MIXING & DEPOSITING


Jim Warren, Vice President of Exact Mixing by Reading


Bakery Systems, offers some thoughts on the payback considerations relating to the choice of choosing either a continuous or a batch mixing system. Continuous mixing systems will almost always have a


higher initial cost than batch mixing. This is because the raw materials entering the continuous mixer need to be metered, which requires ingredient feeders. On the other hand, the cost of operation and ownership will almost always be less expensive with a continuous mixing solution. So, where does the payback occur? According to Jim, continuous mixing payback opportunities come from a number of different sources including increased yield, increased throughput, increased consistency,


reduced manpower, reduced


downstream handling equipment, and reduced energy. Yield is defined as the weight of product shipped per


weight of flour purchased. While this may seem to be a somewhat simplistic concept, it is important to consider the implications in more detail to understand the significance of knowing your yield. Yield takes into account all forms of waste – from recipe error to loss of product due to downtime, packaging inefficiencies, and raw materials specification. While bakeries could choose to track all the above sources of loss, in Jim’s opinion, yield is the ultimate scorecard. A second, equally important measurement is efficiency, defined as average weight of product produced per hour.


22 Kennedy’s Bakery Production April/May 2023


“Continuous mixing systems will almost always have a higher initial cost than batch mixing… On the other hand, the cost of operation and ownership will almost always be less expensive”


Jim argues that yield is the best way to compare plant- to-plant, shift-to-shift, and day-to-day, even though many companies do not track it. Even a slight increase in yield can represent significant savings. Imagine if you could generate just one half a percent more product with no additional cost! So, how does yield relate to continuous mixing? Jim says that the single biggest payback opportunity for continuous mixing is increasing yield due to a more consistent process involving less human intervention and just-in-time mixing. The best way to demonstrate and quantify the savings is by determining before and after yield. Improvements of 1 or 2% are common, but improvements of 5% have also been seen. While continuous mixing of dough is


credited with bakeryproduction.co.uk


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