Innovative new TruClean rotary moulder
Date: 08 November 2010
Choice of three grades of hygiene
Baker Perkins has introduced an innovative rotary moulder featuring a completely new approach to design – customers select from three grades of hygiene, with the choice linked to their own cleaning regime and cross-contamination risk.
The TruClean rotary moulder is part of the complete array of Baker Perkins forming equipment for cookies, crackers and biscuits which has been upgraded to minimize costs and improve hygiene, while maintaining outstanding levels of quality.
The range was introduced to the industry at the IBIE exhibition in Las Vegas in September. The TruClean rotary moulder handles a wide range of moulded and sandwich cookies with the key benefits of precise weight control and fast changeover. New features include a fixed knife arrangement which improves reliability, maintenance and hygiene.
Improvements to ease of operation and maintenance, plus low cleaning requirements, contribute to a particularly low cost of ownership.
The TruClean rotary moulder will meet the majority of needs. Baker Perkins retains the Series 2 rotary moulder to handle higher outputs and difficult products, with maximum adjustability.
Every aspect of the TruClean machines has been reworked to meet or exceed the rising hygiene standards expected by the industry and demanded by regulators. All are in accordance with the GMA’s 10 Principles of Equipment Design, and other relevant industry guidelines. At the same time, all incorporate the accuracy, reliability and easy-to-use standards associated with previous generation Baker Perkins machines.
The three alternative levels of hygiene enable customers to achieve the blend of sanitation, productivity and cost most appropriate for their particular operation: the prime objective is to eliminate any risk to consumers from cross contamination. Usually this means allergens and pathogens but the same high standards are required when making Kosher, organic or GMO-free products.
Hygiene level one is designed for dry or wet cloth cleaning when there are no cross-contamination issues.
Level two is for low pressure wet or chemical cleaning if there is potential for cross-contamination onto food product surfaces, or in the product zone.
The third level is designed for high-pressure wet, steam or chemical cleaning when a high risk of cross contamination exists. This level may involve component removal without the need for tools, for cleaning away from the production environment.
Three important principles formed the basis of this re-design: reducing any accumulation of unwanted materials; improving visibility and access for cleaning; and simplifying the removal and replacement of components.
Baker Perkins has been balancing the twin demands of best practice in hygienic design with improvements in operational efficiency since the 1980s. The experience built up designing hundreds of hygienic machines over that period has enabled a rapid response to the 10 Principles of Equipment Design recently introduced by the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA); these principles have been adapted for low moisture foods from the meat industry and represent a significant step forward in process design.
The 10 principles are that equipment should be cleanable; made of compatible materials; accessible for cleaning and sanitation; have no material collection; have hollow areas eliminated or sealed; no niches; operate with sanitary performance; have validated cleaning methods; separate processes wherever possible; and that all personnel meet and follow hygiene and sanitation requirements.
