Baking & Snack - October 2021 - 120

featured technical expert Q&A
Jason Stricker has been in the field of ingredient automation for
more than 20 years and has developed a wealth of knowledge in
ingredient automation and process solutions. He specializes in
guiding customers from the start of a new plant design to helping
them increase their capabilities in existing facilities. Mr. Stricker
has often been called upon by producers and industry affiliates
as a subject matter expert in the areas of ingredient automation/
process design, explosion mitigation and regulatory compliance.
He was introduced to the industry by Dave Stricker, his father,
a 17-year veteran at Shick Tube-Veyor in Kansas City, Mo. Mr.
Stricker spent many summers during his early childhood growing
up in the Shick offices reorganizing production order boards
and other tasks. His first professional job was as a Shick representative
for Thompson Hill. Since then, he has spent 15 years as
What are the first steps bakers should take
when starting a new plant design vs. increasing
capabilities in existing facilities?
When it comes to new plant design, it is important to consider not
only current production needs but to also envision what possible
future expansions may produce. It can be difficult to do at first as
customers often feel the need to be very specific without knowing
exactly what they will do. The reality is that a generalized vision
is typically enough to allow suppliers to design for current needs
and the increased demand in the future in an economical fashion.
When it comes to increasing capabilities within an existing facility,
manufacturers are in more of a reactionary mode. They are solving
specifically for facility and possible system constraints as the
design points to meeting new production demands.
What are the major concerns bakers have about safety
and regulation when it comes to ingredient handling?
The three most frequently discussed areas center around safety
of personnel, food safety and - when dealing with combustible
dusts - maintaining National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA)
compliance.
What are the keys to adding a minor and micro
ingredient handling system?
The first steps are always to understand the customer goals followed
by a detailed recipe/production analysis. Often there is a
desire to automate all ingredients, but in operations that use a very
wide range of ingredients this may not be economically feasible.
The key is to analyze the data and help customers understand the
120 Baking & Snack October 2021 / www.bakingbusiness.com
a company employee, spending
more than a decade working in
regional and executive account
management. More recently, he
served as director of sales and marketing
and in May 2021 was promoted
to the position of senior vice president
of sales and marketing for Shick Esteve in
Kansas City.
Mr. Stricker earned his bachelor of science degree in biology
from Baldwin City, Kan.-based Baker University and is an
active member of the Bakery Equipment Manufacturers and
Allieds (BEMA) association, where he holds a seat on the Baking
Industry Forum (BIF).
best candidates for automation. This can be based upon amounts
per batch, frequency of use or commonality across recipes.
What are the challenges for installing outdoor
ingredient handling silos vs. indoor systems?
Each has a particular set of criteria to be evaluated, but neither is
particularly challenging. For indoor silos available space can be
challenging relative to desired storage capacity. Some areas of the
country may require more elaborate or expensive silo pads for outdoor
silos.
How do you design an ingredient handling system
for future expansion in a new facility?
We refer to this as master planning. Many of our customers may
only plan to install one or two lines to start, but they are either
building the facility or at least planning it for easy building expansions
to house many more. Discussing with them upfront
what those planned future lines may produce allows us to design
for easier and less intrusive modifications when the time comes.
Of course, plans can always change as their business evolves, but
knowing what might be coming goes a long way toward accommodating
those future needs.
What are the three most overlooked aspects of
automating ingredient handling?
First, understand the value proposition for certain features or system
designs that may slightly increase upfront capital spending but
go a long way toward longevity and reliability while decreasing the
http://www.bakingbusiness.com
Baking & Snack - October 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Baking & Snack - October 2021
