Baking & Snack - October 2021 - 88

MIXERS
It's not all size and strength, however, according to
Peter Frederiksen, sales director, Varimixer.
" The size of the motor in itself does not ensure a
strong mixer, " he said. " The construction of the power
transfer and the speed range also has a big impact on the
performance and capacity of the mixer. "
Reading Bakery Systems (RBS) designs its Exact
Continuous Mixers for the type of dough being mixed
and uses advanced variable frequency drives to monitor
kilowatt (kw) draw and instantaneous spikes in
amperage.
" Should either of these things occur, the mixer will
automatically shut down, " said Matt Risser, Exact Mixing
product line manager, RBS.
DESIGNED FOR SAFE AND
EASY CLEANING
A clean mixer not only results in
sanitary dough but also a longlasting
mixer.
" Keeping the mixer clean in
general is key to ensure optimal
functionality, " said Peter
Frederiksen, sales director,
Varimixer. " Dirt and humidity can
cause many potential problems
with rust and bacteria. Make sure
to get a stainless steel waterproof
mixer, which can be cleaned
with a water hose, making this
process much safer and quicker.
A stainless steel mixer will also
last much longer and have lower
maintenance costs. "
However, all that water and, in
some cases, chemicals can impact
the integrity of the equipment,
so it is critical that mixers are
designed for easy cleaning.
Stainless steel is at the top of
the list for mixers that can stand
up against cleaning chemicals.
" To improve hygiene and ease
the cleaning of equipment, the
choice of materials is essential, "
said Claire Auffrédou, marketing
and digital development, VMI.
" Stainless steel is a good option
for food contact and is very resistant,
especially to corrosion. "
88 Baking & Snack October 2021 / www.bakingbusiness.com
Mixers can also be designed without components that
require much maintenance. On its large mixers, Topos
Mondial removed the gearboxes that require oil changes
and replaced them with direct belt drives.
AMF Bakery Systems' Open Frame Mixer operates
with a direct-drive tilt system, which eliminates the need
for hydraulic chains or belt tilt components. This creates
a maintenance-free tilting operation.
An investment in the future
When purchasing a new mixer, bakers should fit it to
their current product lineup's needs, but they shouldn't
ignore future products. That way the mixer can grow
with the company.
Damian Morabito, president,
Topos Mondial Corp., however,
pointed out that it's important to
get the correct grade of stainless
steel. While a mild steel may work
for some applications, it can wear
more and be prone to rust.
Many of the recent changes in
sanitary design have been minor
ones with big impacts, as Andrew
McGhie, director of sales, Shaffer,
a Bundy Baking solution, pointed
out. Round tube frame design
eliminates dust buildup. Improved
bowl seals prevent flour dust from
escaping, and easily removable
agitator shaft seals make these
seals easier to clean and therefore
they will be cleaned more often.
" More overt sanitary improvements
include high-pressure
clean-in-place systems that can
more quickly and more thoroughly
clean the agitator and bowl using
less water, " Mr. McGhie said.
" Simple improvements like using
a removeable butterfly valve on
the top of the mixer canopy stops
the mixing process from backsplashing
into the ingredient feed
lines. "
Improving access is another
key feature in equipment design
that makes sanitation and maintenance
both easier. AMF Bakery
Systems' Open Frame Mixer has
a round tubular open frame that
prevents flour and water from collecting.
The main shaft seals are
easy to remove.
" All of our continuous mixers
are designed with sanitation and
food safety in mind, " said Matt
Risser, Exact Mixing product
line manager, Reading Bakery
Systems. " The mixers have
minimal feet to the floor, round
or sloped surfaces where possible,
a polished internal chamber,
use of air seals over mechanical
seals where possible, and mixing
chambers that open in a clamshell
fashion for easier access. "
Clean-in-place (CIP) systems
automate the sanitation process.
" We also develop CIP systems
to offer more efficient cleaning
solutions, especially on intensive
production equipment such as
automated mixing systems, " Ms.
Auffrédou said.
E.T. Oakes' dual-purpose sanitary
pumps that meter product
to the mixers and can be used as
part of the CIP system as well.
" This has simplified the CIP
process with less piping requirements,
reduced footprint dimensions
and less overall cost and
complexity, " said Bob Peck, vice
president of engineering, E.T.
Oakes.
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