Scaling Up Production: A Feat of Many Skills

Modernizing and upscaling operations to meet the latest spike in consumer demand is no easy task for any baker, and to ensure its success, a few things should be considered. 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. 

When increasing production capacity, craft bakers need to fully understand inefficiencies in their supply chain and identify bottlenecks. Before strategically growing production, bakers must bring their 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. 

According to experts, it’s important to invest upfront in a strong supply chain plan in order to prevent disruptions caused by seasonality, changing consumer preferences and global crises. Bakers should consider if they have enough equipment and personnel to manage increased production and if products have enough shelf life to sustain the timeframe of production.

Automation

One way to streamline production and grow the business is to automate key processes in the manufacturing operation. Automating at the mixing stage of production is a reliable starting point for increased accuracy and consistency. 

New advancements in mixing technology from AMF Bakery Systems have enabled unprecedented automation possibilities for batch processes as well as seamless conversion to continuous mixing. By replacing manual mixing processes with automation, bakeries can realize economies of scale, improve consistency, and reduce labor costs while also expanding production output.

For small- to medium-sized commercial bakeries seeking to increase production output, automated batch mixing can help to reduce downtime and product loss. While automation requires a greater initial investment than manual processes, bakeries can realize efficiencies that offset the upfront costs.

Automated mixing speeds up batch processing by streamlining setup and reducing the time needed between changeovers. The implementation of automated mixing systems also curbs expensive losses of minor and micro ingredients. To these ends, AMF’s automated batch mixing systems are designed to optimize control over ingredients, mixing, and dough parameters.

Efficient glycol cooling jackets on bowl mixers and AMF’s patented Dough Guardian technology help to maintain constant temperature and dough structure consistency. Intuitive operator controls and alarms allow for more control over mixing and refrigeration times. This cuts down on the amount of training and onboarding needed for new production personnel. In addition to giving operators more control, AMF automated mixers are designed to speed up other time-consuming processes.

Flexibility Saves Space

Future growth should be kept in mind when choosing automated mixing systems to scale up production. Automated batch mixers must be flexible enough to handle many types and volumes of dough. The OFM (Open Frame Mixer) is readily converted from a standard triple bar to AMF’s proprietary Y-T agitator, which is shown to reduce high speed mix times with multidirectional dough stretching. As such, automated open frame mixers can scale production for a wide variety of applications, from soft bread and buns to artisan bread and rolls to pizza and flatbreads.

The SNAX Sigma Mixer by AMF, which is designed for flexibility in mixing doughs for cookies, crackers, and specialty snack doughs, has a bowl tilt system that ranges from 120° forward tilt to 100° rear tilt. The versatile SNAX Sigma Mixer is designed for reliable operation and easy sanitation. It comes with an optional Durabowl™ cooling jacket. This versatility in mixing types and tilt systems helps especially when automating a production line used for multiple applications.

Finding the space to add new equipment can be a common challenge for small- to medium-sized bakeries that seek to increase production. However, with systematic design and strategic layout, automated batch mixing processes can integrate into existing facilities that are currently organized for manual production. For emerging markets, the APEX Direct Drive Mixer with Sigma Arm option from AMF has a very compact footprint and can mix up to 1,000 lbs. of dough. This type of multi-purpose mixer would be ideal for upscaling production of premium, small batch bread, buns, snacks, and cookies.

You can read the rest of this article in the Fall issue of Asia Pacific Baker & Biscuit magazine, which you can access by clicking here.