BAKERY TECHNOLOGY
“By speeding up the process using robotics, Bells of Lazonby has been able to increase its capacity by around 25%”
These manual processes presented something of a
bottleneck for the production process and was also an area where inconsistency in the quality of the cut products had been observed, leading to excessive product waste. To capitalise on the growing ‘free from’ market, Bells
of Lazonby committed to doubling the size of its special diet factory and investing in a raft of new manufacturing technologies – including the adoption of two programmable ultrasonic cutting robots.
The robots are equipped with ultrasonic cutting tools
which are capable of slicing cake into an infinite number of sizes and shapes, which means operators no longer have to change the cut pattern between products. The robots are linked to an ERP system and are programmable to take into account customer orders, resources, and the fluctuation of the price of the ingredients.
Data integration was a very important aspect of this project as it allows the bakery to analyse production processes and provides it with a useful knowledge bank of data. The introduction of robotics has speeded up production time, increased accuracy, reduced wastage as well and helping to increase profitability. By speeding up the process using robotics, Bells of Lazonby has been able to increase its capacity by around 25%.
Ultrasonics Ultrasonic food cutting is a great example of a technology that can help bakeries move from a traditional manual solution that traditionally has taken hours or days to one which can be achieved much faster and more accurately. In the simplest terms ultrasonic cutting sees the cutting blade or knife vibrating at a very high frequency which reduces friction during cutting to a bare minimum, creating smoother and even cuts. As demonstrated by the experience of Bells of Lazonby, keeping pace with demand for pre-portioned products can pose some challenges for many bakeries whose products are soft, sticky or delicate. “The flexibility of the ultrasonic cutting process means
that it can easily be integrated to dedicated automation systems, perhaps incorporating one or more ultrasonic blades, or highly flexible multi-robot systems, capable of producing cuts in different positions and orientations. The many benefits of the ultrasonic process, together with these automated production concepts, mean that a growing number of items such as cheesecake, gateaux and increasingly, tray bake products including brownies, flapjacks and protein bars, are now being successfully cut and portioned automatically using this efficient and clean process,” according to Martin Frost of Telsonic UK.
The clean cutting nature of the ultrasonic cutting process also helps improve product aesthetics by providing consistent
bakeryproduction.co.uk
Raising dosing accuracy improves product quality
A UK-based industrial bakery has increased product quality and reduced production costs following the installation of high accuracy ball valves and actuators to increase flow control accuracy and repeatability of the ingredient dosing process.
The bakery requires accurate doses of liquid additives into its dough mixtures which can include water, vinegar and oil, as well as ingredients suspended in liquid solutions such as yeast. Accuracy is vital because imprecise levels of ingredients can impact product quality, including taste, form and shelf life. It also reduces production efficiency can lead to higher levels of product wastage.
The bakery works with 500kg batches of dough, while adding ingredient quantities that can be as little as 100g. As a result, an error of just 3 or 4 grammes can significantly impact the end product. The bakery was already equipped with an automated system, but it was providing insufficient accuracy due to angle seat valves that generated excessive dosing volume as well as variability, creating inconsistent dosing. As a result, the bakery and its engineering partner turned to Bürkert to upgrade the valve system. The bakery’s engineering team integrated a suite of electromotive ball valves with high-speed actuators in ½in and 1in dimensions into a programmable logic controller (PLC) based system. Various spring combinations were tested with the fast acting, rapid- closing valves before the optimum shut-off rate was achieved. The result was vastly improved flow regulation, enhancing the speed, accuracy and consistency of dosing control. For the bakery, this has meant an increase in product quality and a reduction in production costs.
portion control and eliminating crumbs. Bakeries can also realise increases in yield, due to the improved consistency in cut when compared to manual cutting. All of these attributes can also have a positive impact on downstream packaging operations by eliminating issues related to product inconsistency.
Data is key
Whether you are a startup business in the bakery space or a heritage business, there will be digital technologies available that can help overcome your current challenges. Bells of Lazonby offers a good example of the benefits that digital technology can offer. In addition to making production more efficient and productive, efficient planning, effective inventory monitoring, and having a complete view of your supply chain are all essential ingredients for success when it comes to meeting customer expectations today. Thankfully, there are numerous technologies and tools that can be employed to help ensure your business is able to remain competitive, even in the difficult business environment that we are currently experiencing.
Kennedy’s Bakery Production February/March 2023 23
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