baking+biscuit international 2021 issue 02

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Rolls, bagels & buns

Mixing & kneading

Sustainability

Industrial-scale challenges, new solutions

Set-up for continuous processes

Steel belts bring efficiency results

02 21

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Oven System Solutions

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For more information on these and other design innovations, visit americanpan.com/innovation.

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+44 (0) 161 504 0771 hdooley@americanpan.com

+44 (0) 1695 50500 hdooley@americanpan.com

EDITORIAL

A (new) change of plans

Publishing house · baking + biscuit international · brot + backwaren (German) · brot + backwaren (Russian)

f2m food multimedia GmbH Ehrenbergstrasse 33 22767 Hamburg Germany

We are welcoming change, adapting and evolving with it, as always.

Catalina Mihu

Food2Multimedia is a publishing house operating at an international level and specializing in researching and editing technical information for the baking sector.

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In-store ovens

Sustainability

Raw materials

Pandemic impact and technology advances

Single-serve packaging

Practice makes gluten-free perfect

01 21

THE EUROPEAN BAKERY MARKET

Dictionary of bakery terms

www.bakingbiscuit.com

f2m food multimedia

iba is postponed. The first highly-anticipated trade fair to be held in-person since the pandemic is no longer taking place in October.

Although it had cautiously been regarded with an ‘if ’, even before the announcement that it will instead take place in 2023, it does mean changes in plans are now being made.

Would-be exhibitors had timed innovations to be ready to be unveiled in Munich, attendees had been hopefully anticipating the comprehensive learning experience iba is, not to mention the welcomed change of pace of reuniting face Catalina Mihu, Editor-in-chief to face (and prerequisite mask). However, Your commments or suggestions are always appreciated: the growing sense of uncertainty around how e-mail: mihu@foodmultimedia.de infection rates are kept under control, despite vaccination efforts, was reflected in the industry as well. Traveling restrictions in Europe and beyond would ultimately put into question the international character of the event in October, 2021.

Cathleen Kabashi, exhibition director, gave us an interview just as the announcement was made. We talked about the implications for the industry this year and beyond: “The absence of iba in its full dimension and quality has consequences on multiple layers. First of all, it means a lack of business exchange. Exhibitors from all over the world usually present what the industry has to offer while visitors are receiving a focused view of the market. Secondly, innovations are presented live in their full functionality at the trade fair and thus, some of the new products will not make their first market appearance with all of the industry’s attention, which is normally the case at iba. Thirdly, iba is a global market place where participants interact with each other and maintain long-term relationships.

The trade fair also enables spontaneous encounters. All of this is most important for decision makers as well as sales teams and much of this will be missed in October 2021,” she told us.

Even if perhaps an expected move, iba no longer happening this year means we are all now adjusting our planning. There is ultimately a communication gap to be bridged this year. As excited as we were about learning about innovations, including those that were initially planned to be launched in Munich, we remain resolute in our endeavor to connect all sides of the industry, manufacturers, technology developers, ingredient specialists, researchers, or service providers – this and every year. We’re in this change together (and every single change that is shaping the baking industry); we will remain close, virtually visit and look forward to speaking with everyone, until we will be able to meet with only a coffee in between instead of a screen. Koenig, for example, has just launched its new KGV EC bun line at iba’s premiere virtual event in March. You can read about this brand new innovation with insights from the company’s CEO in the pages of this issue, as well as about the iba.CONNECTING EXPERTS platform and the upcoming virtual event in October, and more.

Media to the global baking industry

Dictionary of bakery terms English

ENG

German

DEU

French

FRA

Glosario de términos sobre tecnologías de panificación

Spanish

SPA

Термины хлебопекарной индустрии

Russian

RUS

Ordbog over bageriudtryk

Danish

DAN

Japanese

JPN

Dictionary of bakery terms

Wörterbuch der Bäckereitechnik Dictionnaire des termes techniques pour la boulangerie

baking+biscuit international Our specialist journal concentrating on production professionals in large companies in the industrial and chain-store sectors.

Published six times a year in the English language.

Our Review series provides in-depth analysis of clearly defined issues. This involves market analyses and is a comprehensive, informative presentation of the state of the art in process engineering.

The f2m dictionary translates bakery terms into a mulitude of different languages.

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CONTENT

IMPRINT

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EDITOR EMERITUS Hildegard M. Keil hildegard_keil@t-online.de © Berndorf Band

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© König

PUBLISHING HOUSE Food2Multimedia GmbH Schoolkoppel 27 21449 Radbruch, Germany +49 4178 244 9797 www.foodmultimedia.de

© Diosna

06 Scott McCally, president, Auto-Bake Serpentine and Hinds-Bock Corporation,

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Catalina Mihu mihu@foodmultimedia.de

COPY EDITOR Annie Dixon annie.dixon@foodmultimedia.de

The Middleby Corporation: “The challenge is ‘lights-out’ food production” Event

SUBSCRIPTIONS Viktoria Usanova usanova@foodmultimedia.de

08 iba: The trade fair connects online only in 2021 Production

DISTRIBUTION vertrieb@foodmultimedia.de

10 Mixing and kneading: Set-up for continuous processes

ADVERTISING dixon@foodmultimedia.de

14 Rolls, bagels and buns: Industrial-scale challenges and new solutions 38 Geier: Bakery moves in state-of-the-art new headquarters

SOCIAL MEDIA Annie Dixon annie.dixon@foodmultimedia.de

42 Slicing and bagging: Consistency in cutting & packaging flexibility 44 Sugden: Solid engineering supports expansion, new business

LAYOUT/GRAPHIC DESIGN LANDMAGD Design aus der Heide Linda Langhagen, design@landmagd.de

In-store ovens 18 In-store ovens: Technical development priorities, control & cleaning systems

PRINT Leinebergland Druck GmbH & Co. KG Industriestr. 2a, 31061 Alfeld (Leine), Germany

Silos and dosing 24 Shick Esteve: Traceability and recipe management

IT IT Consulting BRUNK Felix Brunk, felix@brunk-net.de

36 KAAK & Silowacht: More expertise from silo to mixer Sustainability

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28 Steel belts: Important efficiency results 32 Plastic versus paper: Life cycle analysis Market 48 GlobalData: Quick Service Restaurants (QSR) reemerge in diverse formats

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EDITOR Helga Baumfalk baumfalk@foodmultimedia.de

In the spotlight

cover photo: © lola1960 – stock.adobe.com

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Claims will not be accepted for any copies not received or lost copies due to reasons being outside the responsibility of the publishing company. This magazine, including all articles and illustrations, is copyright protected. Any utilization beyond the tight limit set by the copyright act is subject to the publisher’s approval.

Online dispute resolution in accordance with Article 14 Para. 1 of the ODR-VO (European Online Dispute Resolution Regulation): The European Commission provides a platform for Online Dispute Resolution (OS), which you can find at http://ec.europa.eu/consumers/odr Valid advertising price list: 2021

Continuous Mixing.

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Bread Bread and and bun bun production production is is challenging challenging with with variables variables like like temperature, temperature, environment, environment, recipe recipe accuracy, flour quality, and operator training affecting the finished product.

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06

IN THE SPOTLIGHT – INTERVIEW

The challenge is ‘lights out’ food production The industry narrative surrounding everything automation is a very interesting topic, especially in the current circumstances. Auto-Bake Serpentine defines the need for automation as follows: when the demand for computation, precision, repeatability, speed, and endurance exceeds our human sensibilities.

+

Scott McCally, president, Auto-Bake Serpentine and Hinds-Bock Corporation at The Middleby Corporation, talked automation, recent challenges and navigating better ways of doing business.

+ We

are better leveraging the full Middleby worldwide manufacturing capability and capacity to deliver parts, assemblies, and in some cases machines within the local region. + We have increased our stocking inventories on high volume and critical parts. + The increase in retail production depleted our customer’s production capacity and positioned our Auto-Bake On Demand equipment as the opportunistic solution to increase output immediately.

©

Mihu: What challenges has 2020 brought to Auto-Bake? Please share an overview of how the challenges affected the way e the company works, incoming requests, and the supply chain overall.

Scott McCally: In many ways, our service Scott McCally, president, Auto-Bake Mihu: What are the company’s plans for response became paralyzed. Auto-Bake Serpentine and Hinds-Bock Corporation this year and beyond? What will a ‘new has service resources in various regions at The Middleby Corporation normal’ mean for Auto-Bake and what across the world. Our customers rate us are the priorities around which it is being established? near the top of all OEMs year after year in overall service McCally: We continue to be customer-centric in our priorities. efficacy, yet we found ourselves lacking through COVID-19 2020 was challenging for our customers, we believe we have challenges:

Logistics across the world became unpredictable, sluggish, learned how to execute better under such conditions. The new + and expensive. normal is that we are better equipped to serve our customers + Our high-volume parts inventories that are managed on a across the world quickly and effectively. Our digital service quarterly replenishment cycle became depleted. and support capabilities have expanded rapidly, by fire, of

Demand for retail production skyrocketed, which created an course. Beyond our usual network, we now use XMReality, + immediate demand for more capacity from our producers. for example, a virtual reality type of software to help provide + Even with production demand high, our customers faced service, in addition to streaming video. These were initiatives extreme absenteeism among bakery production staff. that otherwise were two or three years away, now we have integrated them into the core of our service capabilities.

Mihu: Based on these challenges, what are some of the key learnings acquired and how will they influence the way Mihu: How has the work at the Bakery Innovation Center business is conducted going forward? changed? What Auto-Bake equipment can be trialed there McCally: We have become more adept at remote service exeand how? cution; however, that is no substitute for having qualified perMcCally: Until COVID, the BIC hosted six-eight seminar sonnel on-site when and where necessary. We have increased events per year. That has changed and may not return in the the size and reach of our worldwide service team to ensure that same form of its previous identity. The world has found that we are much more capable and agile to handle COVID-19 type much can be accomplished virtually. As we continue to foster restrictions. We hired more people and trained the staff in new product development and equipment technologies to solve the Middleby worldwide offices. They already had service the most difficult market challenges, the BIC will be utilized team members, but they had not necessarily been trained on with on-site experts presenting to a virtual audience. We see Auto-Bake equipment specifically. Software, working remotely this as a very positive growth transition, allowing us to reach and better communication with customers also helped provide more participants with each event. them with the support they needed. As we reemerge out of We have a very flexible Auto-Bake line [at the BIC] equipped the COVID era, we are much closer to on-demand service with everything necessary to trial almost any product. This execution. Uptime is everything for our customers and we are remains critical to demonstrating how our technology is vertically focused throughout our organization on maximizing suitable for all bakery and food product categories, not only our customer’s production throughput and efficiency. cake, which we are so well known for.

Au

to

-B

ak

www.bakingbiscuit.com 02/2021

IN THE SPOTLIGHT – INTERVIEW

Mihu: What are your thoughts on the level of automation currently in industrial bakeries and what features do you consider must-haves for the upcoming years?

McCally: This is such an interesting topic right now. Higher automation is undoubtedly the direction that all our customers are heading post-COVID; however, there are market demands that still exist that were emerging pre-COVID, which critically challenge the effectiveness of higher automation. I am not sure that producers and equipment OEMs have yet grasped these two opposing forces. Automation is clearly the right direction when producing just a few SKUs of a product that has market stability and longevity. It becomes both an expensive and difficult business decision when developing new products and/or producing many SKUs using the same production line.

Auto-Bake is very strong in emerging markets where this type of ‘FlexAgility’ is essential for our customer’s success.

‘FlexAgility’ is the flexibility for the line to run a broad product range AND have the agility to change between products quickly thus minimizing production downtime. Auto-Bake leads in automation where the reduction of labor and maximization of throughput within limited space is necessary.

Mihu: And in what aspects is automation in bakery lagging behind, compared with other industries? What inspiration can be used from other industries (then adapted and applied in bakery too)?

McCally: An industrial bakery production line is an automated assembly line from raw ingredients to finished packaged goods. When comparing to other industrial assembly line automation technologies, bakery lags, but not as far as some would think. There is a continuum of equipment technology not within every bakery’s purview. The largest producers who purchase new equipment annually, many times replacing older production lines, enjoy the latest technological advancements. In many cases, these advancements are on par with most other industries, outside of high tech, but certainly gaining on industries such as pharma.

Auto-Bake defines the need for automation as present when the demand for computation, precision, repeatability, speed, and endurance exceeds our human sensibilities.

The challenge that I am setting for myself, our Middleby Bakery Brands, and our customers is ‘lights out’ food production. Food is personal, very personal, and very intimate.

We schedule our lives around our meals, and our relationships deepen and grow when we break bread together. Complete ‘lights out’ factory automation won’t change any of that, in fact, we will get more of our time back so we can spend more of it eating!

Mihu: Innovation deeply relies on digitization and smart features. With COVID-19 accelerating the use of such tools in everyday life, what do you anticipate Industry 4.0 will mean in bakery – and what will it mean for Auto-Bake?

McCally: Industry 4.0 has many facets, which we are tackling in a phased approach. COVID-19 certainly accelerated our

development for sensory feedback across our systems so that we can remotely monitor and support the equipment more effectively.

One of the facets in our first phase includes the development of our IIoT cloud platform. We have leveraged another Middleby company, Powerhouse Dynamics (PHD), to assist with the integration. What separates our ‘connected’ solution from our OEM competition is the established history and reputation that PHD has earned as an ‘open-sourced’ service provider. Before Middleby purchased PHD and since, they excel at mining, protecting, and delivering key performance indicators (KPIs) in a cloud-based platform across multiple locations with competing OEM equipment. This ‘ethical wall’ gives each OEM involved the comfort and security that their information is protected, while providing comprehensive application insight for the customer. Customers do not want to navigate multiple OEM cloud platforms to glean information on a single production line. At Middleby, we are providing a single platform for all their equipment and locations. You can visit https://powerhousedynamics.com/ open-kitchen/ to understand how we do this for the food service industry already.

Mihu: The Middleby Group recently showcased how a robot automated marbling for a customer. How can Auto-Bake work with bakeries to design and develop such specific solutions to their needs?

McCally: Auto-Bake and all of us at Middleby Bakery listen for the pain points and look for automation opportunities that have a clear and quick return on investment. In the case of the marbling robotic solution, it was both challenging and risky for us and the customer. It was a risk that we were comfortable taking, mitigating throughout with proper iterative testing of the initial theory of operation. For us, innovation always follows the basic scientific method, and so long as we have the time to do develop the idea properly we have a great team of engineers who will deliver a successful solution.

Mihu: Auto-Bake gained international recognition with the Serpentine technology for continuous baking. What improvements will the next-generation updates aim to bring? What are the aspects in focus?

