Baking & Snack - November 2021 - 64

SLICING & CUTTING
" A robotic arm can cut virtually any size of squares,
rectangles and various geometric shapes while using
the ultrasonic technology to obtain high-quality cuts on
fresh, ambient or sticky products, " said Matt Wermund,
general manager, FoodTools.
With hand scoring, the production line must run at
a slower speed and operators can experience fatigue
and strain from the repetitive scoring motion, said Felix
Pang, applications engineer, ABI Ltd. Since scoring is a
relatively simple motion, a robot can perform up to 200
cuts per minute to reduce labor.
" ABI robotic scoring systems can also be programmed
with a catalogue of cuts that vary in style, degree and
depth for different products, " he said.
He added that high-volume bakeries can replicate
artisan-style scoring that can increase production time
and lower the cost per unit.
" We can program a type of cut to include slight variances
and irregularities that mimic a hand-scored bun, "
Mr. Pang said. " As a result, the blade scores at a specified
angle and creates some jagged edges, and for the subsequent
score, the blade then rotates a fraction of a degree
to repeat a similar style cut. "
Additionally, Urschel recently developed its SlideLocc
SL14 CC slicing heads to extend run time between knife
changes, simplifying normal periodic adjustments and
easing the cleaning and quickening knife changes. Mike
Jacko, vice president of applications and new product inIncorporating
sensors and
other labor-saving technology
will enhance the quality and
consistency of slicing.
Rexfab
novation at Urschel, said these features " reduce labor or
lessen the caliber of labor required for these jobs. "
Carving out a niche
For producers of grain-free, keto-friendly and other specialty
breads, the slicing process is not always cut-anddried.
In fact, it's a sticky issue that can get complicated.
Mr. Atkins said slicing gluten-free baked goods can
be done on either a band slicer or an industrial-grade
reciprocating slicer, but he suggested doing it on a reciprocating
slicer because cleanup is much easier.
" When you run gluten-free items on a band slicer,
the slicer should honestly be a full washdown slicer
because you end up with buildup streaming out of the
blade guides like it's a pasta maker, " he said. " You end
up needing to spray oil and scrape both the blades and
the drums. "
If operators don't thoroughly clean the slicer after
the production run, this buildup will coagulate on the
drums, blades and blade guides.
" Once this stuff hardens, it could potentially seize the
blades up, " Mr. Atkins explained. " You don't have this
same problem with our RSC slicer because the blades
don't travel all the way around the machine like with a
band slicer. The blades only move back-and-forth just
enough to cut a clean slice. This keeps buildup to a minimum
and allows for a quick cleanup. "
At the end of the run, he added, it takes only about 5
minutes to swap out the blade guides and blade frames
for cleaning the RSC slicer. Bakeries can also use a spray
oiler system like band slicers frequently use, but it's often
not even needed when producing these breads.
Mr. Painchaud noted that operations must select the
proper cutting knives and use the correct natural or vegetable
cutting oils, then adequately dose that oil for consistent
slicing results.
With its ultrasonic capabilities, FoodTools approaches
gluten-free and other alternative ingredients in the same
way as conventional baked goods. Mr. Wermund said
the company evaluates the product's temperature, consistency
and makeup, then pairs it all to determine
the highest quality and most
economical slicing technology.
For gluten-free croutons or stuffing
mix, Mr. Jacko recommended
evaluating the formulation, moisture
and ingredients before determining the
slicing process.
" The normal cutting action to make dices or strips
can heat or cause friction that's normally not an issue
on regular products to where gluten-free items can get
sticky, jam the machine and make poor quality cuts, "
he said.
64 Baking & Snack November 2021 / www.bakingbusiness.com
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Baking & Snack - November 2021

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