Baking & Snack - September 2023 - 42

BIMBO SANTA MARÍA
ing in equipment has been about
improving efficiencies and maintenance
as well as improving the
lives of its employees.
Today, Santa María, like most
of Grupo Bimbo's facilities, employees
use the Internet of Things
to collect and track data to ensure
the production lines are running
efficiently and product is meeting
quality standards. This also
empowers the assets management
team in their predictive
maintenance schedule. And while
Tortillas are bagged
automatically with
the flexibility to
handle different
quantities.
Ingredients are automatically scaled and added to the
mixers. Dough is mixed for some minutes, depending
on the product. It is then fed to the tortilla line, the latest
technology.
Each production line houses two dividers, allowing
each line to divide twice as much dough to really open
up capacity.
Dough balls then travel through the intermediate
The tortilla
production lines
were installed at
Bimbo Santa María
to meet increased
demand for flour
tortillas in Mexico.
proofer before being pressed and then baked in the
oven. Baked tortillas pass through a cooler to achieve
the appropriate temperature for stacking and packaging.
Before they can reach the packaging line, however, each
tortilla passes through a vision system. Tortillas that
don't fit the pre-programmed specifications are rejected.
Those tortillas that pass inspection are stacked and
packaged by packaging lines, which feature baggers on
each line to handle the capacity needed.
In all of Grupo Bimbo's bakeries, Santa María included,
quality checks are conducted continuously. Product
is pulled off the line and scored around the clock to ensure
that every batch is up to the company's high standards.
Walking through the bakery, visitors can
see the progress throughout the shift at
quality check stations on each production
line.
Grupo Bimbo sticks to a
training schedule to ensure
all team members on the
production room floor are
empowered to fulfill their
potential. Employees retain
general manufacturing
training as well as food
safety, quality assurance
and hands-on training for
the various equipment and
processes.
As the company has automated
Santa María over the years, invest42
Baking & Snack September 2023 / www.bakingbusiness.com
production improvements are important, Mr. Obregon
said the individual is always at the center of these
investments.
" It's not about digitization and robots and eliminating
a position on the line, " he explained. " It's about upskilling
that person on the line. We want to give them the
opportunity to train and be in an upskilled position.
These are our values in action. As we deploy these technologies
worldwide, that's what we're aiming for. "
Leading the way in sustainability
Sustainability is a major priority for Grupo Bimbo, a pillar
in its business strategy and woven into every business
decision. Every work center is expected to meet the
goals set forth by the company.
" Every plant must adhere to mandatory sustainability
practices in Mexico, " said Alejandra Vazquez Langle
Nieto, global sustainability vice president, Grupo Bimbo.
" They don't have to be in compliance all at once, but
they need to have a plan in place for how they are going
to achieve those goals. "
It would be easy to assume that Bimbo Santa María,
being the oldest facility, might struggle to keep up, but
that hasn't been the case. In fact, Bimbo Santa María is
No. 2 in Mexico when it comes to sustainability KPIs,
and No. 1 in water reduction.
" Bimbo Santa María is interesting because it's an old
building and different than what we would build today,
but it's an example of how we can adapt, " Ms. Vazquez
Langle Nieto said. " You just need the right people, tools
and mindset. "
The building has required extensive renovations to
bring it in compliance with food safety and sustainability,
from the finish on the walls and floors to replacing
glass with polycarbon to installing air exchangers and
an air management system to create a positive pressure
in the bakery. The building also didn't have many windows
for natural light, but they have since been added
to reduce the need for artificial lighting. The lights in the
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