PIZZA
Thinking all around the pizza box
© AMF
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Pizza and flatbreads. Naan and wraps. Pitas and handheld snacks. This is a generous and exciting product range, with ample space for new innovations. AMF Bakery Systems (AMF) designs complete systems that support all of them, with results matching artisan craft.
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Either sheeted or pressed, dough pieces will go through the line in a closely controlled process. There are several solutions to choose from, starting with complete pizza production systems, which handle pizza balls, pizza bases, and toppings with complete, dedicated lines, and also include baking and freezing equipment. Almost any kind of pizza can be manufactured with these lines, from thin to thick crust, American or Italian style, to vegan, or gluten-free, and higher rim, for example. Both fresh and frozen pizza can be processed, with the latter having the bigger market share worldwide. AMF’s pizza systems can produce from 2,000 to upwards of 100,000 pizzas per hour, depending on the size of the pizza and the desired working widths of the line. Lex van Houten, Regional Marketing Manager, AMF Bakery Systems, underlines some possible variations: “We are highly flexible with execution to fit the space available in the bakery, which is often an existing factory, but sometimes also a ‘green
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field’, new location. Variations in products, production volumes, floor space, and future growth are all important elements we consider when designing a new pizza or flatbread production line.” AMF’s solutions for the pizza family of products range from semi-automatic equipment to fully-automated lines. The second category features smart solutions that help with quality control and better accuracy of the line, compared to manual operations. Any style of pizza can be created and styled on AMF’s dedicated lines, the company says. The AMF Tromp SF Sheeting line can handle pizza dough coming straight out of the mixer, including pre-fermented dough or highlyhydrated types of dough. “Eating cultures around the globe determine what kind of pizza or flatbread a consumer likes best. Europeans like Italian pizza, with stone-baked crust, but also American-style pizza, with a thick base, or even pan-pizza which is a real dinner dish. Asian consumers heat pizza in a microwave as well, so the crust needs to be prepared
differently for that. It all depends on the desired end product,” the specialist illustrates.
Always on top: pizza toppings AMF Tromp pizza topping systems are some of the latest technology developments for this product range at AMF. They are designed to be flexible and very hygienic, which is why they can be easily wheeled away from the line for quick changeovers and cleaning, to keep productivity high. Here, too, we find options: depending on the speed and production volumes, waterfall topping with a recycling system is often used to apply the cheese to the pizza dough. For more targeted applications (e.g., meat, fish, chicken, or vegetables) centered on the pizza, Tromp’s target applicator is the more efficient choice. A traveling manifold strews the preset amount of topping onto the product, without wasting ingredients, and then moves on to the next pizza base. “It is a sustainable way of decorating pizzas and flatbreads, and the resulting
