Baking&Snack - April 2017 - 103

OPERATIONS
Automation

Installing new equipment on an existing line creates opportunities to
enhance the line's performance, but it can also pose some challenges.
by Dan Malovany
It may be touted as the biggest or the best, but be careful
what you wish for when adding the latest moulder, panner
or other key component to a production line - especially
one that's been around for a decade or more.
In many ways, investing in a piece of equipment can be
like recruiting a star baseball or basketball player who can
significantly alter the chemistry of a team. While the expectation is to enhance overall performance, the new piece to
the puzzle can set off an unexpected chain of events - or
even a domino effect - that can take days or weeks or even
longer to get everything working on the same page again.
To avoid untoward surprises, strategic capital investments require not only preparation and evaluation but also
anticipation. In many cases, installing one new piece of
equipment on the front end of an operation may trigger a
bottleneck down the line. Such a situation simply results in
additional investments to further fine-tune the process and
get it to operate at the optimal level.
Yes, automation can be a beautiful thing, but be prepared
to expect the unexpected when it comes to integrating the
new with the old. How do you avoid any surprises?
"Four main challenges come to mind," observed Jerry
Barnes, president, Unified Bakery Technology, which creates integrated bakery solutions for The Babb Group. "The
first involves a clear understanding of the new system's
impact and being careful not to introduce unforeseen
bottlenecks or service headaches. The second involves
ensuring that product transfers both into and out of the
equipment are seamless. Next, one should make sure that
electrical interlocks are cleanly interfaced, and fourth,
identify safety considerations to mitigate any hazards that
may be introduced."

On bread and bun lines, bakers need to predetermine the new system's overall compatibility to ensure
a smooth transition, according to Aaron Favors, field
service manager, Baker Thermal Solutions, part of the
Middleby Bakery Group. "It's important to maintain pan
sizes, rates and flows when refurbishing some equipment and adding new equipment to other sections of
the line," he pointed out. "All equipment has maximum
outputs based on pans or pieces per minute. These numbers are fairly easy to find, and our sales staff and engineers have spreadsheets that can be easily manipulated
to show various scenarios."
Space can be a concern, especially when installing a piece
of equipment in the middle of a line, suggested Dennis
Gunnell, vice-president of sales and marketing, Formost
Fuji. "So many times, you are given an allotted space, and
it's approved by the bakery engineering staff, but then it
changes during the course of a project," he said.
Shoehorning a piece of equipment after it's already built
can cause unnecessary delays. "Sometimes the biggest challenge is getting all of the players to the table at the same
time before the project begins," Mr. Gunnell added. "That
way, you can determine what needs to be done mechanically or electronically to integrate that piece of equipment
into the line."
In addition to space, don't forget to consider ceiling
height. Vertical challenges often limit the ability to expand
or even install certain types of new equipment.
"Most of the older bakeries were not constructed with
the high ceilings that you see in newer bakeries today," noted Bob Harrington, vice-president of sales and marketing,
Capway Automation. "The higher ceilings allow us to take

If bakers have the space,
they can install a new fryer
to produce high-volume
donuts while the older
system can make shortrun items.

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