McCally: We continue to focus on our core identity by innovating around our unique base Serpentine technology. We are developing disruptive advancements that will reduce our footprint by another 50%, increase our throughput in the same space by double, and at the same time decrease our energy usage by more than 30%. This will be done by employing two technologies, one related to rapid baking and the other, to rapid cooling. These will be rolled out soon; we will share details as they are launched – later this year, before iba (cooling), respectively next year, ahead of IBIE (baking).

Mihu: We are looking forward to learning more, thank you!

+++

www.bakingbiscuit.com 02/2021

07

EVENT

The industry connects online The premiere virtual iba event took place from March 15 to 17, appropriately named after its fundamental goal: iba.CONNECTING EXPERTS. With the physical edition now moved to 2023, it also serves as a learning experience for the second installment, to be held in October in place of the anticipated in-person industry reunion.

+

With experts from 131 countries logging in and connecting to iba’s platform, the debut virtual event accomplished one of the main goals iba has always set up for itself: to be a global business gathering. Cathleen Kabashi, head of iba, granted us an interview about the premiere of the virtual event and the postponement of the in-person fair.

One of the benefits of it being hosted online is having detailed, accurate metrics thanks to a quality technical platform that ensured a smooth-running event: over 5,000 direct interactions were recorded over the three-day event.

Interesting lectures and presentations with live Q&A sessions were held throughout, with an agenda for all time zones.

The interactive event was built around four concepts: ‘Learn’ – the supporting education component, ‘Connect’ – the networking platform, ‘Discover’ – for trends and innovations, and ‘Entertain’ – for infotainment such as the popular virtual bakery visits. The exhibitor sections were structured with useful information and featured live chat, product documentation to download, at-a-glance highlights, and the available hosts. A comprehensive presentation program included current topics such as: ‘Bakery in the post-COVID-19 world – opportunities and challenges explained’ (Cyrille Filott, Rabobank), ‘Efficient human-machine interaction for highly automated production systems’ (Paul Weber, Fraunhofer IVV), and ‘Future of Food: Feeding Tomorrow’s World – tasteful, healthy and sustainable’ (Guido Ritter, FH Münster), to name just a few.

What will the postponement to 2023 mean for the industry this year and going forward? The exhibition’s director acknowledges the absence of iba this year in its full dimension.

There are multiple layers to the consequences: “First of all, it means a lack of business exchange. Exhibitors from all over the world usually present what the industry has to offer while visitors receive a focused view of the market. Secondly, innovations are presented live in their full functionality at the trade fair and thus, some of the new products will not make their first market appearance with all of the industry´s physical and sensory attention, which is normally the case at iba. Thirdly, iba is a global marketplace where participants interact with each other and maintain long-term relationships.

The trade fair also enables spontaneous encounters. All of this is most important for decision makers, as well as sales teams and much of this, will be missed in October 2021.

Luckily, with iba.CONNECTING EXPERTS we will be able

www.bakingbiscuit.com 02/2021

collage © sebra – stock.adobe.com, © GHM

08

to bridge the gap to a certain extent. Nevertheless, as the ongoing crisis has an impact on global market places like iba, the market´s relationships will be affected as well,” Kabashi tells us.

With the experience of the virtual event that has just concluded, Kabashi anticipates, “The second edition will allow the industry to network once again, even in this unusual year. Our aim and therefore the challenge will be to connect even more participants worldwide and expand the possibilities of business exchange. This being the case, we do not want to display a digital version of iba, but an independent virtual networking and knowledge event to link the global industry.”

+++

iba.CONNECTING EXPERTS March:

+ 6,031 participants (unique users) from 131 countries

+ 66 exhibitors + 5,340 direct interactions (personal conversations, product information)

+ 11,860 registrations for the online lectures

+ 3,480 minutes of exchanges through the online lectures alone

+ Social media: the cumulative reach, exclusively related to the exhibitors, amounted to around

1.1 million followers October:

+ Pre-registration is open + Dates: October 25-28, 2021

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PRODUCTION

© RBS

Reading Bakery Systems Exact HDX Continuous Mixer

All set for continuous mixing and kneading Continuous dough production is designed with volume and efficiency in mind. Requirements stemming from the product characteristics, the manufacturing needs, the facility and equipment line-up will influence how continuous mixing and kneading should be set up.

+

A continuous kneading and mixing process ensures all types of ingredients are mixed and kneaded in the optimum sequence to produce the desired product with consistent characteristics while saving time, resources and minimizing waste.

For the production of buns and rolls, such a system is the Exact HDX Continuous Mixer, developed by Reading Bakery Systems, which can process from 2,000 pounds per hour up to 15,000 pounds of dough per hour. It offers a number of features that make it well suited for these products: + The mixer has a two-stage design. In the first stage, the dough is mixed up to the clean-up stage (the point in the process where the moisture is completely distributed, but the development of the dough is only beginning). At this point, the dough will feel tacky but will not stick to the hand. The second stage is designed for the high-speed development of the dough. “Because the two units have independent drives, the two stages can be mixed at different mixing intensities. This makes the HDX Mixer very versatile,” highlights Jim Warren, vice president of Exact Mixing at Reading Bakery Systems. + Both stages are designed to optimize the ability to cool the dough. Highly-developed doughs such as those typically used for buns and rolls can sometimes require temperatures lower than 70°F for mixing. To control the temperature, all internal surfaces are suitable for glycol solution cooling: “The glycol (or chilled water) circulates in the mixer jacket

www.bakingbiscuit.com 02/2021

and within the mixing shafts. The actual temperature is adjusted by either adjusting the temperature of the glycol or by changing the rate of circulation of the glycol,” Warren illustrates.

Moreover, the characteristics of the dough have been taken into consideration in the design of the HDX Mixer. Dough with hydration ratios of 60% and higher generally requires a great deal of shear to be developed to the required level. The key to success is to apply energy in a way such that the gluten strands are formed without shearing or shortening the strands, which is what the HDX is designed to do, he explains.

© RBS

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© Diosna

© Zeppelin

PRODUCTION

Diosna ContinoMIXX

Exact Mixing The company was founded in 1992 in the U.S. and became a part of Reading Bakery Systems in 2008.

Between 1992 and 2008, four initial families of mixers were developed. These mixers allowed RBS to mix a wide variety of doughs from snack products, sweet goods, pizza, cookies and crackers to batters, and flat breads.

In 2012, RBS joined AMF as part of the Markel Food Group. AMF specializes in the production of bread and bun equipment. This led to the development of the HDX Mixers, a fifth mixer family, which are specifically designed for these types of high development doughs.

Buns and rolls with the HDX Mixer The equipment from Exact Mixing streamlines necessary processes for efficiency. The workflow is synchronized so that the dough is made at the same rate it is used, to avoid the accumulation of large batches of doughs that would need to be stored. Also, the dough exits from the mixer at a rate that allows it to be moved directly to the divider on a belt, without the need for resizing equipment or a dough pump.

All these processes are automatically synchronized so that a single operator is needed to oversee mixing and forming. To optimize the HDX Mixer’s settings, the primary adjustment will be in the speed of the mixer and developer shafts.

“From recipe to recipe, the process may require more or less development or mixing due to specific requirements,” Warren explains. Other potential adjustments can include temperature settings, the location of the ingredient infeed, and controlling the quantity of the product in the mixer.

To control the temperature of the finished dough, the equipment offers three possibilities: coolant system adjustments, controlling the ingredient temperatures and the speed of the

Zeppelin CODOS ® NT

developer shaft (the last method is used less than the other two, because the manufacturer may not want to change the product’s development level). “The coolant properties can be easily automated, and it is the most common method used to control the finished dough temperature. This can be done best by adjusting the rate of coolant dough through the mixer jacket,” the specialist illustrates. Dough hydration is controlled by balancing the amount of moisture added to the dough and the speed of the mixer and development shafts.

Processes are automated to guarantee consistency; all process variables, including individual ingredient input rates, temperatures, development levels, and other inputs are constantly measured, compared to set points and automatically adjusted to assure the dough leaving the mixer meets set requirements consistently. In addition, the downstream equipment and dividing hopper levels are monitored and the mixer output automatically adjusted to match the rate needed.

For process safety, parts in motion are completely enclosed, and operations can be managed remotely. Food safety is also guaranteed since the dough is never exposed to the environment.

Kneading with continoMIXX The continuous dough production system continoMIXX made by DIOSNA is recommended for any products using wheat. It features two independently adjustable tools and ensures optimal kneading, even when sizeable amounts of

The continoMIXX Three different sizes are available:

+ Small: 1,500 - 3,000kg of dough per hour + Medium: 2,500 - 5,000kg of dough per hour + Large: 4,000 - 8,000kg of dough per hour

www.bakingbiscuit.com 02/2021

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PRODUCTION

© Diosna

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residual doughs are added back into the system. “Due to the mechanical decoupling of the two tools (paddle drive and screw drive), the speeds can be set separately,” R&D Constructor Stefan Bensmann, DIOSNA, explains. Different types of dough can be kneaded using the same tools, which ensures fast recipe changes while reaching maximum flexibility in hourly performance and kneading intensity. Its design is also mindful of the space it occupies and it supports increased water absorption, which is beneficial in terms of volume, flavor and ingredient costs.

An interesting case of kneading optimization contributing to the overall efficiency is when residual doughs are added.

In the case of uniform return dough (laminated dough, for example), it is added directly to the kneading chamber and the kneading process is adjusted accordingly. In the case of non-uniform return doughs, they are placed into a storage container and continuously added from there in smaller quantities (adjustable). “The gentle addition of return dough is absolutely necessary for large quantities of return dough to prevent the deterioration of the final dough quality,” explains Bensmann.

Another interesting feature is how the two independently adjustable tools work (for feeding and kneading). The specialist shares the details: “In the process patented by DIOSNA, it is possible for the first time to separate the energy translation from the conveying effect in the continuous kneading process. In the past, increasing the rotational frequency of the kneading tools increased both the feed rate and the kneading energy. Now, it is possible to control these parameters individually via two independently coaxial kneading tools.”

The so-called paddle tool, which is arranged centrally in the middle of the continoMIXX, is used exclusively for applying the necessary kneading energy without conveying the dough.

“It can be conditionally controlled via a frequency-controlled

www.bakingbiscuit.com 02/2021

drive in the range of 20-70Hz, which allows maximum flexibility in the targeted addition of kneading energy,” the specialist adds. The infeed rate, respectively the hourly output of the kneading plant, is realized via the externally arranged screw tool. Due to the specific arrangement of the crescent-shaped elements of the tool, the dough is conveyed and also permanently pressed into the effective kneading zone between the paddle and screw tool. This tool is also conditionally infinitely variable in the range of 20-70Hz and also offers the possibility of specifically controlling the filling level of the machine trough. If the hourly output of the metering systems remains constant and the speed of the screw tool is reduced, the filling level of the machine increases, for example. This measure would have a direct influence on the kneading energy applied to the dough without increasing the conveying effect.

To automate workflow, the continoMIXX records weight data and the parameters of the kneader at all times. In case of deviations from presets, the system will automatically issue warnings, error messages, or even shut down the entire plant if the tolerance values are exceeded.

More power, less space With a capacity range between 500 and 6,000kg/h, the newgeneration CODOS ® NT from Zeppelin Systems brings improvements in capacity and efficiency over its predecessor.

Its benefits include tight temperature control, raw material accuracy, low energy and maintenance requirements. It can save up to 15% floor space because it is equipped with a new drive technology that is smaller in size and better positioned, and up to 25% in weight, compared to the previous model.

The gearbox and motor block have been resized and better positioned for efficiency, and the drive technology also helps optimize operation control. The servomotor has very high torque compared to the previous technology, which also contributes to saving energy and space. It is also more

PRODUCTION

flexible and easier to operate, as it requires fewer controls.

Also, the design features make it easier to operate and maintain without having to dismantle the shaft, such as a light hood for fast access to change seals, bearing or couplings.

These are the only parts that are regularly exchanged, which implies minimal maintenance costs. Requirements for a more hygienic design were also incorporated, and can also include a fully-automated cleaning system.

As the mixer operates continuously, the system is required to handle all types of ingredients over time, according to the recipes. It incorporates mixing, blending and metering units and synchronizes several processes. The dry ingredients (flour, salt) are collected in a blender, where the minor and micro ingredients are then conveyed, after scaling. “In a very short time, the dry ingredients are blended completely into a premix which is conveyed continuously into the mixer,” explains Thomas Ismar, director technology, Zeppelin Systems. The dry and the liquid ingredients are brought together and hydrated in the Dymo Mix high-speed mixer.

There are several ways to control the temperature during the continuous mixing process in the CODOS® NT system: + Conditioning of the temperature of the raw materials (for example, laminated dough for croissants requires a cold

13

dough; in this case, the flour is brought to 18°C and even lower with ice water alone. Alternative cooling solutions such as CO 2 or ice are not needed, resulting in important savings in the cooling process. For hamburger buns, a warm dough of around 30°C is required, so the flour does not need cooling in this case.) + The energy of the mixing process also contributes to the temperature of the dough. The speed of the mixing tools is not related to the production capacity (unlike extrusion systems where they are directly proportional), which is only dictated by the ingredient infeed. By adjusting the speed of the tools, the CODOS ® NT system provides the option of having low or high energy mixing. The temperature of the dough during mixing can rise by 1-10°C depending on this parameter, making the system very flexible to various requirements.

+ The system itself is also double jacketed so it can be easily cooled or heated to the desired temperature.

The same system can be used for doughs with vastly different requirements and characteristics; it is ideal for the whole range of doughs, whether they need high-energy infeed like sandwiches and buns, or low-energy infeed such as pastry or some cookie doughs. +++

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The customers’ boundary conditions with regard to ingredients and actual production environment are the basis for all tests run in the Rademaker Technology Centre. Our consistent focus on the customers’ requirements results in specific solutions aimed at the ultimate success of our customers in the market.

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PRODUCTION

Buns, rolls and bagels made easy

(part I)

Replicating traditional methods of preparing buns, bagels and rolls on an industrial scale is a task with an extensive list of challenges, to achieve high-volume, consistent results. Flexibility and innovation joined in dedicated production lines help provide the answers for endless

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Over-night fermentation, the perfect round shape, a crusty, shiny appearance or topped with sesame seeds – the most prized characteristics of buns, bagels, or rolls can quickly become the challenges in industrial manufacturing, either in the case of traditional products and processes or when introducing new, hybrid product innovations. New and updated technology solutions also provide the best answers to all challenges for the processes involved, and help improve overall efficiency. Notable examples we looked into include Koenig’s new generation of roll lines – the KGV Plus, and the latest addition, KGV EC that was just launched at iba.

CONNECTING EXPERTS mid-March, the MECABAGEL – recently developed by Mecatherm and partner-turned-groupcolleague ABI Ltd., and the Multipurpose Line for specialty breads developed by Minipan.

