When the group acquired a new Crewe-based factory, Mark Jones, New Primebake's md, had to double capacity without changing the technical specifications.
"We'd been using rack [batch] ovens for more than 20 years," says Jones. "But we saw the potential in investing in a continuous [tunnel] oven that could increase capacity without compromising on quality and safety."
The firm chose JBT Food Tech's Double D continuous baking oven. Its clean-in-place (CIP) system has sparge pipes that deliver a pressurised, heated, caustic solution throughout the oven, removing any debris or residue.
"The CIP system is vital in terms of hygiene and safety," says Jones. "Baking with toppings requires stricter hygiene standards as butter, cheese and garlic can drop into the bottom of the oven, become trapped and create a fire risk. The Double D oven also contains a water bath, which collects and discards this volatile residue. It's also halved our cleaning downtime."
Mark also needed to ensure the structure of the bread could be maintained, or even bettered, and consistency of the finished product could be guaranteed on such high volumes. This was achieved by the oven's airflow and impingement system, which is designed in zones for extreme flexibility, and can be programmed to suit any number of different recipes and specifications.
Contact: JBT Food Tech