakery assets while consistently managing transaction risk. Artisan Capital Partners helps bakeries manage assessing equipment, dismantling, and transportation, as well as design, installation, and testing to provide bakeries with a liquidity event that meets their goals. The modern and advanced industrial bakery looks much different from its early predecessors There have been many technological advancements that have led to increased production capacity, lower operating costs, and expanded markets. One of these innovations that has become a staple of bread, pastries, and flat dough is industrial dough sheeting equipment.
What is dough sheeting? Dough sheeting first came to market from Rademaker in the 1970s and has matured in the decades since and continues to progress. Dough sheeting is a process that creates a continuous, consistent layer of dough that can be accurately manipulated by the make-up line. The dough sheet is made by feeding dough blocks onto a conveyor belt that forces the dough in between two rollers. There may be a sequence of rollers or the dough may be fed through the rollers multiple times, which all result in a sheet of dough with constant thickness and characteristics. What are the advantages of dough sheeting? Dough sheeting provides several advantages over other dough preparation methods. The process of rolling the dough not only creates a consistent thickness but can also laminate layers together, for example in puff pastry, and reliably provide gluten network development. With these features, dough sheeting provides consistency to both the shape and internal structure of the dough. Another major benefit of dough sheeting is that it can produce a high volume of dough with accuracy. This minimizes production errors and waste and can improve reliability in the final product. Improvements in dough sheeting technology Newer dough sheeting technology incorporates more sensors and automation than previous generations. For example, the roller gap that determines the size of the dough sheet and how much the dough itself is worked is fully automated in some designs, resulting in extremely high precision in meeting the prescribed dough sheet characteristics. This keeps the dough at a constant thickness and improves the uniformity of the products. In the Fritsch Rollfix 600, their innovative roller gap continuously measures the dough sheet width and adjusts the roller gap until the final width is reached. Another benefit of automation is the ability to optimize production rates while minimizing errors. The Rollfix 600 can reach a sheeting speed of 56 m/min, handling dough blocks up to 15 kg. Together, this automation benefits bakeries with faster operation and improved efficiency. About Artisan Capital Partners: Artisan Capital Partners tailors bakery solutions and services designed to create liquidity from industrial bakery assets while consistently managing transaction risk. Artisan Capital Partners helps bakeries manage assessing equipment, dismantling, and transportation, as well as design, installation, and testing to provide bakeries with a liquidity event that meets their goals. Pies and quiches are both built from a pastry crust base, with quiches having a filling thickened with eggs and pies having a variety of fillings as well as a top crust or “lid.” Between these two products, there is a wide number of filling options that create a large market for industrially produced pies and quiches. Industrial baking production lines for pies and quiches encompass ingredients, technologies, and processes that support rapid and economical production while leveraging different fillings. For example, the Rademaker Pie & Quiche production line can produce up to 20,000 pieces an hour.
Product Base Pies and quiches can be produced at different sizes, generally between 80mm and 250mm. The crust base can be placed in different containers which can, like foil or paper trays, be shipped with the product. Other potential containers include various platens. The production line starts with the conveyor, which begins by ensuring that the indented foil tray is accurately placed. Dough Placement Pies may be produced in two different ways, from a (laminated) dough sheet or from a dough puck. Dough sheeting equipment requires the crust to be cut out and the dough scraps to be recycled in the production line. Dough pucks are placed into indented trays and are then pressed to form the crust, resulting in minimal, if any, scrap dough. Filling Depositing The next step in the process is to deposit the filling into each piece. There are a range of depositors for pies and quiches depending on the type of filling being used. Depositor categories include liquid, semi-liquid, or viscous fillings, each with or without chunks or other ingredients mixed in. These added materials can be fruit, meat, or vegetables. Dough lid In pies, if a top crust is included, there are several methods to create the lid depending on the type of lid desired. This can range from a flat dough lid, to a decorative lid, to a lattice cover, and everything in between. Equipment options include lids placed by an extruder, rotary moulders for decorative lids, or lattice units. The lid is then sealed to the pie base by crimping. This process can also be customized to create a decorative pattern or a simple crimp. Outfeed Processes The completed pieces are then fed into different systems depending on how the final product is delivered to customers. Pies and quiches can be frozen for consumers to bake at home or the product can be baked onsite. Artisan Capital Partners tailors bakery solutions and services designed to create liquidity from industrial bakery assets while consistently managing transaction risk. Artisan Capital Partners helps bakeries manage assessing equipment, dismantling, and transportation, as well as design, installation, and testing to provide bakeries with a liquidity event that meets their goals. There are many reasons that you may be ready to sell one of your business’s industrial baking products. Your business may be scaling up to a new production line; you may have changed bakery products or recipes and the equipment is now idle; or you may be downsizing production to meet current market demand. Regardless of the context, the overall process for re-selling your used industrial bakery equipment is the same.
