Baking&Snack - May 2013 - 74

TOPPING & FINISHING EQUIPMENT

Dazzling with drizzles
Icings add value to baked foods, and by drizzling on icing strings, bakeries create uniquelooking products.
Value-added finishing includes melted chocolate
drizzles, according to Stewart Macpherson, owner
and vice-president, sales and marketing, Unifiller
Systems, Delta, BC. The company’s roboticcontrolled machine can be programmed by the
Automatically stringing icing not only
operator to create random-looking drizzles in up to improves the flavor of cakes but also gives
them a premium look, creating a valuethree flavors or colors at the same time, he said.
added product.
Woody Associates, York PA, specializes in
Unifiller Systems
string decorating machines for icings and
chocolate fondants.
Because more bakeries are requiring higher levels of sanitation, Henry
Reinke, president of Woody Associates, said its customers want fully washdown machines made of all stainless steel that can be easily disassembled
without tools. “Our machines are available with those features, and they are
customizable depending on what customers request, he added.
”
String icing applicators from Hinds-Bock Corp., Bothell, WA, feature an
oscillating head that moves the icer back and forth to create a zigzag pattern.
The oscillation and conveyor speeds are both infinitely adjustable so bakers
can create different sizes and wavelengths of zigzags just by turning a couple
of knobs, said Mark Young, the company’s Southeast US sales representative.

nology to automate and apply these
types of sprinkles to the top of cupcakes or distribute and sprinkle the
required product evenly over a moving target using product sensors and
photo eyes,” Mr. Macpherson said.
To meet customer needs, Christy
Machine custom builds its dispensers and will include technology such
as photo eye sensors if that is what
the bakery desires.
It also uses reclaim systems because, as Mr. Fielding noted, “No
one is wasting anything.” Christy
Machine offers a bucket conveyor as
part of its reclaim systems to collect
and deliver the ingredient back to
the hopper.
Reclaim equipment is an effective
way to recycle expensive ingredients when using less costly topping
equipment. “The more it costs, the
more important it is to reclaim it,”
Mr. Searle said.
These systems must have gentle
handling to minimize breakage, he

/ Baking & Snack / May 2013

noted. But at the same time, Axis
Automation’s reclaim systems screen
materials to ensure no debris such as
dough pieces will pass through.

Improving returns
Bakeries today want to achieve
quick ROI for any equipment purchases including topping systems.
And ROI on topping equipment is
twofold, according to Mr. Miller. It’s
the added value to the baked foods
and being able to charge more for
products with toppings.
The return is based on ingredient
cost savings that the automated systems provide by precisely and accurately placing the toppings so there
is less waste and fewer returns or
complaints, he said.
Additionally, Mr. Searle observed
that bakeries’ ROI for new topping
equipment will include a reduction
in labor costs as well as equipment
downtime. “ROI has become very
important nowadays,” he said. “In

most cases, people are looking for
less than a two-year ROI, and if they
can get a one-year ROI, it will be a
slam dunk.”

Sanitizing for safety
Recent food safety requirements demand bakeries place a high priority
on the ability to properly sanitize
topping equipment. And, as Mr.
Searle pointed out, unsanitary conditions can lead to product recalls.
“Because of this need, all of our
units are constructed entirely of stainless steel and food-grade plastics,” Mr.
Moye said. Reading’s units also have
an easy-dump mechanism for complete evacuation of materials from the
hopper and to allow quick and effective cleaning in this area, he added.
According to Mr. Fielding, Christy
Machines builds all of its topping
equipment to USDA-specification
even for the baking industry.
To meet bakers’ concerns about
sanitation, Burford makes its topping equipment washdown capable.
Also, Burford is currently developing a machine it will introduce at
the International Baking Industry
Exposition in October. The small to
mid-level cantilevered machine will
be designed to fit in a tight space so
that bakeries can move it in or out
of lines to spot deposit onto pans.
While it will still feature the company’s mandrel system, Burford is
working to minimize the number of
mandrels needed while still making
it flexible for product changes.
“The target market is for those transitioning from hand topping or who
have tight areas,” Mr. Miller said. “The
direct-drive system will replace our
economy seeder, offering a lower cost
way to spot deposit without changing
out mandrels every time.”
Much equipment exists for applying toppings and finishing flourishes
to baked foods, and by adding these
final touches, bakeries not only increase the value of their products, but
they also boost their bottom lines.

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