Peak Engineering Efficiency: Turnkey Line Strategies from Leading Equipment Providers
The decision to invest in a turnkey production line versus assembling a line from standalone equipment is pivotal. Turnkey solutions, offered by a single supplier, encompass the design, installation, and commissioning of a complete production line. This approach offers several advantages over piecemeal equipment acquisition.
Turnkey lines offer a major advantage in the seamless integration of equipment. With a single supplier overseeing the process, bakeries benefit from improved compatibility, fewer coordination challenges, and smoother installation. The same supplier typically manages setup and commissioning, helping reduce downtime and ensuring a faster path to full production.
Rademaker: Integrated Thinking
Rademaker’s approach to turnkey bakery solutions is shaped by a core commitment to efficiency, reliability, and long-term partnership. In an interview granted to European Baker & Biscuit, company representatives emphasized the importance of acting as a central, accountable partner when setting up new bakery projects. Whether a client is installing a single line or commissioning a full-scale facility, Rademaker’s System Integration team orchestrates the entire process—covering ingredient handling, mixing, dough makeup, proofing, baking, freezing, and packaging. This integration of systems is designed to “result in an optimal functioning system for producing a high quality product in an efficient way.”
Central to Rademaker’s strategy is a careful match between their in-house sheeting technology and “best of breed” equipment from selected partners. By assuming control of the entire chain, Rademaker reduces complexity for its clients. “One point of contact, less risk,” the company noted, with seasoned project managers coordinating suppliers, schedules, and on-site operations. This management model minimizes delays and facilitates fast decision-making.
Among the most common challenges faced by bakeries, time availability for managing such complex projects is at the top of the list. Rademaker addresses this by highlighting critical process interfaces from the earliest stages, ensuring a smooth start-up. Another concern is finding the right suppliers who are both capable and willing to collaborate. “We want to control the automation and the communication between suppliers,” they explained, underscoring the importance of coordinated transitions in the line. Commissioning and ramping up production are also supported through comprehensive planning, utility management, and ingredient supply oversight, handled by experienced project managers.
Adaptability and flexibility are key requirements, especially in a market defined by changing product demands. Rademaker ensures its turnkey lines remain adaptable by designing for expansion from the outset. “Helping the customer to think about the future and what those changes would or could look like is something that we do in the design phase,” the team noted. Clients often request visual layouts showing future capacity upgrades. Components such as changeover sets also enable seamless product shifts on the same line.
The company also places a strong emphasis on energy efficiency and sustainability. “Efficient process with as less loss of product as possible,” is a guiding principle. Since 2018, Rademaker has introduced IE4 motors that reduce energy consumption by 30%, and has optimized motor outputs for additional savings. They emphasize product quality as a method of reducing waste, with a focus on minimizing dough loss and rejected products. “When using Rademaker machines, the amount of dough waste and of rejected products is extremely low.” Equipment like the Radini bread line is even capable of producing without rework dough, contributing to better resource use and improved CO₂ balance. The design also supports faster cleaning cycles, which not only save time but also reduce wastewater. Thanks to digitalisation, “the performance and energy consumption of the machines can not only be monitored but also optimised.”
Smart systems are another pillar of Rademaker’s offering. With the launch of their innovative monitoring station, bakers can now perform in-line quality analysis in real time, allowing for quick and preventative corrections. The company has also partnered with Sensure, an Italian developer of AI-powered vision inspection systems. These tools support quality control, reject faulty products, and provide live dashboards for continuous improvement initiatives. These features increase the precision and consistency of the final product while reducing waste and manual intervention.
During the installation phase, Rademaker again stresses coordination as a cornerstone. “We include the entire project team in the design phase,” which includes specialists for installation, commissioning, and controls. Defining critical interfaces at an early stage prevents delays later on and keeps the system functioning as a whole rather than as isolated units.
Client feedback plays a direct role in shaping Rademaker’s future innovations. “We also send out surveys to our customers to get feedback on our equipment and services.” Their continuous improvement program ensures that internal processes are reviewed and optimized based on market input and service data. This iterative process influences everything from changeover procedures to hygienic design features, all aimed at improving machine performance during operation, cleaning, and maintenance.
Looking ahead, Rademaker sees a strong trend towards automation and centralization. As bakeries scale up, many face reduced in-house capacity for managing complex projects. The company sees this as an opportunity: “Less capacity for project management available, opportunity for offering turnkey solutions to support the customer.” With workforce availability declining and bakery-specific expertise harder to find, Rademaker is also investing in human capital through the Rademaker Academy. “We train your staff, so they can run the system as good as possible, so the customer will get the best ROI.”
Verhoeven: Purpose-Built Lines
Verhoeven’s approach is rooted in a holistic view of the production line. In a recent interview, Geert Schellens, Head of Sales at Verhoeven, emphasized that the company does not focus narrowly on individual machines. “At Verhoeven, we always look at a project as a whole,” he explained, noting that internal collaboration between its brands—BVT for dough processing and BakePack for packaging—ensures continuity from the beginning to the end of the line. This integrated perspective extends even to external suppliers. “Verhoeven does not build ovens, which means we can easily work with any oven supplier — and even include the oven in a full turnkey solution.” That flexibility allows Verhoeven to connect and align a wide array of third-party machines into one cohesive and efficient system.
Read the rest of the story in the new issue of European Baker & Biscuit!