Define Business Objectives The first step is to identify your objectives for selling your used industrial baking equipment. Begin by identifying the timeframe that you have to sell and remove the equipment from your bakery. This can be informed by the timing of business events that are already in place; for example, if you are purchasing new equipment, you will need to have your existing equipment out of your bakery before the delivery date of the new equipment. Next, determine if you want to sell or exchange your equipment. If you need a different piece of equipment in your bakery, trading equipment can minimize complexity by combining both steps into one transaction. If you prefer to sell your equipment, you can determine the general price for your bakery equipment that you will be looking for. Sales Process Overview Start by connecting with a used industrial baking equipment seller. Initially, you will provide them an overview of your equipment including photos, the brand, production year, and the technical information you have available. If the vendor is interested, they will visit your bakery, inspect the equipment, and collect product specifications. They will then value the equipment and formalize the terms of sale. Depending on the reseller, they may purchase and collect your equipment on the spot, or they may market your equipment and once a potential buyer is found, they will negotiate a price. Once the equipment is purchased, they will then schedule a time to collect the equipment from you and transfer payment. Readying For Collection To prepare for the equipment collection, you need to manage the schedule of the equipment removal. This includes identifying how to minimize production downtime by scheduling the collection time around your business’s production line shifts, or by altering shift times to produce additional product before your buyer is scheduled to collect the equipment. It may also be helpful to clear the floor and entryways in order to facilitate an easier collection process, as well as disconnecting the equipment from any utilities such as electricity and water. Artisan Capital Partners tailors bakery solutions and services designed to create liquidity from industrial bakery assets while consistently managing transaction risk. Artisan Capital Partners helps bakeries manage assessing equipment, dismantling, and transportation, as well as design, installation, and testing to provide bakeries with a liquidity event that meets their goals. It’s quite possible that the world cannot have too much pizza. With a $134 billion market that continues to see double digit growth, it is hard to see the limit of the market opportunity. To help bakeries deliver on the growing demand, industrial pizza production lines have continued to develop to make pizza production faster, simpler, and more cost effective. These production lines can also be paired with fast freezers to prepare pizzas for frozen food markets. Equipment manufactures and second hand sellers are able to work with each bakery to identify which production line strategy best fits your pizza production goals.
Dough Preparation Dough production and sheeting equipment works with a variety of doughs by managing different widths and heights. For example, lavash, a thin bread from Armenia, is around 0.6mm thick, whereas pizza bases may be 25mm thick or more. Due to this dough variety, each manufacturer has a different take on the pizza production line, offering a variety of solutions that meet specific use cases. For example, Rademaker, Rondo, and others have developed sophisticated dough sheeting technologies. Using dough sheeting provides several benefits over traditional preparation techniques. It allows for consistency throughout the dough, as well as flexibility in the type of dough, size, and style. Sheeting can also allow for continuous proofing of the dough prior to stamping if needed. And no dough is wasted after the crust is stamped from the sheet as it is recycled into the production line. This process allows the Rademaker pizza production line to produce up to 9,000 kg of dough per hour. Pizza Topping Line Once the dough is prepared, it moves through the production line for toppings. This starts with sauce depositing. Each sauce placement accurately measures the quantity and placement of the sauce at high-volume. Following the sauce is topping strewing. Toppings may be deposited by blanketing the pizza with waterfall strewing or by placing individual toppings in the center of each pizza with targeted strewing to keep the rim of the pizza (crust) free from toppings. Both of these processes can work with multiple toppings and deposit them evenly on each pizza. Artisan Capital Partners tailors solutions and services designed to create liquidity from industrial bakery assets while consistently managing transaction risk. Artisan Capital Partners helps bakeries manage assessing equipment, dismantling, and transportation, as well as design, installation, and testing to provide bakeries with a liquidity event that meets their goals. De-panning systems may bring to mind some of the more futuristic looking components of an industrial bakery production line. And while that is an accurate picture, there are many ways to de-pan product quickly and efficiently. De-panning systems are a crucial component of many industrial baking operations, and as there are a wide variety of goods produced in bakeries, there are also a variety of de-panning methods and equipment. Whether you are baking loaves of bread, cookies, or croissants, there is an industrial baking equipment solution that is right for your production line.
Suction De-panner Suction de-panners involve a robotic arm that operates as a vacuum with suction heads that are tailored to the type of product being de-panned. These heads are typically interchangeable, and can be used in production lines for baguettes, bread, and muffins, among others. Like with most de-panners, these are highly modular and the number and arrangement of the vacuum heads can be customized to the needs of the production line. Needle De-panner This type of de-panner is ideal for transferring particularly delicate baked products from their trays to the cooling conveyor. It is comprised of an automated head that has rows of needles extending at an angle, which is lowered over the product so the needles pierce the center and, due to the slight angle of the needle, are able to gently lift it from its tray and deposit it on the next portion of the production line. Needle de-panners can be useful for products that might be damaged by suction de-panners, for example with flaky pastries like croissants. These de-panners also have the benefits of requiring less energy to operate and a lower noise level than their vacuum-operated counterpart. Other types of De-panners In addition to the de-panners outlined above, there are a few other mechanized methods for de-panning. Some de-panners will use a head with “fingers”, such as the Kaak Fakir De-Panner, that push products off flat baking trays as they pass through the machine on the conveyor belt, directing them onto the cooling conveyor. There are also turn-over de-panners that lift and flip the whole tray in one quick motion, placing the products upside-down on the line. Artisan Capital Partners is your source for updating and replacing your industrial bakery equipment. Contact us today to discuss your needs. |
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