Snack, nutritional, granola and breakfast bar producers have been historically quick to respond to the latest trends. This is why their production lines need to be extremely versatile.

It doesn’t matter if their products are made with gluten-free, keto or ancient grains to clean label and high-protein ingredients. Bar makers need systems that can handle them all.

“Whether it is extruding the bars, cutting them, filling them with a center, adding dry or wet toppings and decoration, a big driver is operational flexibility,” said Chuck Sena, director of sales and marketing, Axis Automation. “Taking a modular approach allows the snack bar makers to configure their lines with the various options in a different order. For example, they may want to apply a center layer of fruit between layers of grain, but for other products, they want to apply that layer further upstream.”

Edward Porter, operations director, PTL Machinery, pointed out that protein and other nutrition bars can vary significantly in their density, which affects how they are formed.

“Having equipment that can handle the forming of the most dense products, while still being able to form more delicate products effectively, is critical,” he said. 

Porter added the ability to use a top and bottom roller set at different temperatures during forming allows producers to create different types of bars, especially unbaked energy and nutritional varieties.

“Fast changeover or ‘swap out’ parts, easy sanitation of the equipment and speed of redeployment into production startup are all factors that can greatly enhance the output of a line and the range of products that can be formed on it,” he said.

Bar producers are also exploring different sizes, such as minis that offer a more attractive price point for budget-minded consumers to larger ones that provide meal replacement for people on the go.

“Handtmann equipment relies on a volumetric pump, so manufacturers know how much volume it’s pushing out,” said Andres Lopez, business development manager, Handtmann. “You would just have to change the inserts, which are the forms that are placed at the outlet of the machine, to create different sizes and shapes.”

He added that controlling the dimensions, shape and weight of the snack bars can save money in the long run because many ingredients such as premium fruit and nuts are pricey. Proper portioning is critical, especially on higher volume lines that use Handtmann’s FS-510 multilane machine to produce bars.

 “You’re not giving products away or not underdelivering on what you said you would,” Lopez said.

For accurate portioning, Reiser’s Vemag positive displacement portioner features a double-screw pump that extrudes a continuous flow of product with consistent thickness and width without damaging, crushing or smearing large, delicate particulates. 

The company noted the extruder’s integrated cutoff device controls the length of the product that creates exact-weight portions with clean, even edges. The easy-to-clean system offers quick changeovers from one shape to another.

For larger applications, Reiser’s waterwheel flow divider can be used to feed several extruders for multilane production.

Building versatility into an operation requires looking at how each machine operates with other systems on a production line.

“The key is to design a flexible wirecut or bar extruder, such as Reading’s new WCX unit, that allows for a quick changeover in production parts, is easy to clean and operate and designed for washdown,” said Sam Pallottini, director, biscuit, cookie and pet food sales, Reading Bakery Systems (RBS). “Additionally, the oven must be fully automated to make changing between products fast and easy. The RBS Prism Emithermic Oven is completely automated and recipe-controlled, which means the type of heat, exhaust and temperature are all PLC-controlled.”

Sergio Caballero, regional sales director, FoodTools, said today’s slicing machines for smaller bar producers provide consistency to the process by reducing the opportunity for human error in the cutting process.

Manufacturers can use the company’s CS-RS for half sheets or the CS-10TWWA for full sheets to accommodate a wide range of types and sizes of energy and unbaked bars. 

He added that FoodTools’ more automated machines incorporate a servo-positioned table with a computer-controlled PLC to cut dough into triangles and diamonds or the more conventional square and rectangle bars. Its ultrasonic blade, vibrating 20,000 times per second, can slice sticky or delicate bars, and the company has inline systems for higher-volume production lines.

Bar producers need to weigh their options carefully when selecting mechanical or ultrasonic slicing. Caballero recommended initially considering a mechanical system because it’s more affordable, but ultimately, many stickier products may require an ultrasonic option. Keep in mind that portioning is a science when it comes to bars.

“Ultrasonic systems are not going to cut everything,” he advised. “There is a temperature window that our systems establish during the development stages that varies by specific product type.”

In addition, producers need to establish the dwell time after pressing to make sure the freshly made sheet of ingredients for some items, such as gooey, inclusion-packed, unbaked bars, has properly set before cutting.

“It may be 5 minutes or 20 minutes,” Caballero noted. “It all depends on the product.”

Similarly, Sena pointed out, there may be requirements to apply toppings. For some formulations, the process may involve applying dry ingredients followed by wet ingredients. Other times, wet ingredients are initially placed to enable the dry ingredient to adhere to the product. Modular systems can be moved throughout the line to accommodate different processes.

“Giving the bakers the ability to quickly and easily change the sequence of operations allows them to effectively use their production space and their equipment assets while managing their capital outlay for the equipment,” he observed.

To ensure consistency, Porter urged bar manufacturers to better control every variable in the process.

“This could range from the tolerance specifications on selected bearings, the thermal expansion on selected FDA-approved plastics or the resolution on tracking of a product-contact conveyor belt,” he explained. “The devil is in the details, and managed effectively, they will ensure consistency. Millimeters matter.”

When looking to automate, bar producers need to comprehend why they are making the change and how it will impact their operations.

“Understand what the objective is,” Lopez advised. “Are you trying to make soft bars, hard protein bars or nut bars? Focus on that product because it’s going to determine what type of technology you go with because there is not a one-size-fits-all when it comes to bars.” 

For bar makers, new product innovation combined with a durable health-and-wellness halo have reawakened this dynamic market. 

“It’s the simplicity of the ingredients, and producers can charge a premium price, and people will pay for it,” Caballero said. “I see the bar industry continuing to grow. I see new businesses popping up all the time, and they all have a unique story to tell about why they’re getting into the category.”

That’s a story that will also drive the need for automation as bar producers quickly react to constantly changing consumer trends.

This article is an excerpt from the October 2024 issue of Baking & Snack. To read the entire feature on Bar Processing, click here.