Koenig: the very latest in roll lines The new KGV EC has taken cleaning and accessibility of this technology range one step further, with features incorporated in what is now one of the most powerful lines built by Koenig.

Its default configuration includes a choice of 26 products,

© König

product variations. including Kaiser rolls, rose rolls, pretzel rolls, as well as cut or convoluted rolls, with other customizations also possible.

The line can be built in various working widths and has a capacity of 46,800 pieces per hour in a 1,200mm working width and a 12-row operation. The ‘Easy Clean’ design is reflected in a new type of frame structure, with sloping surfaces at a 45° angle, to prevent residue build up. The drives are completely encapsulated from the dough area and large door elements offer easy access for cleaning and maintenance. The line has a floor clearance of at least 200mm and pull-out drawers under the entire system allow easy cleaning. When designing the line, welded constructions were largely preferred to screw connections.

“The new KGV EC bun line features high performance with up to 65 strokes/minute in Easy Clean Design. Bakeries save precious time on cleaning and maintenance and have maximum line availability and the highest production output,” highlights Wolfgang Staufer, Koenig’s CEO. Its open design and accessibility also allow faster changeovers. Even the stamping station of the KGV EC follows this design principle and favors easy accessibility. One person can easily change the stamping tools, no tools needed.

König: The KGV-EC line

+ Various working widths + 50 to 65 strokes/min, depending on the product + 46,800 pieces per hour in 1,200mm working width

and 12-row operation

+ Configurable pre-proofer with, for example, 750 us-

able swings at 50 strokes/min (proofing time of 15

minutes) or at 60 strokes/min (proofing time of 12.5 minutes).

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© König

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PRODUCTION

+ Floor area: 1,800m² (excluding packaging) - 90m x 20m + Reference production capacity: 28,000 bagels per hour + Reference rate of production: 320 trays per hour + Dimensions of fermentation and cooling trays: 2,000mm x 800mm The KGV plus line, the predecessor in this family, features the highest performance for a Koenig bun line. Also, the line can process doughs with chunks (chocolate, nuts, etc.), which extruder lines often cannot handle, adds the specialist. KGV plus bun line offers an hourly output of approx. 60,000 pieces in 12-row operation; it was awarded with the ASB Innovation Award 2019 and with the iba Award 2018. It consists of the new T-Rex AW high-performance dough divider and rounder, pre-proofer, forming station and an innovative belt stamping station for bagel and donut production, the company details.

With specially designed rounding ledges, the T-Rex AW achieves an output of 100 strokes/min. for gentle and smooth dough piece rounding. For this high performance, the line has a relatively small footprint.

For efficiency optimization, “The entire process needs to be coordinated for high-performance lines to guarantee consistent quality. For such high volumes, dough mixing is particularly important and must be timed precisely. Whether customers use continuous mixing systems or stand-alone mixers, the batch production must be coordinated with processing on the make-up line,” explains Staufer.

Mecatherm & ABI Ltd. spells bagel mastery A typical bagel line processes around 7,000 pieces per hour for each forming setup. ABI Ltd. has built machines that can feature six such forming setups, sustaining production of up to 40,000 bagels per hour on one line.

ABI Ltd. provided the make-up and boiling solutions in its partnership with Mecatherm to develop this line. The French specialist brought expertise for the proofing, retarding, baking, cooling and freezing sections of the systems. The two engineering teams had the experience of working together to develop the MECABAGEL line, prior to becoming Group colleagues this year.

The MECABAGEL line was built as a response to market trends they have been observing. “One of the major challenges in

the automated production of bagels is forming it, because of the dough’s density, which for bagels is quite stiff, with a low hydration level. Traditionally, the dough had been cut manually into individual pieces, and rolled by hand. This method, however, cannot support mass production,” Alex Kuperman, ABI Ltd.’s CEO underlined. The hard dough influenced the mechanics of the forming device, in order to be able to pull the dough through the mandrel (as the dough gets sheeted, it is wrapped around the mandrel). Another challenge is in ensuring the ring is uniform, concentric. A slight misalignment will impact the shape of the bagel.

Additionally, the bagel must maintain its consistent round shape throughout processing. Placing the bagels on a proofing board also poses challenges, a pattern must be identified that doesn’t allow the products to be too close to each other to prevent them from ‘kissing’.

The molding process is by its nature unreliable, ABI’s CEO points out. As the reciprocator places the product onto the board, the bagels are monitored by sensors on each lane, with the signal received at this level compared to a master signal on the divider. If the timing is offset, speed adjustments will help correctly align the bagels. “We take substantial care in ensuring that we are in the correct position with our equipment,” he adds. To maintain their shape throughout processing, product transfers should be avoided as much as possible until they reach the oven – from belts to different kinds of bakeware. To do that, Mecatherm uses proofing boards or peelboards to convey the product through the proofer and retarder, and on its way to boiling and baking, as François Retailleau, product manager explains. Fermentation and retarding can also be challenging to perfect, in order to achieve a result similar to artisan-made bagels. Temperature control between warm and cold zones and homogeneity in the air distribution are key to this, and sensors in the proofing and retarding rooms help ensure the necessary settings are maintained. As the peelboards exit the retarder, the product

© ABI-Mecatherm

ABI-Mecatherm: The MECABAGEL line

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PRODUCTION

is picked up by a wing-shaped device called “scrabbler” to be sent to the boiler. As products tend to stick to the board, this is a crucial step, and and the appropriate design of the wing profile ensures the bagels will not change shape and positioning during this transfer. A top roller that is adjustable in height will help at this stage, as it applies very slight pressure at the top of the product to help it climb on the wing and not slide back. Next comes cooking or boiling the bagel, which with this line can be done either by submerging the product (the traditional method) or by exposing the lower side of the bagel to a bottom bath and the rest to multiple waterfalls (this impacts the heat needed to boil, with the added benefit of steam resulting in the boiling chamber).

The new line eliminated a heat exchanger from inside the boiler to make equipment cleaning easier. “For automatic cleaning, there are Sweepers within the system that ensure automatic cleaning and also act as a filtration system for the water as it is running,” adds Nelson Leite, vice president of Sales and Marketing, ABI Ltd. The product requires a lot of energy from the start to ensure both a quality bake and the dough from sticking. For the baking process itself, “Depending on the kind of product you want to obtain, there are several hearth technologies, or baking can be done on a wire mesh belt. These will influence the choice in the oven technology as well,” Retailleau illustrates the various options of bringing heat to the product. The MECABAGEL line comes in two versions: the more traditional setup features a cyclothermic oven (plain hearth carrier), and the newer technology line includes the M-TA oven (precise control over the amount, location and type of heat – convection or radiation). Both allow setting up a tailor-made baking curve, with humidity control to give the product its shiny finish. This typically means convection from the bottom at the start of the baking process, usually followed by radiation.

Some convection heating will help to bake the product faster, which counts towards the overall efficiency, the most important characteristic of any oven.

Minipan and Multipurpose versatility With a Multipurpose line by Minipan, you can produce buns, bread rolls, hot dog buns, tin bread, bisnaguinha and many other types of products. It is the line the Italian specialist recommends to manufacturers looking for flexibility in production: in this case, with a single line they can achieve a great variety of products, maximizing their capital investment.

Franco Fusari, co-owner and sales director, shared with us the concept of this line’s design: “Since the respect for the recipe is a cornerstone at Minipan, the customization of the line is just a consequence. Collaboration with expert technologists allows a deeper study of the customers’ recipes and methods, and it improves the creation of a tailor-made line.”

Efficiency also influences the design of this versatile line. It has a high degree of flexibility packed in a small footprint.

Fusari suggests that this “Makes the Multipurpose line a ‘future-proof ’ investment.”

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Minipan: The Multipurpose Line for specialty bread

+ Can shape many different breads, from hamburger buns to tin bread, hot dog rolls and molded breads

+ The RAFFINATORE: punch and fold technology is at the core of the line

+ Equipped with proprietary Scrap Free technology + High versatility, with respect for traditional recipes

and baking methods

© Minipan

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Besides, significant recipe cost savings are possible thanks to the RAFFINATORE technology it incorporates, which works to improve the gluten network naturally, without the use of any improvers while supporting the use of weaker (and cheaper) types of flour. Using fewer ingredients means cleaner-label claims can be achieved, a very valuable selling point for cutting-edge bakers,” he underlines.

At the core of the line is the RAFFINATORE: punch and fold technology used as a sheet generator to homogenize the air cells distribution inside the crumb. The “RAFFINATORE brings back the process used by ancient bakers. This machine generates a sheet of dough, folds it, and after rotating the folded sheet, restarts the process for a defined number of times,” explains Fusari. It provides a more uniform structure to the dough, while homogenizing the dimensions and the distribution of the air cells. Since the speed of a single RAFFINATORE is fixed, industrial capacities can be achieved (up to 6 tons per hour) by installing an incremental number of machines.

Read the second part of this article in baking + biscuit international, issue 3, including challenges and solutions embedded in technology, product trends and versatility in this segment.

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IN-STORE OVENS

Technical development priorities, control & cleaning systems Part 2

After the first part of our survey of in-store oven manufacturers focused mainly on the impact of the pandemic, this second part is about control and cleaning systems and technical development

© DEBAG

priorities that suppliers are setting.

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How dependent is the in-store oven operation on the skills of the operator?

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DEBAG Deutsche Backofenbau GmbH, www.debag.de

MIWE Michael Wenz GmbH, www.miwe.de

Wachtel GmbH, www.wachtel.de

For foolproof oven operation, DEBAG offers, amongst other things, the One-Touch control – with innovative split-screen display – for even greater ease of use.

The 7-inch graphic display allows the DECON baking station to be operated easily and intuitively by 'touch’, just as on a smartphone. In addition, the new one-touch control allows both ovens of the baking station to be controlled from one display. This results in numerous advantages for the user: • Faster overview of the baking processes in both ovens • Ease of operation is significantly increased • Lower acquisition costs (only one control display, instead of two)

We have been thinking about this even before the shortage of skilled workers became a buzzword here – after all, the employees of our customers around the world have very different backgrounds. Our operating logic is well thought out, stringent, and above all, developed from practical experience together with customers, and you can feel it!

Our MIWE go! user interface is available in dozens of languages (including Finnish and Chinese) and we have been working with pictograms and images for a long time, which makes the steps universally understandable. The concept, which is clearly designed for user-friendliness, also includes different modes, so that each user group is always only assigned the rights and options that are necessary for this particular group. In easy-mode, for example, even non-specialist personnel can find their way around very quickly and there is no danger of accidentally adjusting important parameters.

The operation of our high-tech IQ TOUCH control is reminiscent of a smartphone, intuitive, fast and user-friendly. A high-resolution, large color screen shows everything that is important at a glance: Set and actual temperature as well as programs and baking times. In addition, baking programs can be set in advance so that only the 'start button’ needs to be tapped. Pictures of the baked goods are displayed in the control unit, making it easy to see which products need to be baked with which of the 99 baking programs. In addition, the IQ TOUCH offers a wide selection of freely selectable signal tones for program-specific, acoustic recognition signals for when the baking time ends.

Programs can be managed, written and changed centrally via WACHTEL REMOTE and accordingly imported by remote assignment to each in-store baking oven in the branch. This means the same baking results will be achieved in every store with the simplest handling.

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Welbilt, www.welbilt.com

Werner & Pfleiderer Bakery Technologies, wwww.wp-l.de

WIESHEU GmbH, www.wiesheu.de

All our units are designed to be used by non-specialist or frequently changing personnel. The Merrychef eikon® e2s and the Convotherm 4 BAKE and mini units feature the easyTouch® touchscreen for simple intuitive screen operation. The Convotherm 4 BAKE also allows immediate start-up with ‘Press&Go’ for all product categories. Preheating, compensation of heat losses, e.g. when opening the door or with different loading quantities, and the selection of baking and cooking modes all take place completely automatically. The symbol-based, programmable and customizable operation of the Convotherm 4 BAKE offers a high level of operating convenience and process reliability. This means that every team member can carry out routine processes independently after a brief introduction.

It is even easier with Convotherm 4 BAKE units equipped with the modern ConvoSense technology. Artificial intelligence and state-of-the-art sensor technology recognize the products and automatically set the correct cooking program.

The heart of a baking oven is always its control system. Depending on the product, many parameters have to be set or regulated here, which normally only a trained baker can do. The baker must store his knowledge in the various baking programs once, so that the same baked products can always be baked with the same baking program and the same quality. In most cases, stores do not employ skilled bakers. Therefore, all that is needed for baking is to start a particular baking program, and the oven does the rest.

The display of the control system can be set to a simple mode, in which only one baking program can be selected – if necessary also by icon. As soon as the oven is ready for baking, a traffic light indication appears and the products can be placed in and the baking process started.

When developing the user interface, we use – through smartphone technology or other industries – learned standards and familiar symbols.

However, in the specific application area ‚’oven’, it is still the case today that we do not yet want to completely dispense with texts due to a reliable and simple operator concept. WIESHEU equips prototypes with assistance systems at a very early stage and we see support from optical sensors as an important topic for the in-store baking of tomorrow.

We are currently focusing on the process-safe automation of loading and unloading the in-store baking oven with our ’TrayMotion’ system, which ensures the perfect baking result by removing the baked goods with pinpoint accuracy at the end of the program – without any operator interaction.

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IN-STORE OVENS

What cleaning systems are offered?

How do they work?

DEBAG Deutsche Backofenbau GmbH, www.debag.de

MIWE Michael Wenz GmbH, www.miwe.de

Wachtel GmbH, www.wachtel.de

DEBAG offers various cleaning systems:

There are two different cleaning systems for our convection ovens: the semi-automatic program MIWE easy clean, in which users must complete a few steps themselves (e.g., spray the cleaner into the baking chamber at the beginning), and the fully automatic cleaning system MIWE cleaning control with four cleaning levels, depending on the degree of soiling. In this case, cleaning is completely automatic, and it can even be postponed to night and the residual heat can be used for the first heating process on baking day. The large tank can be filled with the ecologically degradable cleaning agent without touching it and is sufficient for up to 30 cycles. For even more convenience, MIWE Service fills the large-volume tank as part of the annual maintenance of MIWE everclean. This means that customers no longer have to refill the tank themselves, store containers, or think about reordering.

To make cleaning particularly thorough and effective, our baking stations are always designed from the outset with hygiene aspects in mind (e.g. rounded corners, easy-to-remove tray supports, etc.).

The PICCOLO PRO is equipped as standard with W-HYGIENIC, i.e. the simplest disc installation and removal technology. The discs can be removed without tools in a matter of seconds by means of a simple tilting movement without the need for tedious screwing.

In general, this depends on the load and utilization and, depending on the customer, in-store ovens are replaced for various reasons even though they are still fully functional (for example, in order to be able to use newer generation functions or when the store’s concept is changed).

