Baking & Snack - February 2025 - 78

EQUIPMENT CRACKER & BAKED SNACK PROCESSING
produce a sheet that's less than 0.5-mm thick for
making thin and crispy crackers. Another option involves
using a four-roll sheeter to create a consistent
dough sheet by passing it through a series of 400mm
gauge rollers before traveling to a twin rotary
cutter followed by docking, cutting and embossing
for all shapes and sizes.
Zvoncheck cautioned that bakers must be careful
to avoid damaging gluten during the sheeting process.
" If
too few gauge reduction stations are chosen for
a production line to produce these products, this may
result in fragility of the final product and increased
Bakers make haste to
eliminate unnecessary waste
No step of the process can be ignored when
it comes to investing and driving efficiency
in high-volume cracker and baked snack
operations.
" Specific technologies such as automated
ingredient handling, robust sheeting
equipment and makeup tooling changeover
improvements, precision baking and real-time
quality monitoring are critical for maintaining
product consistency and minimizing waste, "
said Nick Magistrelli, vice president of sales,
Rademaker USA. " Data-driven optimizations
enable high-speed production with flexibility,
making it easier to produce a wider variety of
products without sacrificing quality. Together,
these advancements help producers
meet consumer demand for high-quality
products while improving profitability and
sustainability. "
At the front of the line, the use of pressure
sensors in dough hoppers, for example,
maintains dough density and contributes to
consistent dough weights throughout the
production process, noted James Outram,
senior applications technologist for Bühler's
biscuit business unit.
" Automatic dough feed adjustment
An electric
oven provides
a sustainable
alternative to
gas-fired systems
for producing
crackers and
baked snacks.
breakage, " he observed. " Also, improper gauging of the
dough sheet can result in these same issues. The goal
should be a ratio between a 2.0 to 3.0 across all reductions
for optimum results. This seems like a simple
setup, but surprisingly, I go into plants regularly where
this is not being done correctly. "
Zvoncheck added lamination is typically not
needed to produce thin, crispy crackers and flatbread.
Three-roll sheeters are preferred over the
traditional four-roll lines because the former work the
dough less due to a smaller overall pressure pocket.
Together, these two processes also provide cost
savings when purchasing a new line.
Praller mentioned that Fritsch's SoftProcessing
approach with the satellite head as its centerpiece
gently sheets the dough for thin crackers and flatbreads.
After cross-rolling the dough, the number of
calibrating heads depends on the final thickness of
the dough to gently roll the sheet to its final thickness.
The line then cuts or punches out dough pieces
with a guillotine just like it does for conventional
crackers.
78 Baking & Snack | february 2025 | bakingbusiness.com
allows the operator to run the line in
automatic mode, 'cruise control,' for product
production, " he said. " In the oven, we have
idle and gap control modes, which ensure any
overbaked product is minimized as much as
possible and energy is conserved. "
Tim Clark, president and chief executive
officer, Radio Frequency Co., said post-bake
dryers at the end of a conventional oven
can result in as much as a 30% increase
in production and eliminate issues with
checking and over-coloration.
.
All baked in
Bakers and snack makers often pair ovens with dryers
to create baked snacks and crackers with their desired
crispy or crunchy texture.
Price recommended the hybrid oven that
combines direct-gas fired (DGF) thermal heat with
high-temperature dryers to remove moisture and
bake consistent crackers. For harder baked snacks, a
combination DGF and direct-forced convection oven
can create crispy, low-moisture snacks with a distinctive,
blistered appearance.
Zvoncheck pointed out that " cracker crisp " type
Bühler
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