“A more robust fat pump is a must in order to run these type of fats.” Such pumps also allow users to run colder fats (at temperatures in the low 40s).

Easy-to-use sheeters

“What people are looking for is a sheeting line that one operator can run,” says David Moline, P.E., sales and marketing manager, Moline Machinery, Duluth, Minn. “This can comprise a very complex set of equipment, so automation is really the key.”

Introduced about two years ago, Moline Machinery’s Libra sheeters are “a complete redesign of what our sheeters used to be,” says Moline. “We decided to update them, based on some feedback that we’d been getting, to try to make them as easy as possible for the operators to use, sanitize and maintain.”

Moline Machinery incorporated sensors that automatically monitor dough tension from extrusion through to the sheeters, which maintains a relaxed dough sheet throughout the system. A programmable logic controller (PLC) and touchscreen operator panel make operation and troubleshooting easy.

In addition, a low-profile design enables operators to look inside the Libra systems. “The problem with sheeters is that they can get tall, making it hard for operators to see into them,” Moline explains. “You need to be able to see the dough traveling through the sheeter head to make the proper adjustments.”

Like Moline, Nigel Morris, director of sales and marketing at DrieM Dough Sheeting Technology B.V., ‘s-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands, a Kaak Group company, says bakers are looking for more automation in sheeters, so they need fewer people to operate their lines.

“All DrieM sheeting lines are ‘self-feeding,’ so they don’t need any assistance during startup,” Morris explains. “Using control sensors throughout the sheeting process, we can control the flow of the dough automatically. We also provide automatic supply of flour to applicators, so that a full-time operator is not needed on the line.” 

DrieM’s newest addition to its d’Artagnan sheeting line can produce dough sheets up to 1,400 mm wide at a rate of up to 12,000 kg. per hour, according to Morris. The sheeter can be used to produce different types of bread and pizza dough and is designed so it can be washed down completely. 

Washdown and sanitary designs are also important considerations for Rondo Burgdorf AG’s customers, says Andrea Henderson, vice president of sales for Moonachie, N.J.-based Rondo Inc., the sales and service headquarters for the Swiss company’s bakery, food-processing, dough-making and dough-processing equipment. 

Unveiled at iba 2012, Rondo’s new Compas HD computerized dough sheeter, the latest generation of its Compas machine, is constructed completely of stainless steel and features smooth surfaces without niches and bolts to facilitate cleaning. Special aprons on the automatic flour duster and photoelectric cells are cleaned automatically each time the machine reverses. 

Designed for the artisanal sector, the Compas HD sheets all dough types and is easy to operate, thanks to features like a color touchscreen, program lists and easy-to-understand symbols.

Also introduced at iba 2012, Rondo’s MIDOS (Multiple Industrial Dough System) was developed to address several market requirements: No process flour or oil needed; defined control of the dough structure; homogenous dough bands with constant width and thickness; excellent cleaning and hygienic characteristics; and flexible feeding options.

So whether you want a laminator or sheeter that requires fewer operators, is easier to clean and maintain, can handle a variety of different products or all of these attributes, you’re sure to find a line today that meets your needs.