Plant Efficiency

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Warehouse automation has evolved significantly in recent years to a level where warehouse execution systems (WES) are now available to streamline material flow and order picking. These systems offer bakeries and snack producers a better way to store and ship goods to market.

Many aspects of mixing equipment for snack and bakery applications, including doughs and batters, continue to evolve, including more automated controls, better sanitary design, vacuum/pressure capabilities and shorter cycling times.

Key Technology introduced its VERYX belt-fed digital sorters. Like the chute-fed VERYX sorters introduced in 2015, the new belt-fed VERYX sorters set new standards of performance.

A super-fast multihead weigher and packing line helps transform fruit snack production.

New Jersey bakery Hudson Bread counts on Koenig for its high-quality bread production, with a new dough sheeting line as the newest addition to its production line.

Barry Callebaut has announced a new project with SAP on a groundbreaking data management tool. 

Advances in connectivity, control and automation are now being applied to processing and packaging lines, bringing new levels of flexibility, performance and cost advantages, as well as concerns about data, plant information and product security.

The way food travels throughout the supply chain from farm to fork is undergoing a serious change to align with the new ways consumers think and shop.

Ingredient traceability is a growing compliance challenge for bakers and snack producers. Statistics show that the number of food-safety recalls has risen rapidly in recent years, and recalls are becoming more costly. Product recalls can cost companies millions of dollars, and damage to the brand’s reputation can impact sales potential for years to come. For companies impacted by recalls—including through potential ingredient contamination—rapid responsiveness is key to minimizing their impact.

The recent Sanitary Design Workshop explored core principles to help snack producers and bakeries position their businesses to meet and exceed regulatory standards.