Baking&Snack - December 2016 - 68

COOKIE & CRACKER TECH

Efficiency hinges on innovation
Many of the same technology updates that make
cookie and cracker equipment more flexible, easier
to clean and better at making cookies and crackers also make production more efficient overall.
If changeovers and cleaning take less time, that's
less time a production line will be down between
products or for routine sanitation. If cookies and
crackers are baking faster, that's production that's
moving along faster.
Radio Frequency's Bantam-Series Macrowave
Post Baking Dryers, exhibited at IBIE, does just
that, improving baking efficiency and therefore,
overall production efficiency. By using a postbaking dryer to heat and dry the interior of the
product instead of a conventional baking oven,
product doesn't spend as much time in the oven.
Bakers can see an increase of 30% or more of productivity because of this.
For bakers wanting to freeze their finished cookies and crackers, JBT Food Corp. showcased its
Advantec Steel Belt Impingement freezer at IBIE.
This freezer uses high-velocity jet streams of air
to reduce the thermal heat transfer barrier around
products. This results in a faster chilling and freezing time, which the company says can be comparable to cryogenic freezers in certain applications.
The belt releases cookies and crackers without leaving markings while preserving the integrity of the
finished product. With speedy chilling and freezing,
production can keep moving at an efficient pace.
Radio frequency heat can target the inner-most moisture of a cookie or cracker, which
not only improves bake quality but also speeds up production and improves the overall
line efficiency.
Radio Frequency

68 Baking & Snack December 2016 / www.bakingandsnack.com

the product," said Shawn Moye, vice-president of sales,
Reading Bakery Systems. "It ensures a consistent, uniform bake by storing and re-radiating heat to many different products."
Radio Frequency, meanwhile, brought its Macrowave
technology and quality benefits to smaller bakeries with
Bantam-Series. The company's radio frequency heating
and drying helps bakers reach a target water activity in
their finished cookies and crackers without checking or
over-coloring the product. In addition to offering this
technology in its Ultra-Series, the Bantam-Series targets operators of lower-volume and seasonal production
lines. "The purchase cost and operating costs make the
ROI equally attractive to smaller regional bakeries and
make it economical to implement a Macrowave system
in their production line and gain all the advantages
that radio frequency heating and drying provides," Ms.
Mitchell said.
Unifiller adapted to challenges presented by vegan
and gluten-free cookie doughs with its feed roller and
cutter designs. Because vegan cookie dough uses a different fat, often almond butter or coconut butter, it
needs to be handled differently. To do this, Unifiller has
developed attachments and tooling that prevents these
doughs from sticking to the machine.
Protecting delicate and often expensive inclusions is
also a major concern of cookie producers. The doublescrew technology at the heart of Reiser's Vemag equipment gently handles dough and protects inclusions.
When working with a baker on developing a new line,
the company tailors the equipment to meet the product's
needs.
"The product is the boss," said John McIsaac, vicepresident, strategic business development, Reiser. "It all
starts with what you want to produce; then we have to
develop the equipment to produce what you need."

Fastest changes in the West
Flexibility is a buzzword long thrown around in the
baking industry, but defining it is not always easy.
"Flexibility can be taken to mean one or more of these:
changing quickly between products; making a wide
range of different products; and being able to convert
the machine to make something different in the future,"
Mr. Graham said.
According to Mr. Nikel, bakers define "performance"
by flexibility and control. "Any bakers facing such a major capital expenditure will want to know that their oven
will not only bake the product they sell today but also
have the flexibility to adapt to the variety that may come
into demand tomorrow," he said.
"To deliver this 'holy grail' to the customer, J4 marries
the newest oven innovations with decades of experience,

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