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Product Quality Also Improved Due to Less Sticking

PROBLEM: Carbon buildup on pie tins at this high-production bakery in Philadelphia forced the shut-down of lines every two weeks for at least two days of cleaning. Each of the two production lines carries thousands of these 3' x 2' (76.2 cm x 50.8 cm) tins that quickly accumulate carbon buildup caused by the heat of the baking ovens. In addition, the conveyor belts themselves, including the chains and attachments, were also subjected to the carbon, forcing frequent cleaning.

SOLUTION: The bakery contacted a chemical supplier who recommended applying an anti-carbon agent to the pie tins and the conveyor belts. Spraying Systems Co. was called upon to design a spray system that would allow for good coverage without wasting the expensive agent.

Two AutoJet® Automatic Spraying Systems were installed, one on each line. This self-contained, modular spraying system features a movable cart, an electronic controller/driver, an engineered valve package and a pressure tank.

Four ¼JAUPMCO automatic air atomizing nozzles are connected to the system at the head of each production line, precisely spraying the continuous rotation of pie tins. During the spraying process, the slight overspray serves to protect the conveyor sprockets from carbon buildup and simplifies the cleaning process.

Prior to the installation of the system, the pie tins required cleaning every two weeks. Now, cleaning is scheduled once every six weeks. A side benefit of the system is that because of the reduced carbon buildup, there is less sticking of the dough to the pie tins, improving product quality and reducing waste.

The bakery likes the system because it takes up minimal floor space in this restricted area. Plus, during sanitation periods the system can simply be moved to a secure location during cleaning.