For chain stores, the usual lifespan is between 8 and 20 years - this is possible because MIWE keeps spare parts available for up to 10 years after a series is discontinued. In retail, the systems are usually replaced after 6-8 years – depending on the depreciation models. In the foodservice sector, we are talking about 5-6 years (but also longer) – because here, there is a higher utilization rate due to very long opening hours and also a faster change in terms of concepts and trends.

The service life depends on many factors: • In-store ovens are equipment dependent on maintenance, at least once a year • With regular maintenance and with 6 days of weekly usage, 12 hours a day, the oven will have a life span on average of 13-15 years • Amongst other things, the water quality is also an important prerequisite

e.CLEAN SYSTEM® The e.CLEAN SYSTEM® is a highly efficient cleaning system. It convinces with its very low water and energy consumption. The cleaning agent is refilled by the staff in the store. e.CLEAN 500 The first automatic oven cleaning with 500-day refill cycle. Once filled, the cleaning agent supply lasts for at least 500 days. Refilling is carried out by DEBAG customer service.

2

What is the average lifespan of in-store ovens in chain stores, foodservice and retail today?

On average 8 years.

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The CLEAN WASH self-cleaning system integrated as standard in the THERMICO PLUS convection oven ensures uncompromising cleanliness right into the farthest corner of the baking chamber. Water flows into the baking chamber and thus cleans itself. No more than 35 liters of water are used. After drying, the oven switches itself off independently. With baking standby activated, the oven is ready for the first shot the next day, fully heated.

IN-STORE OVENS

Welbilt, www.welbilt.com

Werner & Pfleiderer Bakery Technologies, wwww.wp-l.de

WIESHEU GmbH, www.wiesheu.de

Welbilt focuses fully on safety, economy and environmental friendliness in its cleaning systems. The fully automatic ConvoClean+ cleaning program ensures effortless cleanliness of the Convotherm 4 BAKE with maximum flexibility and minimum consumption. The safety plus: no contact with the cleaner when starting the cleaning process. In addition, the units are certified for unattended cleaning. Once cleaning is complete, work can continue immediately without a follow-up check.

With up to 19% less water in hot air mode and 44% less energy consumption in cleaning mode, the Convotherm 4 BAKE is efficient in terms of energy and water consumption. In addition, the waste water is environmentally friendly thanks to biodegradable cleaning liquids.

We only offer an electrically heated deck oven with stone plate as a store-baking oven. Therefore, automatic baking chamber cleaning – as with a dishwasher – is not possible. However, it is possible to remove the glass door panel for easy cleaning without tools. Short videos on cleaning and care of the oven are stored in the controls.

ProClean – Our proven cleaning system comes with cleaning cartridges consisting of detergent and rinse aid, which are introduced into the baking chamber before cleaning. The rest is done automatically by a combination of temperature, airflow and the introduction of water, which is distributed through a special nozzle on the ceiling of the baking chamber.

The average service life of our devices is around 10 years. Depending on use, devices can also perform well for over 20 years. But, the average is around the 10 years mark.

The service life of a baking oven always depends very much on its care, and this applies in particular to in-store baking ovens. With annual maintenance, daily care after baking and special attention to water quality (calcification), in-store ovens can easily last for well over 10 years.

7-10 years, depending on the time of use and care of the equipment.

ProClean365 goes one step further. It eliminates the need to stock liquid cleaner, cleaning tablets or cartridges, as well as the associated logistical effort and inconvenient handling in everyday store operations. The compact cleaning unit is connected to the back of the oven and is designed so that the cleaning agent only needs to be refilled once a year during maintenance.

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IN-STORE OVENS

MIWE Michael Wenz GmbH, www.miwe.de

Wachtel GmbH, www.wachtel.de

–

Digitization is certainly a focal point from the perspective of the entire process landscape - always with the aim of making processes (both in the bakery and in the stores) simpler and clearer. But, we are also bringing more and more intelligence into the systems themselves, for example in the area of sensor technology, in order to keep the system operational in an even better and more predictive way. Important key points here are again the reports, but also predictive maintenance and AI. However, it is very important to us that we offer our customers an attractive price-performance ratio. In other words, our main focus is on user-oriented development. After all, no one is helped by over-engineering. To this end, we are in close dialog and maintain a very fruitful exchange with our customers (open innovation).

Development focuses on saving energy and resources so that bakers can save costs and electricity. WACHTEL can implement this with the ENERGY MANAGER tool.

It includes intelligent load optimization. The system remembers the user's baking behavior. It knows when baking actually took place after baking readiness was reached and suggests optimized injection times.

Eligibility: The standard water and energy recording is continuous. In this way, the ENERGY MANAGER ensures DIN EN ISO 50001-compliant data quality. The system is one of the solutions that have been declared eligible for funding under the directive of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy.

a) MONSUN deck oven/rack oven b) HELIOS deck oven c) DECON in-store oven

a) Depending on the desired pastry characteristics: MIWE condo deck oven, MIWE aero or MIWE econo convection oven. For all those who want different characteristics depending on the baked goods: MIWE backcombi, a combination of these two systems. b) The deck oven MIWE condo or the convection ovens MIWE aero or MIWE econo c) The MIWE condo or MIWE aero is also recommended for this purpose – or the MIWE gusto if space is limited. If the proportion of snacks is high and they may need to be heated shortly before consumption, the MIWE gusto:snack is the best choice.

a) PICCOLO PRO b) PICCOLO PRO c) THERMICO PLUS, MINI COMET PLUS, PICCOLO PRO (Here, usage is not necessarily realized with just one device in each case; a variant for small, medium or large sites can also be offered for each case. )

DEBAG Deutsche Backofenbau GmbH, www.debag.de What are your current technical and technological development priorities?

4

Please give us your current oven or oven system recommendation for the following: a) Baking bread and bread rolls only b) Baking bread, bread rolls and pastries c) Baking bread, bread rolls, pastries and snack products (pizza, gratin)

However, the choice of system depends not only on the type of product, but also on the convenience level (for baking from frozen, a convection oven is the better choice), the desired baking characteristics (e.g., rustic, strong crust vs. soft, tender-split crust), handling simplicity requirements (e.g., baking on trays or directly on stone), baking quantity, assortment variety, process reliability, and available space. Therefore, we always advise our customers in detail.

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IN-STORE OVENS

Welbilt, www.welbilt.com

Werner & Pfleiderer Bakery Technologies, wwww.wp-l.de

WIESHEU GmbH, www.wiesheu.de

Automation: Automated baking and cooking are the magic words here. With ConvoSense, Welbilt offers technology for fully-automated baking and cooking that can be used in the Convotherm 4 BAKE. ConvoSense recognizes food and baked goods independently and reliably and selects the appropriate cooking and baking process for the respective products. It is also easy to operate. By means of automated processes, ConvoSense largely eliminates the need for time-consuming training for frequently changing personnel.

Digitalization: kitchenconnect® is a milestone towards the kitchen of the future and the networked kitchen.

Appliances can be controlled, updated and monitored through cloud-based technology and in real time from anywhere, and processes can be analyzed, evaluated and planned.

Small flexible concepts: The Merrychef rapid cooking systems and the Convotherm minis units were developed for this segment.

The focus of development is – always – even simpler operation and compliance with hygiene guidelines.

Here, for example, we recently introduced a proofing chamber made of plastic with rounded corners and sheet metal supports that can be removed without tools, making it particularly easy to clean.

Our in-store ovens help our customers to offer and sell fresh baked goods. Our goal is to design our solutions and services in such a way that they are problem solvers in our customers' stores and integrate seamlessly into the store processes and, in the best case scenario, also optimize them by reducing the amount of work, staff time or, for example, energy consumption.

The Convotherm 4 BAKE (a combination of hot air and steam) is suitable for all the products listed (a to c). If only snacking is required, the Merrychef eikon e1s and Merrychef eikon e2s quick cooking systems are the ideal support.

Our in-store baking ovens are electrically heated deck ovens with stone plate, heavy-duty steamers and universal computer control.

They are made for premium baking.

Therefore, they are suitable for the entire above-mentioned spectrum as standard. Even high-quality bread and pastries can be baked. With the optionally available pizza function, perfect pizzas can be made to Italian standards.

You can achieve very good baking results for all the products listed under a to c with both the convection oven and the deck oven.

Certainly, for bundt pastries, bread, pizza or tarte flambée, the deck oven with its dormant baking atmosphere is at an advantage.

In the case of rolls, we get the slight Berlin edge in the middle, and if baked directly on the plate, the hole pattern on the bottom falls away.

The deck oven also does not dry out baked goods as much as the convection oven. This is particularly important for pretzel baked goods.

Snacks that require a crust, such as pizza tarte flambée, can be baked at high heat ideally in our deck oven Ebo (available in various combinations, designs, sizes and baking chamber heights).

Alternatively, toasted dough pieces such as Danish pastry, croissants or puff pastry get slightly more shine and volume in the convection oven. For pre-baked products, there is no difference in the quality of the baking result when comparing the two systems (Dibas blue, E3, Minimat, Ebo).

For casseroles, it is the programming setting that gets an optimal cooking result from both baking systems (Dibas blue, E3, Minimat, Ebo).

The combination of convection oven and deck oven is also possible and a frequently chosen variant in order to have the ideal system for every application (Dibas blue hot-air oven, with Ebo deck oven).

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SILOS AND DOSING

Traceability levels 1. Automation level (ES-PLC) 2. SCADA level (Clarity/Es-Track) 3. MES level: MY-PLANT 4. ERP level: customer’s ERP

Traceability and recipe management It takes a great deal of synchronization to consistently follow recipes and dose ingredients with maximum accuracy. Automation not only guarantees precision and efficiency in weighing and dosing, but also brings the benefits of achieving complete traceability of the materials processed, in as much detail as each manufacturer wants.

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In recipe management, Shick Esteve’s silo and dosing systems, developed with expertise from staff at facilities in Kansas City, Missouri, USA and Rians, France and delivered worldwide, comprise the automation and PLC level, in production, and the monitoring and traceability level supported by its Clarity Process Management. The PLC acts like a local, safe data storage location as well, even if the network connection is temporarily lost for any reasons. “In this way, we can ensure that the customer will not lose any data, as it will upload what the system missed as soon as the connection is re-established,” explains Yann Weissgerber, director of International Sales & Marketing, Shick Esteve Rians. On top of this, the SCADA system within the Clarity Software Suite collects data and makes user-friendly information available for the user. From this database, information can be shared with other software used in the facility, as needed - even with multiple systems simultaneously (i.e., MES, ERP). The Clarity Software Suite converts the PLC data to a software database, which makes it ready for sharing with virtually any software on the market.

About Shick Esteve Shick Esteve is a complete ingredient automation provider. It designs, manufactures, installs and services ingredient automation systems for customers worldwide.

For more information, visit www.shickesteve.com/fr.

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Data accessing is streamlined The ERP will feed SCADA production orders (including order numbers), and the SCADA will prepare the production plan.

Once the batch is produced, the SCADA updates the ERP: it will then upload recipes, production orders, as well as traceability, and ingredient information into the ERP. It should be noted that the SCADA will share real data from production (for example, if the recipe for a certain batch called for 200kg of flour, it will accurately report that 201kg were used if this is what actually happened). In addition to the recipe details, the ERP will add information for each batch the number, names, production lines, and delivery information.

This communication between the two systems cross-referencing programmed data with real data begins from the moment flour arrives into the silo: the SCADA will measure and report to the ERP if the 20t of flour programmed to fill a silo were in fact 21.5t, for example. This is valuable information for inventory management, which is why the ERP should always be updated with real data regarding production.

Managing dosing errors If dosing is fully automated, there are no mistakes regarding accuracy; the system is able to control its own operations to the extent that it will stop dosing if there is no incoming material in the buffer for the scale, for example – and an alarm will alert operators. The process is monitored at each step, to ensure the precise quantity of each ingredient in the

© Shick Esteve

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SILOS AND DOSING

TECHNOLOGY MEETS BAKER‘S CRAFT. © Shick Esteve

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recipe has left its silo and automated scale and has also arrived at the dosing station in the production area. This combination virtually eliminates mistakes. Common errors are human-made, so the PLC tracks all events that occur during operation, for each of the system users. For manual feeding, predefined tolerances will allow processes to be performed and the sequence of ingredients to be dosed; if these values are exceeded, the system will not proceed to the next step, as a fail-safe measure. Moreover, if the wrong ingredient reaches the scale, it is set to not show any values and subsequently interrupt the process.

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Gathering, analyzing and storing data drive traceability Shick Esteve’s Clarity Process Management stores the manufacturer’s PID (control mechanism that automatically applies an accurate and responsive correction to a control function, eds.) with all the physical ingredients in production. The level of ingredients available in silos or bags is monitored; every time a bag is changed, the system is also informed about the lot number of the newly added ingredient, either by inputting such data manually or with the help of a bar code reader. In this way, all production data where a certain ingredient was used becomes available, the quantities received and used, the specific type of ingredient, including that ingredient’s delivery information (actual weight, truck plate numbers, driver’s name, etc.).

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“We always compare what we are using on the line and what remains in the silo, to make sure that flour isn’t lost somewhere. If weight variations are detected, compared to what the container should have, this indicates a potential leakage (which should be looked into), for example,”

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© Shick Esteve

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Weissgerber explains. There are different ways to detecting a flour leakage. Shick Esteve recommends monitoring the vacuum/pressure curve of the pneumatic transfer in the traceability system in real-time; if there is a drop, respectively a loss of vacuum or pressure, the operator should inspect the line for the cause, which can be a door that was opened for maintenance and not closed correctly, or a broken gasket allowing flour to escape. To monitor the process accuracy, capability is used. This is “a set of indicators that verify whether the measurement results for all produced parts are within the specified tolerances,” the specialist from Shick Esteve adds. This concept is an estimate of the risk of nonconformity of a characteristic of the product. The measurement unit Σ shows the accuracy of the weighing cells. Values under +/- 3Σ for this measurement are within variations of actual ingredient compared to values defined in the recipe that would not prompt reasons for alarm; values higher than that mean the system should be checked. Industry statistics show that 68% of the dosing falls into +/-1Σ variations; 95% are in +/-2Σ, 99.7% are within +/-3Σ; Shick Esteve’s systems calculate this curve to ensure minimum deviations occur, according to these statistics. For example, on a dosing station of 200kg, the weighing cells have an accuracy of 200g, the specialist illustrates.

Accuracy in dosing From an automation standpoint, the physical state of the ingredient (solid, powder, liquid) does not bring any challenges to the dosing process. The PLC does not consider this aspect, but only the parameters that will correctly describe the flowing characteristics of the specific ingredients the manufacturer is using. Ensuring accuracy in the dosing process relies on the correct assessment of this trait instead. Shick Esteve manufactures dosing screws dedicated to each ingredient, with unique profiles and shapes to match materials with very different flowing behavior, such as flour and sugar, for example.

