Baker Perkins upgrades biscuit forming range
Date: 11 July 2007
Enhanced performance and product quality
Baker Perkins is applying the latest plant and motion control technology to upgrade its biscuit forming machinery and enhance performance and product quality.
Accurate control of dough piece size and weight have always been key benefits of Baker Perkins’ sheet forming and cutting equipment for crackers and hard sweet biscuits.
Variations not only influence product quality but can lead to plant stoppages and waste, particularly when they affect the packing process. The new control technology makes it easier to set and maintain the desired product attributes.
Laminators now feature advanced motion control technology that improves the precision of the sheet positioning and lay-down.
Velocity and position can also now be adjusted on the run, making it much easier to achieve a perfectly laminated sheet.
Sheet forming, gauging and cutting all make new use of an integrated plant control system that achieves more accurate control of dough sheet thickness, faster response, on- the-run adjustments, and lower energy consumption. Optionally, the first and final gauge rolls can also now be constantly monitored and adjusted to ensure an even feed of dough through the system, and consistent dough sheet thickness at the rotary cutter.
The laminating, sheeting, gauging, cutting and conveyor elements of the line all run at varying speeds and it is vital to accurately cascade any speed changes made in one part of the line to the upstream units in order to keep the line running smoothly.
This is achieved by dividing the line into a number of independently controlled modules intelligently linked into a centralised control system that provides overall management of the line.
Another option for sheet forming and cutting lines is a centralised control panel with a recipe management system. This enables rapid start ups, minimising ingredient waste, by ensuring that for each product the optimal settings are used by all the operators.
Each unit is now fitted with an individual colour touch screen interface. These are used to make adjustments, display alarm information and also for on-machine calibration and engineering functions.
Baker Perkins also markets rotary moulders and wirecuts for soft dough products, again relying on close control of piece weight.
To maximise flexibility, many customers specify combination lines for both hard and soft products.
Another new benefit is an option for data capture from PLCs.
Settings and alarm information is gathered and displayed on the central supervisory station. This allows trouble-shooting by pinpointing the causes of problems; alarm logs also allow investigation and cure of persistent problems. The supervisory system also enables remote recipe management and reporting functionality around the plant .
In a wider context, the data from the cutting machine control system can be extracted and communicated across an Ethernet network – increasingly common in industry.
This can be interfaced with upstream and downstream equipment to create a fully integrated control system or sent to a shop floor data capture system for detailed analysis and reporting.
Biscuit manufacturers find that a key advantage of working with Baker Perkins is that all the systems are developed in-house by engineers able to combine advanced engineering skills with intimate knowledge of the process. By understanding the process that they are controlling and working closely with automation equipment suppliers Baker Perkins’ engineers are able to design systems that optimise plant performance, are easy to operate, are reliable and fully supported worldwide.
At a higher level, the performance of unit machines and complete plants can be improved by the addition of data capture and reporting or a full a SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) system.
They improve performance by gathering and displaying real time information that makes it easier to operate the line while analysis of historic data can be used to optimise performance of the whole plant, e.g. by identifying bottlenecks or causes of variation.
Problems may be identified where they originate rather than where they become apparent.
Baker Perkins’ SCADA systems can also record all the attributes of ingredients used and the processing parameters – an ability becoming progressively more significant as pressure for product traceability grows.
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