For small to mid-sized bakeries, manually laminating a dough sheet can be not only labor-intensive but also result in myriad other issues.
“Laminators not only take out the human factor but also provide much more consistent layering, which in turn provides a much higher-quality, finished product,” said Jim Cummings, president, Tromp Group Americas.
That’s why most modern laminating or sheeting lines are fully automatic with either inline cooling or block production, as well as block feeding, that dramatically reduces manual labor, said Patrick Nagel, technical project coordinator, Fritsch USA.
Croissants, Mr. Nagel added, can get filled, folded, coiled and even bent and pinched automatically. Today’s systems also automatically place dough pieces on pans or sheets before they travel into a proofer, freezer or oven.
Rademaker’s lines can crank out up to 36,000 croissants per hour with more than a 95% yield, noted Eric Riggle, president, Rademaker USA. The lines also provide numerous solutions for automating the bending, pinching and panning of croissants.