To optimize accuracy, as soon as the quantity for dosing is in the screw at the desired material density, a valve closes the infeed; at the end, the pitch of the screw is extended to guarantee the density will be a stable 0.6 and increase accuracy, respectively. The company can provide specialized screws in

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around 25 different lengths and diameters; plus, Shick Esteve can recommend the best fit for each ingredient from over 100 possible combinations of pitch configurations that it has developed.

Generally, the variations between types of flour are minor, by extension, each type of solid ingredient will behave similarly.

For liquids, anything from water, oils, sweeteners, cream yeast, chocolate, etc., Shick Esteve’s portfolio includes dedicated systems and bulk tanks or intermediate bulk container (IBC) storage solutions, indoor or outdoor installations.

Pumps and flow meters are chosen according to the type of liquid, and a buffer ensures that the pump never works dry and allows the operator time to change the IBC. The size of the buffer is directly proportional to the time it allows. “For example, if the IBC is empty, if we use a 20l buffer tank, the customer will have 20 minutes to change the IBC,” illustrates Weissgerber. Choosing the right size for the buffer depends on the workflow and on the overall organization. To combine different pieces of standard equipment for the optimum line-up, the company requests liquid samples and analyzes them (this process is similar for solids, too).

To the future To manage all these operations, software will be key, not just in itself, but also in the way it will work. “The kind of data exchanged has remained mostly the same over the past 10 years, but the way in which we are going to support this data will be different,” the specialist highlights. In the coming years, all data, which is now stored via the software in a network on a local server, will be transferred to the cloud.

The software will also be located on a web server and will collect the data from the sea of information stored in the cloud, following general software trends towards transferring computational power online so that I would not be needed in local devices. This will also be beneficial in terms of maintenance, anticipates Weissgerber. An access interface will be the only necessary tool to connect to these data capabilities – physically, this will mean any device, even a mobile phone, located anywhere in the world. +++

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+

Steel supports sustainability Sustainability efforts comprise numerous aspects, with opportunities for improvements big and small in many nooks and especially crannies, which all add up. Steel belts for baking ovens are able to provide some of the most visible efficiency results in this regard. Berndorf Band Group and IPCO

Baking ovens can account for as much as 45% of a bakery’s overall energy consumption; of this, as much of 25% is used to heat the conveyor belt, which is why maximum efficiency is not only recommended but necessary, as it can have a major impact on overall energy costs.

Moreover, “Solid steel belts are inherently lighter than mesh belts – perforated belts even more so – and this translates into significant advantages in terms of energy efficiency,” Marko Leber (Global Product manager, Food – IPCO) highlighted this for us, pointing out two main reasons: a lighter belt means less steel to reheat with up to 30% less energy required. Lower weight also means less power is needed to ‘drive’ the belt through the oven.

Energy efficiency is becoming increasingly important for the industry. “The new oven technologies coupled with our highquality steel belts enable such efficient energy recovery,” explains Thorleif Brokke, director sales, Berndorf Band Group.

To maximize efficiency, the Austrian company recommends periodic inspections of the steel belt and belt system to keep everything clean and replacing parts that wear such as scrapers, brushes, supporting elements, etc. “Furthermore, preventive cleaning is always advisable, to avoid heavy pollution of the belt and to save costs and time,” Brokke suggests.

show how that’s done.

And that’s not all; as a conveying medium that’s completely flat and smooth, a steel belt has the major advantage of having no gaps, recesses, or crevices in which carbon deposits could collect. This makes them inherently quicker and easier to clean than mesh belts. “As well as minimizing the risk of harmful acrylamide build-up, the ‘cleanability’ of a flat belt means less water consumption, reduced use of chemicals/detergents, and – depending on the cleaning method – less energy expended on heat,” Leber explains.

Time is money Berndorf Band Group are also noticing a trend among baking oven manufacturers towards wider and longer baking ovens, for high-capacity production. Besides, “The ovens are manufactured to facilitate maintenance of the internal parts of the machine. This also has a positive influence on the lifespan of our steel belts, as these modifications also facilitate the maintenance of the steel belts,” adds the specialist from Berndorf Band Group.

Steel-grade oven belts are guaranteed to preserve their properties over years of operation; the special heat treatment process to which the steel belt is subjected gives it optimum tensile strength and perfect surface quality. Brokke says: “The premium-quality belts of Berndorf Band Group retain their flatness and shape even with fluctuating operating temperatures and a high number of load cycles.” Heat must be evenly distributed across the entire width of the belt; in addition, even belt allocation ensures a smooth production process. “As a result, the belt does not change its properties

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© IPCO

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for a unique combination of properties that include a hard, smooth surface for easy cleaning, very good fatigue strength for long term reliability and very good thermal properties too, which equates to efficient baking.” The result is a conveying medium with good tensioning and tracking characteristics and excellent resistance to stretching; this means that a belt life of 20 or more years is not unusual.

© Berndorf Band Group

Steel belts have a higher initial investment cost compared with mesh belts, but their longevity and lower maintenance requirements make their total life cost worthwhile. “And a long working life – maybe four to five times longer than that of a mesh belt – is obviously the right choice from an environmental point of view too,” emphasizes IPCO’s specialist.

Berndorf Band Group steel belts The CARBO steel belt is the company’s core product as it can withstand the high loads of mechanical and thermal stress that typically occur during the production of baked goods. CARBO 13 has an excellent temperature conductibility, and operating temperatures of up to 400°C/750°F during the baking process. Berndorf steel belts for the baking industry are available in widths from 800mm to 1,500mm. Other dimensions are manufactured upon customer request. The company also supplies components such as belt tracking systems, graphite bars and skid bars, as well as guiding and supporting sheaves.

due to different temperature stresses on each side,” Berndorf ’s specialist summarizes. The company’s CARBO 13 steel belts are built to withstand temperatures of up to 400°C/750°F, making them suitable for every baking process of the industry.

On the other hand, durability is one of the most important qualities of the steel belt. “The steel itself is selected for its strength and wear resistance, and our manufacturing processes are designed to optimize long-term performance. […]

It would not be overstating things to say that it is virtually unheard of for a steel bake oven belt to reach ‘end of life’ due to fatigue stress,” adds Leber. IPCO manufactures solid and perforated steel bake oven belts in a steel grade known as IPCO 1100C, “A hardened, tempered carbon steel selected

Maintenance is also key to the life span of a steel belt. One of the most important aspects of belt maintenance is the application of an appropriate lubricant. This minimizes friction, reduces wear on skid bars, prevents belt distortion and ultimately leads to longer belt life. Another benefit is that it helps to maintain a regular belt color for a more even bake. “We strongly recommend installing graphite skid bars. These deliver a gradual deposit of graphite to the inside of the belt, reducing friction and helping to eliminate the risk of rust caused by condensation,” IPCO also recommends.

Hot and cold Steel bake oven belts maintain their properties over years of operation through thermal stresses of constant cooling and re-heating to temperatures as high as 400°C. Issues anywhere in the system can have an impact on how straight and flat the belt is. “For instance, wavy belt edges can be a sign of uneven temperature in the oven, or an indication of side wandering caused by dirty, worn, or ill-adjusted drums, idlers, skid bars or break points. Edge burrs are a sign of the belt coming into contact with the structure of the conveyor, a clear sign that something in the system is not operating as it should,” explains Leber (IPCO). In case the steel belt does suffer damage, it can usually be repaired fairly easily, extending its working life and adding to its credentials in terms of sustainability. If there is a problem with the belt edge and the root cause is identified and rectified, the belt can be trimmed if necessary and then filed to a round finish. If there’s a crack at the belt edge, a crescent-shaped piece can be cut out and the edges filed so that they are round. If the crack is within the belt, small holes can be drilled at each end of the crack to prevent it from spreading. And if more serious damage occurs, the damaged area can be cut out completely and a new piece spliced in.

To extend the lifespan of the steel belt, tracking problems should be consistently monitored and corrected as soon as possible. Belt tracking systems from the Berndorf Band Group are therefore recommended from the start of the implementation of the steel belt. “After the machine has been

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given a thorough inspection by one of our experts, we will compose the most suitable system and install it within a few weeks. Our experts can also advise customers on their existing systems,” Brokke (Berndorf Band Group) details.

IPCO steel belts IPCO can produce solid and perforated steel bake oven belts to virtually any length and in widths from 800mm to 3,500mm. The company has a global sales

Good practices: maintenance and cleaning Steel belts in the baking industry theoretically do have an infinite lifetime; but, this is seldom achieved since some important points are routinely overlooked. “First and foremost, regular maintenance in connection with wellworking tensioning and tracking systems or belt cleaning systems is essential. Also, factors such as belt deflection, the summary of stresses, mechanical wear caused by belt touching elements, corrosion and the process itself must be taken into account for the limitation of the belt’s lifespan,” Brokke prioritizes.

and service operation with offices in more than 30 countries. This local presence is supported by a global engineering team, enabling IPCO to provide oven builders and end-users with technical advice, system solutions based on a comprehensive range of conveyor components, and a responsive repair/maintenance support service designed to maximize oven uptime.

During inspection, it is crucial to monitor the belt surface (inside and out), belt edges, flatness (checking for dents, distortion lines, waves, etc.), belt touching components and cross curvature regularly, to detect any damage and repair it before it develops further. Damage on the belts indicates issues with the machine, the tracking, the temperature distribution, or the maintenance, which should be identified and eliminated to avoid further problems, in Berndorf ’s experience. The most common damage arises at the belt edges. Such sharp edges can be repaired with a simple re-rounding of the damaged belt edges before a more serious problem occurs, such as cracks.

The company also recommends cleaning the endless belt and the drums with scrapers, to prevent debris, product, or dirt from getting between the belt and the drums, which would cause belt damage. The inner side of the belt is normally cleaned with a plough and the product side with rotating brushes. To prevent the brushes from influencing the belt tracking, counter rollers must be attached to the brushes.

Alkaline cleaning agents are recommended for further cleaning of the belt to remove product and dirt. Cleaning, in turn, can impact the environment; the priority toward eco-mindfulness is prevalent nowadays and the use of aggressive cleaning agents is an issue in the baking industry, Berndorf observes. Solid steel belts such as those supplied by Berndorf Band Group are much easier to clean than wire mesh belts, for example, meaning that fewer cleaning agents are required. This has a positive effect on the environment.

Brokke emphasizes: “In order to keep the belt in good shape, preventive maintenance of the machine and steel belt is essential. For this reason, we recommend checking the belt surface regularly, to avoid damages of the belt edges and to keep the machine and the belt clean.” Planned inspections of all belt touching parts are also necessary, to avoid the wear of the steel belt, and ultimately to extend its life. +++

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© IPCO

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NEWS

Lidl Ireland announces EUR10m deal with Manning’s Bakery

Puratos launches global food-tech venture

George Weston Ltd. to sell Weston Foods

“Weston Foods has been at the core of our company for 139 years. It has a strong foundation, attractive and growing margins, a robust list of customers, strong brands, and a first-rate management team,” said Galen G. Weston, chairman and chief executive officer. “As George Weston focuses its attention on Loblaw and Choice Properties, we are confident this is the right time to unlock the strategic growth potential that exists within Weston Foods through its sale.”

Weston Foods serves retail and foodservice customers with packaged fresh bread and rolls as well as frozen and artisan bread and rolls, cakes, donuts, pies, cookies, crackers, wafers and alternatives throughout Canada and the U.S. +++

Lidl Ireland announced it closed a EUR10m deal with Dublinbased Manning’s Bakery, to bring artisan baked goods onto its shelves in Ireland and over 800 Lidl stores in Europe, Irish retail news outlet Checkout reports.

Before this deal, the Manning’s family business had been supplying the retailer since 2011 with customer favorites such as traditional Irish soda bread. The bakery now delivers to 13 of Lidl’s regional distribution centers five days a week across Ireland, Northern Ireland and Great Britain.

Manning’s was one of the first suppliers to bring products to Lidl’s fresh bakery shelves when the feature was first added to stores. The business was able to develop an additional new state-of-the-art 5,000sqm production facility in recent years, thanks to the success it enjoyed in Lidl’s bakery aisle.

Of the bakery’s 250 employees, 35 are exclusively dedicated to developing and producing products for Lidl and Manning’s has also invested in purpose-built equipment to produce the retailer’s best-selling baked goods. +++

George Weston Ltd. launches a process to sell Weston Foods, as it plans to focus on its retail and real estate businesses.

Despite its position as a leading North American bakery, Weston Foods remains a small part of GWL's overall value.

“In the absence of attractive opportunities to increase its relative scale within the company, the Board believes that a sale represents the best opportunity to unlock its growth potential,” according to the announcement issued on March 23. The company plans a smooth transition as Weston Foods continues to support its customers and workforce. Weston Foods had sales of CAD2.1 billion in 2020.

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Puratos launched Sparkalis, a new venture that will support innovation in the food technology sector, on March 11. It intends to support projects related to groundbreaking products, services and ingredients, and to drive collaboration with start-ups and SMEs. A global network of almost 100 experts is ready to assess projects and mentor promising start-ups.

Sparkalis will be a start-up incubator and will also provide direct investments. “Its flexible approach means it can offer scalable support to accelerate business growth for food tech innovators. Even start-ups with the most exciting new innovations often lack support in the ‘seed’ or ‘pre-seed’ phase to turn their ideas into scalable products. As hinted by its name, Sparkalis will be the spark that gives a great innovation its own wings so it can go from the chrysalis stage to flying on its own,” Puratos detailed. Through these collaborations, Sparkalis will focus on making baked goods healthier and more sustainable. Investments will include projects on plantbased products, fermentation and digitalization. The venture will also support manufacturing ideas. +++

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S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y

Plastic versus paper: life cycle analysis Recycling has a significant role to play in our environmental efforts, but it isn’t always the best way

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to prevent or alleviate major environmental concerns.

Is recycling truly the primary solution to our waste reduction needs, as many people expect? Let’s start with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the federal agency responsible for the concept of The 3 Rs: ‘reduce, reuse, recycle.' According to the EPA, the more technical name for ‘The 3Rs’ is the non-hazardous materials and waste management hierarchy, developed ‘in recognition that no single waste management approach is suitable for managing all materials and waste streams in all circumstances.’

In bakery, properly closing a package reduces stale product and ultimately wasted food. Kwik Lok also highlights providing tamper-evident re-closeable packaging allows the consumer to have confidence in their bakery item as well as the ability to re-close the product. “Both decrease food waste, which is responsible for as much as 12% of greenhouse gas emissions,” Cardey underlines.

