With a global market value of approximately $331.37 billion and future growth expected thanks to disposable incomes and consumers looking for a wider range of healthier baked goods, the baking industry has become a fiercely competitive marketplace. It’s not just bakers but all food producers that are seeing strong competition and demands for high quality products.

This is why manufacturers of breads, pastries, pies, pizzas, snacks, ready meals, and even pet foods, need to ensure that not only do they have the right ovens, provers and coolers but also ensure they get the best from them. This means efficient maintenance of all baking machinery equipment in the process.

Here are three key areas to consider.

1. General maintenance

The everyday use of flour, sugar and other ingredients creates a build-up on the machines and without cleaning thoroughly at the end of each day, unexpected downtime becomes more likely. Deep cleaning all equipment routinely can not only ensure that your equipment lasts as long as possible but also produces the results your customers demand. General maintenance is also key for food producers to meet stringent hygiene measures.

Typically, bakeries only have an eight hour window for cleaning and maintenance, and some cereal plants can run for a month non-stop. To put this into context, a typical Spooner oven can bake a tonne of bread every 7.5 minutes, and should downtime for cleaning and maintenance overrun by just 15 minutes it is a loss of two tonnes, or approximately 2,500 loaves, from the production line.

When you consider this and that highly engineered components, each with a specific purpose and demanding task in the baking process, will slowly grow inefficient and even break down if not properly cared for it highlights further the importance of maintaining a clean and efficient operation.

If you’re looking for solutions to not only improve productivity but also avoid costly downtime that could damage the quality of food production, Spooner can support you with servicing, maintenance and optimisation plans from SpoonerPlus.

2. Consider replacement parts or upgrades

Any maintenance schedule should include both checking parts for wear and keeping machinery clean. The old saying ‘prevention is cheaper than the cure’ springs to mind.

However, consideration should also be given to the concept of upgrades or the stocking of critical spare parts. Demand for quality and quantity has already forced high volume producers to upgrade their equipment. It shouldn’t be considered a cost but an investment in beating the competition, driving efficiency and reducing waste.

Spooner equipment can be configured to offer tailored conditions when proving, baking or cooling all with the aim of delivering high performance. We manufacture fully bespoke equipment, built for each customer based on their exact requirements, meaning we can inspect and advise on replacement parts or upgrades that will keep you a step ahead of the competition.

The SpoonerPlus team can provide essential aftercare to both new and existing customers. With almost 90 years’ unrivaled worldwide experience in industrial processing solutions, SpoonerPlus is in the continuous improvement process business and can enable your process equipment to produce consistent baked products every time.

If you would like to speak to someone directly, please email Andrew Stead (astead@spooner.co.uk) or call +44 (0)1943 609505.

3. Consider heat and energy recovery systems

With a strong focus on sustainability, customers preferring to partner with businesses that show positive steps towards supporting the environment, sharply rising energy prices and logistics challenges, it is no wonder more and more baked goods manufacturers are installing heat recovery systems that help offset costs.

Effective heat recovery makes the company less dependent on energy prices and reduces the impact rising prices have on production.

Our systems are:

• Fully automated – No operator intervention required
• Maintenance friendly – Robust systems designed to allow easy access for cleaning and maintenance
• Retrofitted – Spooner heat recovery systems can be fitted to new or existing equipment
• Bespoke designs – Each system is tailor-made to individual exact requirements
• Reduces energy consumption with a good return on capital investment often of less than four years

Consumers ultimately want the same great taste with each bite and we pride ourselves on providing the precise conditions for perfect baking.

If you want to find out more about our Industrial Provers, Industrial Ovens, Industrial Coolers or Spooner Heat Recovery Systems, contact us here or call +44 (0)1943 609 505.

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