Baking & Snack - May 2009 - 102

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PIZZA PROCESSING

not want to waste them, thus they
are using more targeted systems as
opposed to waterfall designs to apply sauces as well as vegetable and
meat toppings. "We can waterfall the
cheese, and as it makes its way to the
transfer point, we knock off the excess
cheese and a recycle conveyor runs it
back through the system, so it doesn't
become waste," Mr. Riggle added.
Raque offers full coverage waterfall systems as well as targeted
depositing for border-free, or cleanedge, pizzas, according to Mr. Tonon.
He said clean-edge pizzas are more
popular today because they are perceived to be a higher quality product
by consumers.
To assist in creating these types of
products, Fritsch offers a multiple
nozzle sauce depositor system that is
a servo-controlled, and because depositor dosing heads are individually
controlled, there is no waste.
Raque's newest topping units have
been designed to handle a variety of
toppings and sauces, according to Mr.
Tonon. The company altered designs
of its equipment to handle chunky
sauces that are often associated with
California-style pizzas, he added. However, because processors are making
new unique-style pizzas, Mr. Tonon
noted that today's pizzas may feature
toppings such as sliced tomatoes or
capsicum that is placed in a pattern
that cannot be handled with a machine
and must be added by hand.
While most pizza topping equipment uses volumetric representations of weights, Mr. Tonon pointed
out that some manufacturers prefer
exact-weight scales to achieve more
precise ingredient weights. Because
cheese and meat toppings are the
most expensive ingredients, some
processors want to better control the
weight and waste, he added. "When
we go to a scaled system, it is much
more expensive than the traditional
ᮣ This machine combines slicing and application
into a single, automated operation, and pepperoni
slices are placed directly onto a moving target.
GROTE, INC.

BAKING & SNACK / May 2009

topping unit, but you can improve
the weight control by as much as
10%," Mr. Tonon said.
Raque has also made design
changes to its equipment because
pizza processors want to run faster
and get more output from their
lines. When speed is of the essence,
the company uses servo drives.
"Speed, weight control and distribution are all interconnected, and unless you consider every one of those
items, you will sacrifice one of them,"
Mr. Tonan said.
Raque has focused on equipment
designs that allow its machines to be
more efficient and provide the end
user with more uptime, focusing on

ᮡ Processors can target ingredients to pizza
shells, limiting the waste created for what can
be expensive ingredients.
RADEMAKER USA

sanitation and mechanical issues that
make maintenance easier, according
to Mr. Tonon. "We've changed to belt
drives from traditional chain drives
because they are more reliable, and
they don't require lubrication and
last longer," he explained. "Also, they
don't stretch like chains. Belt drives
are more reliable, and you have more
uptime rather than performing
preventive maintenance."
The supplier has incorporated
sanitary designs throughout its
entire product lines. "For instance,

Baking & Snack - May 2009

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