Investing in innovation and expanding a product line puts new demands on production. To accommodate new products — even for testing — flexibility is key. Bakers need equipment designed with changeovers in mind so operators can move from one product to the next quickly and easily.
“Cracker producers are looking for equipment that is adaptable to allow innovation while minimizing their development and production costs,” Mr. Maller said. “As this snack category evolves, processors are looking beyond traditional cracker technology to create new products.”
Extruders allow operators to independently adjust many parameters to be able to make a wide variety of products. The continuous extrusion process also enables small batch runs, especially helpful for product testing and niche products.
“Designing for quick changeover has always been Clextral’s focus as our extruders commonly run multiple products on the same machine,” Mr. Maller said.
The company’s EV+ extruders’ ability to self-learn and advance temperature control enables quicker start-ups, total process stability and operating flexibility, he noted.
Baker Perkins combines extrusion with sheeting to create a flexible cracker operation.
“For flexibility, some snack crackers and other products can now be cut from a sheet of extruded dough before being baked or fried,” said Keith Graham, marketing manager, Baker Perkins. To achieve this, a wide-slot die at the end of a twin-screw extruder produces a thin sheet of dough into a rotary cutter.
Traditional cracker makeup technology — laminators and sheeters — also may be designed with flexibility in mind, and often must be to keep up with future product innovations.
“Many producers need lines that are flexible to meet the needs of current products and allow for new unique products in the future,” said Shawn Moye, vice-president, sales, Reading Bakery Systems.
Sheeting rolls can produce different textures on product surfaces for an interesting cracker surface. Reading can install dough sheeters adjacent to or directly above its servo cut sheet laminator so as not to sacrifice space and production efficiency for flexibility.
Tool-free removal is a common strategy for improving changeovers. In an effort to meet the need for high-capacity, high-speed lines that are flexible, Franz Haas Machinery of America, Inc., has the capability to design lines up to 2-m wide.
“Our systems have been designed with tool-free changeovers, easy access and wipe-down surfaces, and belts that can be changed without tools in about 20 minutes,” said Kevin Knott, technical sales manager.