Recycling requires energy usage to collect, store, sort, + process, and remanufacture products and packages. This is a key reason that home recycling programs are most successful in areas of high population density: the energy cost of driving recycling trucks among to houses that are not in close proximity in rural areas offsets the value of the materials being collected.

+ The consumption of products continues to grow, regardless of recycling activities. It’s generally recognized that at least 90% of the environmental impact created by consumer goods is caused by products, and only 10% by their packaging. Thus, reducing consumption – a form of source reduction – has far greater benefit in the reduction of material, energy and water use, along with generation of greenhouse gases and other pollutants.

The same principle applies for bakeries when it comes to the 3 Rs. “An example might be the reuse of heat from ovens to heat the rest of the bakery; or equipment that automatically shuts off when the line is not in use which saves electricity costs,” Ron Cardey, Sr VP of Customer Engagement, KwikLok, illustrates.

The hierarchy ranks the various waste management strategies from most to least environmentally preferred. It emphasizes reducing, reusing and recycling, in that order, as the key to minimizing waste and maximizing sustainability.

Waste Management Hierarchy st Mo P re

Manufacturers, bakeries included, can lower their greenhouse gas emissions by adhering to strong food waste reduction programs, Kwik Lok observes.

Source Reduction & Reuse

fe r re d

Recycling/Composting

Energy Recovery

Treatment & Disposal

as

Le tP re f err ed

Recycling is in the second tier of preferred solutions, just below reducing and reusing. There are three strong reasons for this: + Source reduction, which is the minimization of material and energy usage, is always the smartest thing to do, since it generates more value with less resource use. Put simply, it’s better to not create waste than to figure out what to do with it.

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Source: EPA – Environmental Protection Agency (U.S.)

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Thus, for all its benefits, recycling by itself cannot, and was never intended to prevent or remediate major environmental concerns such as climate change, habitat destruction and loss of biodiversity. Its primary roles are the reduction of solid waste sent to landfills and minimizing the use of virgin resources.

New packaging materials can help: “Material science is a very big focus right now. Creating new materials with lower greenhouse gas emissions and that are responsibly sourced is something we are working to further develop,” Cardey details; responsible-sourced, bio-based materials are under development. Another area of importance in the manufacturing of baked goods is in-line automation, which can save energy and create lower emissions.

Recycling and climate change Of the major environmental concerns, climate change is generally considered as needing the greatest global emphasis.

Both the G7 in its latest Leadership Recommendations, and The World Economic Forum recognize it as our most pressing environmental challenge.

S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y

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© AB Visual Arts – stock.adobe.com

For a product to be recycled, there must be value to support the cost of recycling.

At KwikLok, we understand and support the concept of circularity.

Ron Cardey, Sr VP of Customer Engagement, Kwik Lok

These and most other scientifically aware governmental, nonprofit, and business organizations recognize that the most effective way to mitigate climate change is by reducing greenhouse gas generation, primarily carbon dioxide (CO2).

Reducing our ‘carbon footprint’ is thus considered to be the most important strategy in the fight to mitigate global climate change. Programs such as the Energy Star program in the U.S. are helpful to businesses of all types in developing a plan to address carbon emissions. Are recycled or recyclable products more likely to reduce greenhouse gas generation, and therefore do a better job of remediating climate change than their non-recycled counterparts? Let’s look at the following example.

Plastic closures versus cardboard closures What happens when we compare different materials that are used to make the same product? We decided to examine the greenhouse gases generated by the humble bread bag closure, made by a company called Kwik Lok. I recently analyzed the company’s new product called Eco-Lok, which is made from both traditional plastic and a plastic made from natural and renewable ingredients that include starch and glycerine.

The little Kwik Lok closure you see on bread and produce bags is made from polystyrene (PS), a cost-effective, fossil fuel-based plastic that is not readily recycled. (According to the EPA, PS represents less than 4% of plastic packaging

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Comparison of CO2 Equivalents

J-NRP Loks

1

150 million

150 million

closure

closure

closure

0.33 g

49,500 kg

54.56 short tons

1.11 MTCO2E

0.30 g

46,500 kg

21.26 short tons

1.11 MTCO2E

PS Plastic Cardboard Loks Corrugated Containers

waste. This relatively low volume, and the material’s low economic value, make it generally uneconomical to be mechanically recycled.) Why is PS not recycled? “That’s because a secondary market for it has not yet been created.

For a product to be recycled, there must be value to support the cost of recycling. At Kwik Lok, we understand and support the concept of circularity,” according to Cardey.

The company makes a similar product out of cardboard that contains recycled material. (And, while it is also technically recyclable, we doubt that many of them are recycled, given their small size and lack of recycling notification). This cardboard closure is also made from renewable resources such as wood or fiber.

Which is more sustainable from the key perspective of greenhouse gas generation? The data below comes from the EPA’s WARM (Waste Reduction Model) calculator.

As you can see, the plastic closures weigh a bit more than the cardboard ones (6.5% to be reasonably exact). But they produce 92% less greenhouse gas emissions! What’s more, this is true even though the plastic closures contain no recycled content, while the cardboard ones do contain recycled material, generally up to around 25-35%.

Discussion How can the plastic versions weigh more than cardboard closures, be made solely from virgin material, be produced from non-renewable resources, and still generate over 90% fewer greenhouse gas emissions? The answer is quite simple: It takes much less energy to produce closures from polystyrene than from cardboard, and greenhouse gas generation is a byproduct of energy use.

Is it possible to improve cardboard closures production so it can be a viable choice? It depends on the objective, says Kwik Lok: “In our work, we have learned that fiber or paperbased solutions have a much higher carbon footprint. In addition, these solutions do not meet the needs of a wet or freezing environment.”

It’s also important to note that different plastics have different energy profiles. The PS used in closures is a much simpler and more efficient polymer to produce than the PET used

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Emissions

Useful resources

+ An Introduction to Life-Cycle Assessment for Packaging (Packaging Digest, Dec. 8, 2020)

+ Cradle-to-Resin Life Cycle Analysis of PET Resin, (NAPCOR, March 2020)

+ Use Less Stuff: Environmental Solutions for Who We Really Are (Robert Lilienfeld and William Rathje, Fawcett Books/Ballantine, 1998)

in beverage bottles. (See Journal of Cleaner Production, Volume 17, Issue 13, September 2009, pages 1183-1194.)

Differences in energy efficiency can significantly change the environmental footprint of the packaging in which various materials are used.

In fact, the production efficiency and the strength of plastics versus other materials are the key reasons why plastics began replacing other materials in the 1950s and 60s. The key metric is called the strength to weight ratio, and it measures how much weight a material can support in various forms – sheets, films, etc. As an analogy, plastics are the ants of the packaging world – light but extremely strong, with the ability to support far more mass than they themselves weigh.

While recycling/recyclability and use of renewable resources are important strategies in the effort to reduce the carbon footprint of packaging, the most effective strategy is to use the material that generates the least amount of carbon dioxide during its lifecycle of harvesting (or extraction), production, use, diversion and disposal. Depending on where, when and how energy is used, that material can be virgin, recycled, or some combination of both. The science of life cycle analysis is the clearest way to make this determination. +++

About the author Robert Lilienfeld has been involved in sustainable packaging for 25 years, working as a marketing consultant, editor, writer and communications expert.

He is a regular contributor to a number of packaging and environmental magazines and journals.

Source: EPA’s WARM Calculator

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NEWS

© Nestlé

Amcor creates plastic food wrapper with recycled materials

Amcor has developed Australia’s first soft plastic food wrapper made with recycled content in collaboration with Nestlé, CurbCycle, iQ Renew, Licella, Viva Energy Australia, LyondellBasell, REDcycle, and Taghleef Industries. This group of companies worked together to collect and process soft plastic waste, turn it back into oil using advanced recycling technology to create the prototype KitKat wrapper.

Soft plastics make a strong consumer-friendly packaging solution with great barrier properties and are lightweight and cost-efficient, Amcor explains. Sandra Martinez, CEO of Nestlé Australia, said in a press announcement, “Between us, we have shown there's a pathway to solve the soft plastics problem. Manufacturers like Nestlé will have a key role in driving demand for food-grade recycled soft plastic packaging and creating market conditions that will ensure all stakeholders throughout the value chain view soft plastics as a resource and not waste”. +++

THE Peelboard Suitable for all industrial baking lines.

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Excellent non-stick effect

1

Perfectly hygienic Stable & durable

© Middleby

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Middleby opens Innovation Kitchens

bakeware & coating ADVERTISEMENT

The Middleby Corporation announced the opening of its Middleby Innovation Kitchens (the MIK) in the Dallas area in February. It comprises a 40,000sqft facility featuring 15 live cooking vignettes, advanced technology displays, on-site chefs, and dining amenities.

More than 150 pieces of equipment are installed at the MIK to showcase the latest cooking, beverage, automation, and IoT innovations from Middleby.

Visitors can participate in demonstrations on the latest in commercial kitchen solutions. Guests will experience cooking innovations in 15 specialized vignettes including pizza, bakery, combi, steam and automation, among others.

Training sessions can also be scheduled for Open Kitchen, the Middleby IoT platform, and for all Middleby products. +++

Kempf GmbH | Carl-Benz-Straße 3 | 85296 Rohrbach ++49 8442/9669-0 | www.kempfgmbh.de

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SILOS & DOSING

The solution is time KAAK has recently added the expertise of Silowacht to its ‘silo to truck’ solution portfolio, expanding its product range with silo construction and ingredient dosing. These processes add to the existing expertise of the Dutch group and complete its range in the

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essential processes leading up to mixing.

KAAK’s recent acquisition of Silowacht, a specialist with more than 30 years of experience and an annual turnover in excess of EUR7m, falls in line with the company’s vertical integration strategy, with the motto ‘from silo to truck’. Silowacht, with its production facility located in Zwolle, the Netherlands, specializes in processes complementary to those covered in KAAK’s Terborg headquarters. The companies can now respond to the current trend towards longer bowl rest, with solutions for proofing and accurate dosing. 35 staff are employed at Silowacht and the day-to-day operations remain under the management of Jules Plevier. As KAAK was welcoming their new colleagues to the Group in March, Aart-Jan Hartman, chief commercial officer, KAAK, and Jules Plevier, the managing director of Silowacht, granted us an interview to share the details about their combined expertise and how they are planning to work together going forward.

KAAK’s ‘silo to truck’ promise, simple as it may sound, implies many aspects in which the company can be of service throughout the processing chain. This is why the companies that have joined the group specialize in various segments of bakery manufacturing, from the start, with silo construction, through distribution to mixers, proofing, baking, cooling/ freezing, and even packaging and crate handling – to the truck. “KAAK is aiming to provide solutions ranging from full lines and even the architecture of the entire bakery, complete solutions. This is how the KAAK Group has been developing for the past 20-30 years with automation,

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Silowacht

+ Founded 32 years ago + 35 employees + Located in Zwolle, the Netherlands + Provides silo service and maintenance, solutions for dosing solids, liquids and micro-ingredients

+ As a part of the KAAK Group, with all disciplines in-house, from engineering to turnkey delivery

including automation, the focus for the coming years will be on the complete process, from ‘silo to truck’.

following the directions set since our launch, 175 years ago,” KAAK’s CCO shared.

‘From silo to mixer’ Silowacht company expands KAAK’s expertise in the silo-tomixer segment; a big shift over the past few years in the growing importance of the technology before the proofer meant the timing for the new addition was just right, we learn. There are many drivers of this trend, including eco-concerns, traceability, and product reformulations to remove artificial ingredients, Hartman underlines. “The result of all these dynamics is that we need more time; it is nature’s best ally and always the best solution to everything, bread-making included,” he explains what he sees as a key ingredient in baking that indicates a natural process. The

SILOS & DOSING

Strength in individuals Workflow integration is already underway as the group has begun developing projects together as an entity. KAAK’s CCO reveals it will change the way they work: “The Group’s strength is that we have very strong individual companies and a very strong chain of companies bringing all their technologies together, as well as their engineering capabilities.” Next is a steep learning process; for example, it is very important to connect the software structure and have solutions speaking the same language. “This will definitely be the topic for the coming months, to bring together Silowacht’s sophisticated control system with KAAK’s software,” anticipates Hartman.

Silowacht’s complex control system has been developed to meet all the challenges in precision, timing, and diverse ingredients with different requirements. “The system is able to start the whole process in the morning or for 24/7 operations and to fully automate it around the dough-making process. The next step we can control concerns the proofer, the checkweigher and so on, because bakeries will often have separate process installations with their own controlling system. Instead, what we want to do is control the whole process, from the beginning. For this, integration and automation will be key, to fully control the entire process and deliver the right statistics to the facility’s management so that they can take the necessary actions. These steps will be crucial in the coming years to build the bakery of the future,” stresses Plevier.

Reformulations for anything from salt or sugar reduction, to any ‘better-for-you’ trends mean challenges for the operations ahead of mixing. Processes in these stages are very dynamic, and to be able to manage removing certain ingredients

© K AAK Group © K AAK Group

© K AAK Group

KAAK Group specializes in equipment that supports these trends: they played a part in the development of its sheeting lines that enable gentle handing of the dough. It has also completed several projects on the final proofing technology, with proofing times as long as 15 hours (this trend can already be seen in Spain, France, and generally in Southern Europe, for example). This is where the challenges start, since manufacturing efficiency requires faster processes.

The balance of finding the right time is in the technology.

“Time means volume, and it’s upfront in the process – that’s where Silowacht’s silo-to-mixer technology comes into play.

We needed to strengthen our qualities in dough processing and handling within the KAAK Group; a combination of dosing precision, speed, internal/external fermentation, pre-processing materials up to the finalization of the dough,” adds Hartman. The eco trend makes processes upstream of mixing more and more complex as additional ingredients come into play, liquids next to solids. “The answer is in automation and that is where we combine our strengths now for this part of the process, from ingredient bulk storage to dough,” also explains Silowacht’s Plevier.

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entails adding some new ones to make up for it. “This is why we always have a structural relationship with the customer, who often changes recipes and parts of the process to meet customer requirements. Solutions are found case by case, from adding a new silo to optimizing the installation, adjusting the automation, Silowacht observes.

The silo and dosing specialist is now focusing on managing micro-dosing ingredients, which can vary greatly, especially in facilities running numerous types of products on their lines. “Most of the time, this is still done manually, which is why we are working on micro-dosing installations, to automate this part as well and dose it from small silos directly,” Plevier details.

Major aspects on focus of the R&D with the combined strengths of the group will be in precision, traceability and storage – for the specific product, its recipe and requirements, whether it is a French baguette or Spanish bread.

“We have been focusing on technology improvements over the last 10 years, and from now we should change our perspective to the final products, and measure the quality of the dough to further improve the bread, for example,” highlights Plevier. This is how the KAAK Group combines its strengths with those that Silowacht brings onboard.

