== WENDEL ==

What’s new?

Danish machinery firm Diosna has developed a new kneading tool for its Wendel Mixer, distributed in the UK by Benier. This allows bakers to process batches of dough requiring just one-third of the mixing bowl’s capacity. Anything from 160kg to 600kg of dough can now be processed and it can handle up to 5,000kg of dough an hour.

OK, but what are the other benefits of a Wendel?

Patience! The mixer has two kneading tools installed off-centre. As they turn in opposite directions, the kneading action encourages rapid development with minimal shear damage and low temperature gain.

What about efficiency?

You are tough to please! Standard UK mixers tend to have a ’dead’ area beneath the mixing posts or centre columns which may reduce the yield, but the Wendel doesn’t.

Does Diosna have any other mixing options?

Its recently launched PSPVW Spiral Mixer has special tooling, that combines the functions of a classic mixer with beating machines and planetary mixers. This allows it to stir, mix and beat in pastes, batters, creams and butter for cakes and desserts.

www.benier.co.uk

== SANCASSIANO ==

Impress me!

Alright, here goes. Traditionally, the dough for high-volume biscuit plants is produced using horizontal mixers, but the clever engineers at Italian firm Sancassiano have come up with a swanky ’double force’ vertical mixer with two mixing tools. The fully automatic 800kg batch system can handle up to 10 tonnes of dough an hour.

What’s all that about?

Horizontal mixers do not allow mixing action flexibility. But the Sancassiano Vertical Mixer enables you to change mixing tools depending on the dough, thanks to a quick-lock tool changeover device. It is suitable for biscuit doughs for wire-cut, depositing, rotary moulding or rotary cutting, as well as for cracker doughs.

Keep going.

Working more frequently with smaller batches lessens the amount of moisture lost from the dough during processing. Vertical Mixers are also gentle on delicate inclusions such as choc chips.

What outputs can it handle?

The machine is sold as a unit mixer with 200kg to 800kg batch bowl sizes and can be set into a carousel operation. A robotic version can produce up to 10 tonnes of dough per hour.

Sancassiano is represented in the UK and Ireland by Sollich UK.

www.sollich.co.uk

== AQUAMIX ==

What’s the latest?

The Aquamix, designed by VMI to knead highly-hydrated doughs, has a flat-bottom bowl, fitted with a half-twist expanded spiral and a round centre post, with a scraper. This means it kneads without sticking. Good news for ciabatta and focaccia producers.

I’m a control freak.

No problem. The Aquamix is fitted with a frequency variator allowing bakers to change the kneading intensity according to the water percentage of the dough. This allows the mixing profiles of recipes to be personalised. Its touchscreen control panel can store up to 99 recipes.

What if I’m into cakes?

Optional interchangeable tools means the Aquamix can be changed from a spiral mixer to one with a flat beater, suitable for mixing cake and muffin batters. An all-stainless steel option is also available for high-risk operations.

Tell me more about VMI.

The firm supplies craft and plant bakers with removable bowl spiral and double spiral mixers with individual dough batch capacities up to 900kg. Automated mixing solutions range from 500kg to 1,500kg per hour. European Process Plant supplies the mixers in the UK and Ireland.

www.europeanprocessplant.com

== BAKER PERKINS ==

Why so excited?

There’s a new control system for Tweedy mixers from Baker Perkins, designed for both standard and pressure-vacuum mixers. It has clearer, more intuitive graphics, better recipe management and upgraded historical data trending. This all helps enhance quality and consistency in the final product.

I see. Any more details?

Sure. The system offers intelligent alarm handling, including suggested actions to guide operators to the source of problems. Simpler communication also enhances the recipe and schedule management for plants with multiple mixers.

Sounds like a big project.

Not as big as you might think. To minimise installation times Baker Perkins has significantly reduced site wiring, and software interfaces are tested prior to shipping to site.

What else should I know?

Baker Perkins says the Tweedy can mix 14 batches of dough an hour (up to 5,400kg). The pressure-vaccuum model improves oxidisation leading to better product texture and colour and can be used to vary texture from very small cell size to more open structures.

www.bakerperkinsgroup.com