Baking & Snack - June 2024 - 79

EQUIPMENT
Mixing
Stretched Too Thin
T
by Charlotte Atchley
The world of mixing is vast with a wide range of systems to
choose from to suit specific dough's or batter's needs. Using
the right mixer is critical because developing the proper
dough or batter is the first step in baking and snack manufacturing.
If the dough or batter isn't right, there's not much
that can be done downstream to salvage the product.
Mixer suppliers can home in on the exact mixer and
tools to ensure that food manufacturers get the most precise
dough or batter every time. But having a separate mixer
designed for each product is a luxury few can afford.
" In a perfect world, each recipe would have its own
mixer because of its unique characteristics, " said Andrew
Adreani, business development manager, Escher Mixers,
a Middleby Bakery company. " In the practical world, we
try to do as much as we can with one piece of machinery. "
Capital and space constraints leave bakers trying to
do more with less on their production lines, and the
mixing station is no different.
" Bakers prefer mixing equipment to be versatile and not
too specific because this eases the strain on production, "
said Jim Warren, vice president, Exact Mixing, Reading
Bakery Systems (RBS). " Some products are more difficult
to make, and specific mixers are made for those products,
such as pasta, pie crusts and baked potato snacks. "
It is critical to invest in the right mixer for the right
baking or snack application, and at some point, volume
and quality will dictate the need for a new mixer. Until
then, or if the products are close enough, bakers and
snack manufacturers can adjust their existing mixers to
handle multiple types of doughs or batters.
Ways to tailor
Ideally, when choosing a mixer, bakers or snack producers
need a solid understanding of the types of products
they produce.
" The first thing they need to understand is if they are
developing gluten, " said Damian Morabito, chief executive
officer, Topos Mondial. " Gluten development rewww.bakingbusiness.com
/ June 2024 Baking & Snack 79
quires a kneading action. For gluten-free doughs you're
just looking for a good homogenous mix. So you have
to understand what type of dough you have and that the
mixer is right for that application. "
By selecting the right mixer, tool or agitator and then
adjusting parameters such as time and speed, most bakers
can find a mixer that will work for their products.
This can all happen by testing the equipment at equipment
suppliers' facilities while avoiding the costs associated
with purpose-built equipment.
" While adding some versatility to a single mixer is
achievable, bakeries must carefully evaluate the range
of different products, projected volumes and associated
operating costs compared to investing purposebuilt
equipment, " said Genevieve Zoe Dewald, sales and
marketing analyst, Zeppelin Systems USA. " Continuous
Operators can
change agitator
speed on roller bars
in a horizontal mixer
to accommodate
the absorption or
incorporation needs
of different doughs.
AMF Bakery Systems
Bakers and snack
manufacturers try to get the
most from their mixers as they
expand their product portfolios.
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Baking & Snack - June 2024

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