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© GEIER. DIE BÄCKEREI

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New building for the Geier bakery

“We pulled it off ” July 2020, in the midst of the pandemic, the Geier bakery moves into its newly-built production in Strasshof, located about 10km east of the Austrian capital Vienna. Everything is right on schedule.

The technology is state-of-the-art, and the focus on manual labor remains the same.

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©

You can guess how much organizational talent and emphasizes Gerald Geier. The bakery roasts seeds in its own enthusiasm must have gone into the move under roaster-cooker. In general, the bakery attaches great imporpandemic conditions. “We pulled it off,” says tance to its cooking and pre-doughs for whole-grain Gerald Geier, who runs the company together breads as well as grain and wheat baked goods. with his wife Erika Geier-Tschernig. Eleven To allow the sponge doughs to rest undismonths were spent building, one month turbed, a 20m2 climate-controlled room was installed in the new building. Space is was scheduled to test and optimize operalso needed for dough that requires longations, and another month served as a time proofing. Geier works with fermenbuffer. The family-owned bakery took tation times of up to 14 or 18 hours, with the planning for the new building largely flat temperature curves up to 18°C. into their own hands, supported by the The company owner suggests that the new regional planning office.

E BÄ CK building is currently the most modern A short-lived stop occurred during the first ER EI artisan bakery in Austria. The focus is on lockdown in March, when the installation The company owners: Gerald Geier handwork, which is crucial for quality. of the new machines and ovens was immiand Erika Geier-Tschernig “Our complete bread assortment is worked nent and the entry regulations to Austria up by hand, predominantly, as well as the bread rolls. We work were unclear. Reports Geier, “We worked largely with a with very soft doughs, which are difficult to be processed by German oven manufacturer and were able to solve the machines.’ problem through special permits.”

The main reason for investing in new technology was to reduce heavy physical work for the 64 employees in production.

More space for dough handling 2 Therefore, fully automatic tilting lifters and oven loaders Spread over 4,500m , the new bakery offers significantly more space than the old one. “We put a lot of effort into the were added. Rather unusual for a craft business is the use of run-up to dough production and in dough proofing,” the new RFID* bowl recognition system with WINBACK. GE

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R.

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* Radio-Frequency Identification

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PRODUCTION

The new production and administrative headquarters

Construction time: about 1 year

weighing of 15 small components and two medium

Land area: 15,000m

components from Tassold, four Diosna spiral mixers,

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Operational area: 4,500m2 for the bakery (including con-

KÖNIG roll line Combiline, KÖNIG compact line for Kaiser

fectionery area, separate snack kitchen, and ice cream

rolls, Fritsch CTR system (for croissants and wrapped

department), administration, and training rooms.

pastries), Fritsch pastry make up line EASYLINE, KEMPER

Investment: double-digit million amount, 50% from own

weigher, Rheon dough divider, MIWE cooling and proofing

funds

technology (total 460m²), five KÖNIG rack ovens, two MIWE

Investments included: new silos, small component weighing,

rack ovens, three MIWE deck ovens with loading system

grain mill, fermentation and cooling technology, baking

Athlet, Aston Food vacuum chamber, Durrer vacuum

ovens including fully automatic charging as well as pho-

chamber, Döinghaus ultrasonic cutting machine, PC Data

tovoltaics and heat recovery.

distribution system.

Technical equipment: Treffler meal and whole grain mill, Tassold silos (seven cells, total capacity 50t), automatic

© GEIER. DIE BÄCKEREI

The organic range

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PRODUCTION

In this concept, each batch of dough is assigned to a kettle.

For the kneading process, the employees push the bowl to the mixer. The mixer recognizes the bowl and thus the dough via RFID and calls up the appropriate program and the desired dough temperature from the IT system. Finally, the water is added directly into the mixer. Once the kneading process is complete, the dough temperature is measured, transmitted to the IT system, and a dough run sheet is printed out to accompany the batch all the way to the oven. A large screen in the bakery clearly displays all processes for the employees. The screen shows when each dough has to be taken out of the dough rest and made ready for further processing. If a defined time window for the dough rest is not adhered to, the bowl tippers would not even lift the batch for the next work step. Gerald Geier: “This is how we achieve process reliability. If the start of the processing fits, the post-controlled processes are basically under control.”

No system change, no experiments All mixers are integrated into the concept. The bakery uses four identical spiral mixers, three of which were relocated from the old headquarters, with investment being made in a fourth. “For all our new plants, we relied on proven technology. We didn't want any system changes, no experiments.

Customers should not be surprised, but always get the product they expect from us.”

If the start of the processing fits, the post-controlled processes are basically under control.

CO2 refrigeration and proofing technology is now available, spanning 460m2, as well as two new rack ovens and three new deck ovens with an automatic loading system. The company uses a stone slab, fired with heating gas to bake rye pastries, as well as wheat pastries, such as French baguettes.

The existing vacuum chamber was joined by a second one, which the bakery uses intensively for Danish pastries and small baked goods (wheat and grain pastries), and in some cases for confectionery as well. “For sand and sponge cake masses, Gugelhupf or cake layers, for example, vacuum technology is very well suited. As soon as fruit fillings are involved, it gets tricky.”

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© GEIER. DIE BÄCKER EI

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Emphasis on sustainability At the Geier bakery, production takes place in 2.5 shifts from Monday to Friday, and in one shift Saturdays and Sundays. In addition to making work easier for employees and providing more space for dough maturing, there was another goal: more sustainability. “We support sustainability very intensively,” Gerald Geier underlines. In addition to the photovoltaic system on the roof, energy is recovered by a heat recovery system – the rack and deck ovens, as well as the refrigeration technology, are linked to it – and used for the crate washing system, underfloor heating and ventilation. Short transport distances are also in line with the sustainability concept. “We buy 80% of all raw materials regionally, within a radius of 50km. Our main raw material even comes from the immediate vicinity. Another point is avoiding food waste. The bakery cooperates with food banks, produces bread schnapps, bread beer, granola and bread chips.

Geier. The Bakery The pandemic situation and the lockdown phases in Austria have also hit the Geier Bakery hard. The company usually makes 85% of its sales through its own 30 stores – including 10 coffee houses – in and around Vienna. Another 15% comes from the delivery business with major customers.

Sales via the online portal hausbrot.at, which grew during the pandemic, also contribute a small share.

The regular range includes 15 breads, 20 bread rolls, 15 Danish pastries, 10 snacks and 18 types of cakes. 25% of the range comprises organic baked goods. In the sweet assortment category, the Plunder pastry plays the main role; in the bread line, it is the ‘Weinviertler Landbrot’ (a mixed rye bread: 80% rye, 20% wheat). The range of pastries varies according to location and season. Snacks are produced centrally in the snack kitchen, with ingredients from the region. The bakery pays attention to variety and seasonality in the assortment.

This is because the Geier Bakery wants to appeal to as many different customer groups as possible. “We are broadly positioned,” says the head of the Austrian company, “As well as in our pricing policy.” +++

SLICING & BAGGING

Making the cut The next best thing since sliced bread might just be the technology behind consistency for all types of bread and versatile bagging options for ever-changing requirements.

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The design and setup of a combined solution covering bread slicing and packaging are dictated by the characteristics of the product and their best fit in bagging choices. Bettendorf Stanford Inc. (BSI) examines the product texture, makeup, consistency, temperature at the time of slicing, and the bakery operation itself to determine the best slicer and bagger combination. When slicing loaf bread, BSI offers the choice between band slicers and reciprocating slicers, each coming with several types of infeeds based on the product, from those fed via an elevator and flight, topand bottom-belted systems, as well as side-belted systems.

Each infeed works best with its designated type of product, in combination with a band slicer or a reciprocating slicer; products can range from sweet breads, fruit breads, hardcrusted, dense rye breads, sourdough, artisan-style loaves, to pan breads, soft white/wheat breads, and even gluten-free breads. The main factor in selecting the type of blade and slicing technology for loaf breads is how sticky the loaf is: if it has a high sugar content like cinnamon raisin or is difficult to slice (like gluten-free bread), then a reciprocating slicer is the best way to go, BSI recommends. Band slicers are the best choice for standard types of bread such as white or wheat bread.

This manual operation allows for bakeries to put very different product sizes into the same size bags, Atkins explains, which saves money when purchasing one-size-fits-all bags in bulk.

“The problem with going from this human touch operation to a fully automatic line is that a machine only does what it is set up/programmed to do, within its normal operating range.

This means that customers will need to watch that their product does not vary more than the machine's tolerances allow. They also will need to make sure to size bags according to each different product and the count size they want to run,” Justin Atkins, director of sales at BSI, illustrates. To connect a bread slicer to automatic baggers, a flighted conveyor is typically used. This conveyor can be a one piece intermediate conveyor that acts as the slicers discharge and the baggers infeed to keep the foot print short, or you can have a flighted slicer discharge timed 1:1 to the bagger’s flighted infeed. Either option has the ability to automatically remove double loafs from a flight.

Challenges to meet in these processes also come from “Ensuring the stable operation of the line, including cutting high-quality bread slices, automatically placing the cut product in the bag, and securely closing the bag. Also, if slices of bread aren’t precisely of equal size, the product packaging is damaged or improperly closed, then the consumer’s perception will be negative,” Jūratė Žukauskaitė, area sales manager at Dovaina also shares.

Fresh off the R&D drawing board Lithuanian specialist Dovaina has announced its latest innovation in

© BSI

Stepping up to the challenge When slicing and packaging breads in high volumes, BSI observes two key challenges that arise with a manufacturer who upgrades from a semi-automatic to a fully automatic line: bag sizing and product consistency. As most production facilities start out with hand-fed slicing and manual bagging, there is a wide variation in product size and consistency.

© BSI

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© BSI

SLICING & BAGGING

automated slicing and packaging, at iba.CONNECTING EXPERTS, the virtual event held mid-March: the DPPL-55 MUI fully automatic line. It features double bag closing (sealing and clipping), an integrated metal detector and it can run different types of products. “All of these process steps are important to product safety and the customer’s first impression,” Žukauskaitė told us.

The DPPL line is designed for various types of bread slicing and packaging: it can support different shapes, sizes, slice thickness variations, and packaging in halves. Several bagging & closing options are available: hot sealing, clip band, twist band, or tape. The main benefit in such a specialized line is in productivity, the company highlights: the DPPL line’s productivity is 3,000-3,600 fully sliced and packed products per hour, meaning 50-60 pieces per minute. To do this, it only requires one passive operator for line control.

Bread loaves are fed into the slicer in two ways: manually or from spiral coolers. Upgrades the DPPL-55 MUI brings over its predecessors include the double closing of bags, hot sealing and clip band/twist band, and the integrated metal detector for quality inspection. With this line, operators can check all products with the metal detector and use clip bands (with metal wire) for bag closing.

“To have full productivity of an automatic line, there are a few important aspects to consider: equal product sizes and up to five different sizes within the same group of products.

For DPPL lines, the differences between nthe same group of products can be up to 15-20mm,” the specialist from Dovaina explains.

Automation goals For automated operations on a slicing and bagging line, recipe settings can be saved to help operators change from one product to the next. For bread, the slice thickness and loaf width are among the presets. Atkins explains: “The loaf

width changes the timing to match the loaf size and the automatic lattice adjuster will open or close the blades to the preset slice thickness in the saved recipe.”

For a consistent workflow, BSI uses accumulation conveyors with photo eyes for bread lines, to ‘tell’ the conveyor whether or not to change speed to maintain a steady flow of product.

BSI loaf bread systems can run up to 70 loaves per minute on Hybrid 65 baggers and BSI-75 slicers for standard breads.

BSI-55 baggers are suited for up to 55 loaves per minute of continuous running speeds. Atkins goes on to explain, “Gluten-free and those sticky, hard to slice breads end up running anywhere between 30 and 50 loaves per minute on our model RSC reciprocating slicer.” To improve efficiency, it should be noted that different products slice better at specific temperature ranges and work best with certain types of blades.

With various possible combinations of slicers, wrapping machines, and feeding systems, the right solution is a matter of matching and mixing, depending on the desired result in terms of product characteristics and shelf-life. +++ KOENIG Motiv4 NTS 91x53.qxd

12.02.2007

11:10 Uhr

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KOENIG BACKMITTEL GMBH & CO. KG • Postfach 1453 • D-59444 Werl Tel. 02922/9753-0 • Fax 02922/9753-99 E-Mail: info@koenig-backmittel.de • Internet: www.koenig-backmittel.de

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PRODUCTION

© Sugden Ltd

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Solid engineering Sugden Ltd is a leading designer and manufacturer of hotplate systems. Less than one month into the year, the UK-based company had made two major business announcements: the launch of a Mini Hotplate system for SMEs, and the acquisition of AMF’s VanderPol Waffle Systems, a fitting addition to its portfolio of Stroop waffle, Funcake, Belgian and Soft waffle production lines.

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©

Against a backdrop of preservation, a senSeptember 2019, just before the COVID-19 timent that defined business in 2020 measures took hold. By February 2020, two including bakeries, this UK-based company brand new lines had left the factory, for marched on. It settled into a new facility Germany and the UK. that greatly expanded its capabilities, developed and launched a new solution Thriving in survival mode with a smaller footprint, and added an A project was signed for three lines in entire range to its portfolio with the purAustralia in March 2020, in addition to chase of the waffle specialist. How did it other projects in the UK; four lines in td manage to do all of this, while navigating total were slated to be made in the new the same volatile 2020 as the entire indusfacility over the 12 months from the start try? Chris Baldwin, managing director, of the pandemic (down from the initial Chris Baldwin, managing director granted baking+biscuit international an six, potentially eight). “We can even Sugden Ltd interview, just as the news of the acquisisurvive with three-four lines a year; we tion was breaking, and shared the company’s strategy, and are lean enough to do that without losses. We are in a good what it plans going forward. position to manufacture higher volume (but that is not needed at the moment) and I think that is critical for any business.

The VanderPol deal had been two years in the making, we But we could do more,” he tells us. As a light at the end of the learned. Initially, Sugden was not in a position to make the tunnel was starting to flicker midway through the year, acquisition, as at the time it was still running operations the decision was taken to proceed with the VanderPol acquifrom the old factory – a smaller facility with room only for the sition as well. The timing may not have been ideal under the manufacturing of one or two lines at the most. At the same circumstances, “But it was a great opportunity that wouldn’t time, the new 35,000sqf facility was under construction, come around again,” Baldwin adds. The deal was closed in which would be home to the production of up to six lines December and it has proved to be to Sugden’s advantage to simultaneously. Sugden moved to the new factory in complete the company’s portfolio in this way, and potentially Su

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PRODUCTION

Sugden Ltd Founded in 1972, Sugden Ltd is based in Nelson, Lancashire, and employs 38 people. Its solutions, made exclusively in Britain, go to customers worldwide, from Europe through to Australia.

