Baking & Snack - November 2024 - 78

COOLING & FREEZING
Many producers are
expanding their frozen
operations to meet
the growing demand
for these convenient
products.
Intralox
The company's Ultra Series Freezers and Coolers, for
example, automatically control infiltration at the infeed
and discharge of spiral freezers or coolers using an autopressurization
system, ensuring product reaches its desired
temperature more quickly.
Producers looking to increase throughput should also
ensure the capacities of their equipment match up across
the line. Smith noted this often isn't the case, resulting in
production bottlenecks.
" If a freezer sized for 10,000 lbs per hour is sitting behind
an oven that is only sized for 5,000 lbs per hour, it
can only freeze 5,000 lbs per hour, " she said. " Bakeries
have so many pieces of equipment in a single line that
it can be especially challenging. To avoid this problem,
bakers should make sure they're asking for the same
things from all their equipment vendors (especially related
to capacity and loading patterns). "
David Bogle, conditioning platform lead engineer,
Intralox, stressed that understanding all the potential
bottlenecks on a line is critical to maximizing capacity.
" It could be dwell time, meaning that a product needs
a certain amount of time in the system to achieve the desired
temperatures, " he explained. " Secondly, it could be a
system speed limitation from the maximum speed of the
spiral or amperage of the motors are at maximum. Finally,
it could be a product orientation or quality issue. Once
the true bottleneck is known, then a plan can be put in
place to remove that bottleneck or at least make it better. "
Bakers should also plan for additional capacity down
the road to avoid future bottlenecks.
" I think the most frequent challenge bakers make when
planning a freezer is not anticipating well enough for their
own success, " said Bryan Hobbs, director of factory service,
Ashworth Bros. Inc. " Capacity constraints often tend
to develop years after the freezer is installed, and increasing
the capacity at that point can be far more expensive
than simply adding that availability in the initial design. "
Throughput is further limited by available floor space,
78 Baking & Snack November 2024 / www.bakingbusiness.com
which is often at a premium in baking and snack facilities.
" There are many ways to solve these issues such as
using a cooler that can be located outside of the facility
where the product can travel in and out, " said Arthur
Mrumlinski, application engineer, Eaglestone. " It all
comes down to working with the customer to determine
the best possible solution for their needs. "
Finding the best belt
The belts that run through a cooler or freezer, and how
efficiently they're used, also impact throughput and
product quality.
" Often when I visit customers, they aren't really optimizing
their belt loading, " Smith noted. " This usually looks like
stacked product or failure to use the entire belt width. "
By using more of the belt width, bakers can cool or
freeze a greater amount of product at the same time
without needing to significantly adjust the line. Opting
for longer belt lengths within the cooler or freezer, or
wider belts that can hold more lanes of product, similarly
boosts output, Hobbs said.
Keir Bordner, technical product specialist, Wire Belt
Co. of America, observed that advances in open-mesh
steel conveyor belting allow producers to cool or freeze
product at a quicker rate than traditional plastic and
high-density metal options.
" For example, on linear coolers, metal conveyor belts
with 70% to 86% open area allow for more rapid cooling
solutions, " he said. " This efficient cooling of product allows
for shorter conveyor circuits, less energy usage and increased
throughput while also reducing quality complaints. "
Advancements in vulcanized belts, which are more
resistant to heat, similarly reduce the energy needed to
cool or freeze product, Mrumlinski said. Eaglestone has
also added tunnel fans and ambient fans over conveyors
to lower temperatures more quickly.
Choosing the best belt for a line also depends on the
products being run.
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