Baking & Snack - September 2016 - 150

OVEN TECHNOLOGY

Ask and you shall receive

An integrated loading and
unloading system for deck
ovens provides flexibility for
producing specialty breads
and artisan rolls.
WP Bakery USA

"Science tells us the BTU per lb to bake bread, but
every oven uses more than that in actual operation," he
pointed out. "We are adding more insulation to reduce
heat losses. The continuous ovens have a feature to allow baking by humidity, to guarantee optimum moisture
within the oven, which is related to bake-out loss - and
improving yield and shelf life - and to avoid blotches
on buns. There are operator screens that now can display
the energy-use rate based on pounds of products in the
oven and BTUs being used to bake that product."
Stewart Systems, a member of the Middleby Bakery
Group, will highlight "The Titan" that is capable of
cranking out more than 30,000 lb per hr of baked goods.
The conveyorized oven features center-fed chevron
burners, which light in half the time and with much
greater lateral flame consistency producing more than
2,000 BTU per in.
Mr. McCally noted the new dual-zone impingement system delivers a high volume of air from 0 to
4,500 FPM in two zones to control convective heat flux
through the pans in one zone and through the products
in the second one - both independently controlled by
variable-frequency drives. The new system also increases fuel efficiency by as much as 30% by using the waste
heat that is otherwise lost through the exhaust system.

Mind the gap
With bakeries producing so many SKUs, changeovers
and shift changes - and, unfortunately, pan jams
and breakdowns on the front part of the line - can
lead to partially or fully empty ovens in high-volume
operations.
That's why companies such as the Kaak Group in-

150 Baking & Snack September 2016 / www.bakingandsnack.com

To ensure their bakeries find the right
technology, especially when making a large
investment with a new oven, IBIE visitors
will have a bunch of questions about what
systems best fit into their operations.
David Kuipers, vice-president of sales and
marketing, Reading Bakery Systems, recommended focusing on what products they
plan to bake, both now and in the future.
"This will help guide the type of baking
surface needed - band or mesh - as well
as how to configure the oven," he said.
Jim Cummings, president, Tromp Group
Americas, suggested that bakers look at all
of the options - convection, direct, indirect,
impingement, infrared or a hybrid - to
determine which principles works best for
baking their products.
Lars Guldagar, application center and food
technologist, Haas Meincke, drilled it down
to product characteristics. "Can the oven
bake my product with 'my special something' such as crispiness, softness, surface
shine and more?" he inquired.
For some bakers, the issue comes down
to reliability. As Ken Johnson, president,
Gemini Bakery Equipment Co., queried,
"Can the oven provide a stable, uniform
baking environment? Can the oven provide
industry-leading energy efficiency? Is there
strong domestic support and expertise?"
Upkeep is another factor. "How many
man-hours per week must be spent maintaining the oven when new?" asked William
Foran, CEO, Babbco. "How much must be
spent when it's five years old?"
Other questions, Mr. Foran said, may be:
How fast can companies install their ovens?
Is it a matter of days or weeks?
While not all questions may be asked,
some of them may certainly be front-ofmind. "What kind of experience and expertise in this sector am I buying from this
company?" wondered Ashley Morris, sales
manager, the Kaak Group. "What kind of
competence, punctuality and professionalism are they able to provide me during the
project study, installation, commissioning
and full life of the oven?"
For many bakers, the best answers often
determine the bottom line.

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Baking & Snack - September 2016

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