GEA has introduced its latest innovation for the baking industry: the new GEA Bake Extruder at IBA in Düsseldorf (Germany), a system designed to meet the evolving demands of medium to large-scale biscuit manufacturers, developed for high-volume and high-speed applications. The extruder delivers high flexibility, productivity, and hygienic operation, whether deployed as a stand-alone unit or integrated with downstream oven systems, the company says.

The new GEA Bake Extruder has been developed to address a range of industrial baking needs, supporting various production styles including wirecut, co-extruded, filled, continuous extruded, and like-deposited products. These formats are commonly used in the production of cookies, bars, and biscuits with varied textures, fillings, and inclusions. 

“GEA identified current needs in a customer survey and aligned its engineering accordingly,” says Matteo Pasquali, application manager soft dough at GEA. “From customer interviews, we learned that the industry demands higher performance, greater flexibility, easier cleaning, and enhanced product variety. The Bake Extruder is our response to those requests.”

Modular versatility with advanced features

The system reportedly offers full modularity with interchangeable dies and cutting mechanisms, including a fully redesigned wirecut system that can nominally operate at speeds of up to 350 strokes per minute across a maximum working width of 1,700 millimeters. For specific product formats, the machine can deliver a performance of 130 cuts per minute when producing encapsulated cookies, and up to 250 cuts per minute for continuous extruded products, GEA notes.

To further enhance versatility, the extruder is equipped with customizable filler blocks and can be configured with optional lobe pumps. These lobe pumps are well suited for processing aerated and softer doughs that may contain inclusions such as chocolate chips or dried fruits, ensuring accurate dosing and maintaining product integrity, the company says.

Precision and control

The GEA Bake Extruder is powered by brushless motors, enabling refined control over extrusion speed and cut timing. Servo-driven axes ensure high repeatability and minimal variance in product size and shape, essential for maintaining consistent quality in high-throughput environments, GEA says. The option to integrate lobe pumps, which provide gentle and accurate dosing for delicate or aerated doughs,  can reportedly add another level of precision, particularly for filled or layered products.

Operator-friendly and hygienic design

The GEA Bake Extruder has introduced a newly developed HMI (Human Machine Interface) with an independent control box. The system is also compatible with ERP integration for streamlined data exchange and predictive maintenance via performance analysis tools.

Hygienic design principles have been applied throughout. Key components, including servo motors, shafts, and supports, are easily accessible for inspection and cleaning, the company notes. A removable hopper, open-head configuration, and photoelectric safety barriers can enable fast, safe sanitation while maintaining compliance with food safety standards, GEA says. Stainless steel elements near the nip point also contribute to reduced component wear.

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