The company recently acquired the intellectual property of VanderPol Waffle Systems, meaning it can now manufacture, © Sugden Ltd

supply, and install a wide range of industry-leading Stroop waffle, Funcake, Belgian waffles and Soft waffle systems, further widening its solution capabilities.

“We work generally on a 40-50-week delivery schedule; manufacturing we can safely predict, but the problems start with shipping and installing; 50 weeks from December 2020, we should be in a place where we can travel safely [and avoid such issues, for the most part],” Baldwin details his calculations for putting these plans in motion. “When markets open fully, we’ll be in a great place to install and capitalize on our acquisition,” he concludes. In this sense, it was the perfect timing to expand.

A transition Sugden has worked very closely with AMF globally. At this stage, the technical departments are finalizing the file transfers for seamless integration of VanderPol’s systems, which is already listed on the company’s website. The process is further helped by the similarities between Sugden’s existing lines and the new waffle systems (and related processes). Besides, AMF will provide support on projects going forward to help with the transition. At the end of the day, to get up-to-speed with the new lines, “We are very good engineers; we understand drawings,” the specialist summarizes the company’s expertise.

In the beginning, 3-4 additional weeks are scheduled, to ensure the new lines perfectly match the blueprints.

As it masters the development of the VanderPol portfolio, Sugden will also look into improvements in all aspects. For example, all its existing equipment is insulated, which helps reach up to 50% in energy savings – such efficiency features will also be analyzed for the new technology. The expanded production means two specialists are joining the projects team, a design engineer and a production supervisor. Also, “We have another design engineer joining the team, and more personnel on the fabrication side, and the installation side; we are going to expand even more in the service and spares department,” he highlights an area in high demand.

Solid engineering is at the base of perfecting the systems and related services, underlines Sugden’s MD. Since the announcement, inquiries have been pouring in from all over the world, for the entire range of newly-added products. Overall, English muffins and crumpets are among the products that will remain popular this year, Sugden anticipates. Emerging markets worldwide are requesting lines for crumpets and pancakes – which is why the Mini Hotplate was introduced.

The strategy on overseas installations is to consider the installation itself as a separate contract, which could partially be outsourced locally to work around traveling and/or quarantine restrictions. “We have to work smarter and for the expansion of the range, we need to look into local markets anyway,” Baldwin explains. It would be difficult to put together a team to work overseas for weeks at a time, compared with engaging local engineering companies. Since the new facility allows for the lines to be fully commissioned in-house, the installation on-site can be reduced by at least 30%.

Care for the equipment The semi-automatic Mini Hotplates are another recentlyfinalized project, featuring massive upgrades to support emerging markets and smaller, craft, or niche businesses. It is designed for flexibility to support anything from bunny

© Sugden Ltd

double its overall capacity with products complementing each other. The move had been in the pipeline for months ahead of the public announcement; for Sugden, it entailed intensive preparations prior to the winter holidays, before the transfer was given the green light.

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PRODUCTION

© Sugden Ltd

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rabbit crumpets, pancakes, to seasonal-themed products, with a capacity of 800-1,200 pieces an hour and the expertise gained from full-scale lines. On an 8-hour daily up-time, the ROI for such a system can be as little as 12 months. “The strategy behind developing this is to not only fulfill a requirement but also to introduce products into an area that isn’t aware of specialties such as crumpets,” he highlights. In five years, these markets would then be requesting larger-scale lines.

The Mini Hotplate incorporates all the technology features used in the company's larger systems. Any batter-based product can be made with this equipment; crumpets in various shapes are also supported, as well as pancakes. It can also be used for sheeted products such as potato scones and Welsh cakes. Gluten-free is also a well-fitting segment for this equipment. The depositing process is automated – 12 x 8 rows are deposited at the touch of a button, which are then timed according to the recipes and are turned manually when the alarm prompts it, then removed at the next signal.

Custom-made solutions can be engineered for any specific requirements; challenges arising from the layout of the factory, in most cases. “Anything is possible in engineering, it just has to be cost-effective,” he stresses.

For training, the bakery’s engineering team is involved as early as possible – to get familiar with the line, and even assist with its building and installation. Operation training follows.

For the VanderPol systems, where there are individual controls for each burner, Sugden trains staff to set and save recipes and make changes to the product on the fly. Within a week, all the necessary training is covered. The partnership with

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clients also includes regular visits after commissioning, to ensure the equipment works within parameters and to provide service and maintenance advice – in short, to look after the equipment and make sure it’s not neglected, which can happen when a trained member of the engineering staff leaves, for example. Improvements and retrofits are also offered as they are developed. The lines are easy to maintain, “The importance of oiling the chain cannot be overstated, as well as using the correct oil, ” Baldwin illustrates. “If you maintain hygiene on a line, you can see everything clearly and maintain it easily; it means taking care and ownership of the line, which is critical,” he summarizes.

Big improvements are featured in the high-capacity lines that are currently being commissioned as well, regarding functionality, access, cleaning, and the overall process flow (and they can be retrofitted on existing systems as well). The Multi Plant line (a bespoke solution for each manufacturer, according to the range of products they manufacture) can now dock into a sheeting line, for another example of recent developments, to add products such as potato and Welsh cakes into production.

As the production of VanderPol lines is incorporated, Sugden aims to provide its solutions worldwide going forward, while building dependable relationships with its customers for the duration of the equipment’s operation. Brexit may bring unknowns in deliveries, but they will be handled as they are encountered and are not a cause for worry, Baldwin thinks.

The message the MD has for his team remains “Do whatever it takes.” +++

NEWS

Name change for American Pan

© American Pan

Jason Bowman, president of American Pan Europe & MENA, recently announced the company name change from American Pan Prestige SRL to American Pan Europe SRL. American Pan Europe is a division of Bundy Baking Solutions, headquartered in Urbana, Ohio, USA. It offers bakeries bakeware design, expertise, quality, and service.

“With five pan manufacturing and service facilities and multiple sales offices throughout Europe, we feel the name better communicates our overall capabilities and commitment to the baking industry in this region,” stated Bowman. “We want bakeries to know that we are here and ready to provide the best bakeware, coatings and bakeware refurbishment services available in the world.” +++

Mondelēz International announced two new acquisitions in March: Grenade, a leading UK performance nutrition company, and Australian premium cracker company Gourmet Food Holdings. The terms of the transactions were not disclosed.

Grenade is one of the category leaders in high-protein bars, and its Carb Killa ® has been the best-selling product in the segment since 2016 with a growing presence in the UK and availability across other regions including North America and the Asia Pacific. This acquisition will help Mondelēz expand into broader snacking and fast-growing well-being segments and bolster its standing among the UK’s market leaders in snack bars with a 13% category share (Euromonitor).

Earlier in March, the company also announced its entry into the fast-growing premium and well-being cracker segment with the acquisition of Gourmet Food Holdings Pty Ltd. Oliver Flint, previously chief operating officer, has been appointed as Gourmet Food’s managing director while co-founder and CEO Todd Wilson will remain with the business as an advisor. Mondelēz International will provide Gourmet Food with resources to accelerate growth while leveraging its manufacturing, research and development capabilities. +++

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Mondelēz expands into nutrition, crackers

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QSR finds a way COVID-19 has hit the QSR industry especially hard, forcing restaurants to react quickly to market disruption and reemerge in diverse formats, seeking multichannel optimization.

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Physical social distancing and a ban on indoor consumption have led to many QSRs changing their operations to take-away only. Last summer, Pret launched a ‘Heat me at home’ range that enabled consumers to pick up their food and reheat at a later time. This minimized contact time in-store, and afforded customers added flexibility to eat when they wanted to. The retail channel also released a range of

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products designed to help consumers receive barista-quality coffee they had been missing during the lockdown. This multichannel shift in strategy could evolve further throughout foodservice, particularly if working from home becomes entrenched behavior for the years to come. For QSRs, it is another way of thinking outside of established practices to reach consumers and generate revenues at a time of restricted footfall.

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Similarly, in September 2020, Dunkin’ Donuts teamed up with retailer and wholesaler BWG Foods to launch its pre-packaged donuts in 137 stores across Ireland. Distributed in small and medium stores like Spar, Mace, and Londis, Dunkin’ is better positioned to reach consumers that do not frequent the high streets that its stores tend to be located in.

Digital consumption Online shopping has become a vital growth industry within bakery goods and will play an increasingly influential role in the coming years. GlobalData’s latest consumer survey (2021 Q1) reveals that two-thirds (60%) of Europeans agree that convenience and time-saving are the greatest benefits to online shopping over visiting stores; a further 35% highlighted minimized social contact as their preferred benefit. The pandemic has accelerated this trend as consumers seek to minimize their time in-store and opt for the convenience of ordering from the safety and comfort of their own homes.

The rise of online deliveries has, in turn, encouraged an uptick in dark kitchens, operating as an extension of the kitchen or as a separate entity. Dark kitchens are designed exclusively to cater to off-premise diners, allowing brick-and-mortar store restaurants the space to focus on alternative ways of entertaining their customers. In the long term, QSRs may constrict their high street presence to focus solely on take-out operations, particularly if hybrid and remote working trends prevail.

QSRs are in a position where they can adapt to changing consumer trends quickly by embracing digital technology.

Broadly, operators must continue to streamline the pick-up process to be as contactless as possible – whether this is via drive-thrus, delivery platforms such as Deliveroo, or safe and hygienic drop-off/pick-up locations. On-site, the implementation of app-based and remote self-order kiosks to shorten lines will also prove highly beneficial. The challenge here is capital – many of these technologies may require substantial funds to implement, which, after months of lockdowns and reduced footfall, will prove difficult for smaller, independent operators.

Subscription services will allow for more tailored products, baked goods included. Most product launches are focused on emphasizing targeted health attributes without compromising on novel and unusual flavors or ingredient formulations.

According to GlobalData’s Q1 consumer survey, over a third (36%) of Europeans buy bakery, cereals or morning goods from artisan and independent brands. QSR players should look at incorporating these products in their offerings, leveraging homemade and craft labels that can easily be delivered to one’s doorstep.

Packaging is another key factor; secure, sustainable and sleek packaging designs will help improve the brands' image, support both on-the-go and home consumption occasions,

and reassure the consumer regarding concerns around contamination and hygiene.

Catch more with honey, protein and hemp A recent trend that GlobalData has noticed is the incorporation of honey into bread products as a natural sweetener, while also retaining positive health connotations. Its natural and better-for-you positioning creates an opportunity for bread and morning goods brands to have honey as the central ingredient for sweetness, as it gives a stronger association to healthy eating than sugar. According to GlobalData’s 2019 Q3 consumer survey, almost three-quarters of Europeans (70%) believe that honey has a positive impact on their health. If leveraged properly, it is clear that honey has a strong value proposition in the product formulations. In the Czech Republic, Bauli’s wildflower honey croissant is high in fiber and capitalizes on both sensory and health trends.

Similarly, in Turkey, Uno has released a honey oat bread with propolis, an unusual formulation that is also high in protein, vitamins and minerals.

Another interesting nutritional trend sweeping across Europe is that of high protein alternatives. Due to increased health awareness, consumers seek foods that help them to reach a

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Another product launch we saw last year was the ciabattin, a cross between ciabatta and sourdough. The classic ciabatta is merged with a sourdough process, then left to ferment over 24 hours. This product launch is symbolic of how prevalent experimental cooking has become over the past year. According to GlobalData’s 2020 Coronavirus (COVID-19) Week 11 Recovery Consumer Survey, half (49%) of European consumers somewhat or strongly agree that they ‘intend to experiment with new cuisines & recipes.’

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balanced diet. As per the same survey, one in four (24%) Europeans are actively trying to increase their intake of plant-based proteins, which bodes well for bread and bakery manufacturers in the region. Switzerland’s Oh! High protein toast claims to contain 21% protein and is catered to busy breakfast occasions, reassuring consumers that they can easily reach their daily protein consumption targets in a convenient and tailored manner. Whereas, in Austria, Helga’s vegan Digestive Wellbeing bread taps into the personalization trend as it offers a solution to the consumers who opt and consume products that support their digestive health.

Breakfast products are also likely to increasingly incorporate hemp as a featured ingredient and highlight its functional health properties, particularly given the EU's recent rule (November 2020) that CBD should not be classified as a narcotic. The emergence of hemp and CBD in other FMCG categories such as confectionery, beauty and beverages, as well as breakfast products such as cereals and cereal bars, will help normalize the ingredient in consumer perceptions and boost hemp protein’s positive health association.

Impact on new launches Aside from targeted health, recent new product development (NPD) of bakery products has centered around two underlying trends of premiumization and cross-category innovation.

One of the latest trends to emerge is the yum yum and doughnut hybrid, known as the yumnut. This mixed product follows in the footsteps of the popular cronut, a croissantdoughnut pastry. Marks & Spencer launched its version of the yumnut in March 2020, claiming its butter-enriched recipe has a minimum 18-hour dough resting time, and 48 laminations to boost its layers and fluffy texture.

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Opportunities & forecasts One quarter (24%) of Europeans agree that convenience is the main driver for patronage to QSR outlets, followed by good value for money (17%), according to the aforementioned consumer survey. As many return to active lifestyles, accessible, nutritious and convenient breakfast options will grow in demand. Subscriptions may be a great way for QSR players to cater to these needs and directly engage with the consumer, as well as attaining user information through the subscription service that will allow them to cater their products and menus further.

Overall, QSR operators should continue to prioritize safety and convenience in order to alleviate consumers’ ongoing concerns, and further improve the brands' overall reputation.

Europe will see robust volume and value growth in bread and rolls from the years 2019 to 2025. In USD value terms, West Europe and East Europe are expected to grow at a CAGR of 3.4% and 3.7% respectively, and a volume (kg) growth of 1.3% and 1.7% respectively. The bread and rolls market in Ukraine is anticipated to be the best performer in Europe with a volume CAGR of 5.1% from 2020 to 2025. Among the largest economies in Europe, the German and French markets are anticipated to decline by 0.16% and grow at just 0.7%, respectively. The static performance suggests market maturity and a lack of innovation in Europe’s largest economies. The forecasted performance will not be uniform throughout the European continent, however, with a number of the region's bread and rolls markets expected to contract in the coming years. Latvia is anticipated to decline by a volume CAGR of 2%, while Poland is expected to be the worst performer with a CAGR decline of 4.6% between 2020 and 2025. +++

Author: George Henry, associate analyst George is an associate analyst in GlobalData's Consumer Division. In this role, he undertakes research and analysis on FMCG markets, with a particular interest in the impact of product innovation. George holds a master's degree in Economics and worked in the blockchain industry prior to joining GlobalData.

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