Global demand for baked goods is on the rise. And while this might be good news to most bakery owners, many still have questions about how to modernize and upscale their manual operations to meet the latest spike in consumer demand. Manual batch processing is proven and effective, but it may not be enough to keep up with an increasingly stringent regulatory environment and fierce industry competition.
If you operate a wholesale industrial bakery, you should already be aware that a food production plant steeped in manual operations exposes your business to human error on the line and inconsistent outcomes. You can eliminate these issues by scaling your mixing systems with industrial automation solutions.
Before strategically growing your production, you must bring your systems up to date so they can handle the additional throughput. Scaling entails more than just gaining more throughput and speed. Finding the ability to control various core elements like dough parameters and process adjustments in real-time is crucial. And automating at the mixing stage of production is a reliable starting point for increasing your accuracy and consistency.
Automated industrial mixing technology has come a long way, showing an unprecedented capacity to give bakery operators more control over their batch processes. Likewise, the latest advancements in mixing provide seamless conversion to continuous mixing. When you automate your manual mixing processes, your bakery gains economies of scale. At the same time, industrial automation solutions improve consistency and lowering labor overhead. In this blog, we underscore the benefits of scaling your bakery production with automated mixing technologies.
More efficient bakery production
Industrial bakeries have arguably pioneered several automated solutions in the food and beverage industry, yet many still deploy manual commercial batch mixing procedures. Batch mixing is vital to bakery production because so many other core production systems and processes depend on the mixing process. Ingredient delivery and pre-hydration systems, for instance, are inextricably linked to commercial batch mixing, and multiple mixing systems commonly support a single, high output line.
Smaller bakeries aiming to increase production throughput can benefit substantially after automating their batch mixing. Once you convert from a manual batch mixing process, expect to increase uptime considerably while reducing product loss. Automated solutions for bakeries often require a steep upfront investment, but the efficiency gains quickly offset the high initial costs.
When you automate your batch mixing process, you optimize mixing speed through a more streamlined setup. Automated batch mixing also reduces the time required between changeovers. New mixing systems drastically reduce spillage and help eliminate the loss of expensive minor and micro ingredients. Moreover, information control solutions from EZSoft are designed for those ends, enabling maximum control over ingredients mixing and dough parameters while diminishing waste.
Hygienic equipment design
In today’s strict regulatory environment, maintaining a sanitary facility is paramount. The latest automated solutions for bakeries take equipment cleaning into account from their inception. Engineers construct modern horizontal batch mixers for simple and effective sanitation procedures. Easy-to-access agitator assemblies and bowls also embrace sanitary equipment design. Essentially, all your automated equipment is readily accessible for expeditious cleaning.
Hygienically designed mixers can significantly reduce downtime and labor overhead by decreasing cleaning intervals. Well-protected connections, fewer flat surfaces, and steel tubular frames that resist water instead of accumulating it help expedite production plant cleaning procedures. In addition to this, your operators find quick access to every part of the mixer to ensure optimal sanitization.
New automated mixing systems are engineered for simplicity and have an IP55 washdown rating. In food production, sanitation is critical, which is why the latest mixers come with tubular framing and easily removable polyethylene main shaft seals. The latest automated equipment offers a direct tilt mechanism constructed with maintenance in mind, equipped with a 140° forward tilt for easy cleaning access.
Scalability and adaptability
Remember, behind any initiative to automate your bakery mixing systems is the goal of scaling up your production and growing your business footprint. Automated batch mixers are flexible and adaptable enough to handle any permutation of dough volume. Typically, the latest equipment is already standard triple bar agitator to a proprietary solution designed to reduce high-speed mixing times.
Emergent automated mixers give you more flexibility for mixing cookie doughs, crackers, and doughs for seasonal snacks because the bowl system tilts range from 120° forward to 100° rear tilt. This added versatility for mixing types and tilt systems is particularly beneficial for automating a production line used for multiple products and applications.
Finding adequate warehouse space is chief among several challenges of installing new automated equipment. In terms of systemic design and strategic layout, integrating new batch mixing machinery into your processes requires plenty of strategic planning. Recently constructed mixing systems are ideal for upscaling production. They are compact and can be utilized for multiple applications.
Leading industrial automation companies near me
EZSoft has an extensive track record of helping food and beverage manufacturers in your region reduce costs quickly while increasing their production output and quality. For pricing information and how we can help your company achieve its strategic growth goals, complete our request form online or call us today at (484) 568-5040.
