PRODUCTION
The steps to dough consistency Automated continuous mixing delivers real-time process assessment and consistency round the clock.
© VMI
12
+
Continuous mixers allow for all parameters to be constantly monitored and saved digitally, including ingredient stream rates, dough temperature, mixing energy input, throughput, mixer shaft speed, coolant temperatures, starts and stops, ingredient refill status, ingredient totalizers, dough totalizers, and many others. Exact Mixing’s continuous mixing systems, for example, are fully automated, meaning that the operators need only respond to alarms in case readings show parameters deviate from preset values, which doesn't happen very often. The collected data is saved and used to generate graphs to compare actual values against set points. Information quantifying the dough production is also available, with details about its current progress, the amount completed per shift, or sorted by any other criteria that are useful to production.
”We now offer five distinct continuous mixing models for different applications and customer requirements. The HDX Mixer is just one example of technology expansion.“ Jim Warren, Vice President, Exact Mixing
“The analysis of the data can then be configured in any way that the end-user sees fit. In the control system, all
www.bakingbiscuit.com 02/2022
parameters are constantly monitored, and statistical analyses of parameters are available. The available information is only limited by the imagination of the person seeking the data,” Jim Warren, Vice President, Exact Mixing, explains.
Systems ready for the unexpected The ingredients’ temperature commonly varies during the mixing process. Differences can be cyclical if the flour is stored in a silo outside or can occur between days and seasons. When dough is produced with continuous systems, other parameters are not likely to vary in the absence of external influences. With continuous mixing, products and processes are fully repeatable from shift to shift and day to day because the metering and mixing processes are fully automated. If there are variations identified, they are generally corrected automatically, before the operator has time to react. But, “If one parameter continues to create alarms, the system needs to be inspected to determine the cause of the upset. For example, temperature variations can be automatically compensated for with our dough temperature measuring instrument when used in conjunction with our water blending valve,” Warren explains. The water temperature is automatically adjusted to match a set point for the dough temperature. However, in case of a failure with the hot water
