The innovative Jetcirc oven
Date: 16 December 2003
Bake time reductions up to 30% achieved in tests
Major savings in bake time, capital cost and energy are now possible in the plant baking industry via a new, innovative oven launched by Baker Perkins. Reductions of up to 30% in bake time have been established in tests.
The Jetcirc convection oven also provides significant quality, consistency and reliability benefits by creating a dependable and stable airflow within the baking chamber - solving a problem that has always influenced efficiency in bakeries.
It allows bakers to maximise the benefits of other developments such as control software and vision system technology, and is a significant step towards precise analysis and regulation of the baking process.
The benefits of the Jetcirc oven will be felt across a wide spectrum of the plant baking industry - the oven can handle cookies, biscuits, bar products, and pet food as well as a whole range of bakery products such as pies, tarts, cakes and pastries. Bakers can choose either increased output from a conventional footprint, or a shorter oven with hefty floor space savings.
Two versions of the Jetcirc are available. An indirect convection version offers the fastest bake times and greatest efficiency, whilst a direct recirculating version with combined radiant and convection heating is available when a more traditional bake is required.
The airflow innovation is a major step in the progress of baking from a 'black art' relying largely on operator experience, to a scientific process. In convection ovens, it is a simple matter to obtain a uniform flow of hot air onto the product; it has not previously been possible to obtain an unvarying airflow away from the product, and consequently heat transfer into the product fluctuates.
In the Jetcirc, air circulating above and below the product and conveyor band is returned separately to the fan before re-circulation. Traditional convection ovens have a single circulation fan inlet, which inevitably creates uneven heating because of air forced around the edges of the products.
A further advantage in the Jetcirc is that the flow of air drifting through the oven can be limited, adding an additional element of control.
Another initiative is a new heat exchanger that has been designed to optimise the heat transfer rate across it. This improves efficiency, avoids hot spots and extends service life by avoiding thermal stresses. A powerful circulation fan and careful configuration of the nozzles blowing air onto the product ensure effective heat transfer to the product.
The Jetcirc takes advantage of the latest control technology, with a single panel covering the entire oven.
As well as advanced technology the Jetcirc incorporates many of the best features from the previous generation of Baker Perkins ovens. This includes the heavy duty "687" convection oven, at work in more than 15 countries around the world; and the Recirc radiant/convection oven which has been the American industry standard for many years.
A Jetcirc is available for customer tests in the Baker Perkins Innovation Centre at Peterborough.
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