Test driving bakery equipment: Austria
Starting our series of virtual tours that will map the facilities available worldwide, with their testing and demonstration opportunities, we’ve looked into Koenig’s Technology and Demonstration Centre in Graz-Andritz, Austria.
With ever-changing consumption habits, producers strive to test and update product ranges – an ongoing endeavour which can easily become resource consuming. As bakers aim for a more “trial” and less “error” process, an alternative is to test new equipment and products in specialized technology centres.
Put into operation four years ago and accommodating Koenig’s latest machines and plants for various processes, the centre offers bakers the opportunity to test drive equipment before purchasing.
EB: Please give us a “virtual tour” of the Technology and Demonstration Centre, in terms of equipment, roles and processes available.
Koenig: In 2010, the new Koenig customer demonstration centre was opened at the Koenig Group’s headquarters in Graz, Austria. Covering a space of almost 1,000 sqm, we supply a large bakery, equipped with machines and lines from our product portfolio for customers to test.
Using the customer’s ingredients and recipes, the machines which the customer is interested in can be tested thoroughly and subsequently adapted to the individual needs. We wanted to give the customer the chance to get to know the machines, as well as our team before making a purchase.
The Koenig machines in the centre feature the entire bakery production chain: from kneading and mixing, to dividing and rounding, and forming and proving, up to baking and cooling.
EB: How has the activity at the centre developed since the opening in 2010?
Koenig: The international visits from around the globe have increased at Graz. On the one hand, we welcome new customers who want to test Koenig machines for the first time and get to know our company. On the other hand, we have customers who want to expand or optimize their baking equipment and value our centre and the testing opportunity.
Ever since the opening, we respect the cultural traditions of our visitors and try to respect them in terms of catering, hygienic handling of baked goods, timing of demonstrations and staff behaviour.
This demonstration and testing centre is particularly useful for companies with mid- to large-scale bakeries, independent of their country of origin. It has proven very beneficial if the visiting company brings along both the responsible purchasing manager and also production managers and bakers, who will actually work on the machines in their bakery.
EB: What type of companies/testers are the main beneficiaries of the centre?
Koenig: This demonstration and testing centre is particularly useful for companies with mid- to large-scale bakeries, independent of their country of origin. It has proven very beneficial if the visiting company brings along both the responsible purchasing manager and also production managers and bakers, who will actually work on the machines in their bakery.
EB: What are the steps required for a testing visit at the centre?
Koenig: The first step would be to contact the corresponding sales manager. Anyone wishing to visit or attend demonstrations can contact our office at info@koenig-rex.com and will then be transferred to the right sales manager who will arrange the appointment.
Koenig Maschinen
Customer Demonstration Centre
Stattegger Strasse 80
A-8045 Graz, Austria
Phone: 0043 316 6901 0
Read the entire article, with details on the centre’s activity, most requested operations, R&D development, trends and more, in European Baker, July/August issue.