After five years of top-secret R&D, RONDO launched its newest project, the Starline 5 dough make-up line, with a great audience for a five-star event, in its hometown of Burgdorf, Switzerland.
RONDO set out to offer inspiration, fresh perspectives and to entertain an audience of about 150 people – bakers, sales agents and RONDO team members, together with the line’s development team. To unveil its new dough make-up line, the organizers hosted a full day of events, with different presentations and workshops highlighting the new concepts in its design, including live demonstrations at its Dough-How Center. The event moderated by Alexander Weissbach accomplished all of these goals, and it convinced the audience with RONDO’s new innovations, packed into the new dough make-up line.
The line was unveiled on the stage at a venue close to RONDO’s HQ, with a presentation of the new innovations it includes. Guided tours through two live demonstrations also provided a chance for visitors to see the new line prepare snails, together with a Smartline, and mini-seeded breads, in a second setup at the Dough-how Center.
Detailed, focused presentations of its features were set up by smaller groups, for a hands-on first impression of the system. Workshops further detailed all the new developments, including a new smart platform for purchasing spare parts as well as the sustainability improvements the line brings. The first bakers to use the brand-new line also took to the stage; the first early adopters of the technology included Panella (Switzerland) and Hemmerle (Germany).
“We set up a dedicated team of engineers,
technologists and bakers – a team that worked tirelessly over the past few years. They turned innovative ideas and new concepts into practical and sustainable solutions.”
Peter Studer, RONDO CEO
The Starline 5 can be used to produce any variety of pastries including puff pastry, Danish pastry, yeast dough, shortcrust pastry, and various bread rolls, with accessories that can be flexibly wheeled in for plug-and-play insertion to the line, wherever and whenever needed.
The need
Sustainability is high on the bakers’ priority list, with all its nuances: beyond lowering CO2 emissions, they are also mindful of water consumption, energy costs and renewable energy sources, in addition to eco-friendly packaging and using sustainable ingredients. Automation is needed to solve many issues in the production areas, from improved process efficiency to tackling staff shortages.
More recently, digital transformation is being reshaped by artificial intelligence. In the food industry, AI has mainly revolutionized supply chain optimization and automation in production. Consumers are going through a digital transformation of their own, as Gen Z, the first digital natives, is now setting the pace and prioritizing sustainability while cherishing culinary experiences. It is not unusual now for trends to emerge, peak and fade within weeks, for instance, for a world of opportunities that highly-reactive bakers can tap into. Consumer and producer are meeting in new ways, on their own growing path, the Swiss specialist highlighted the findings of their multi-approach research.
RONDO followed closely bakers’ and consumers’ needs for features to bring to the blueprint of the new Starline 5. “The bakery industry itself is changing rapidly, driven by new consumer demands and also operational challenges, as well as the need for innovation,” RONDO underlines.
The specialists summarized five major challenges, from extensive dialogues with bakers: product quality, flexibility in production, the growing lack of skilled employees, efficiency – even for small batches (as costs need to be constantly managed to ensure profitability, automating processes can greatly help), and uncertainties that the future might bring.
“The trends are coming and going. In addition, hypes are even faster than trends at sparking changes in consumer behavior. Therefore, machines must enable bakeries to stay flexible in the future and be able to change the product portfolio from one day to the next. We, as a group, considered all these challenges, and we set up a dedicated team of engineers, technologists and bakers – a team that worked tirelessly over the past few years. They turned innovative ideas and new concepts into practical and sustainable solutions. And all these efforts culminated in the make-up table of the future, the new Starline 5, the heart of every bakery,” Peter Studer, RONDO CEO, introduced the machine as it was unveiled for the first contact with the audience.
A hygienic design was a must, with smooth, easy-to-clean surfaces and fewer parts. Full access to all the components was ensured, to support fast cleaning and maintenance.
All-new, future-proof concepts
Five years in the making, the Starline 5 stands out with three new design features: the new table profile, a precise length cutting station with a pressurized system, and a new, low-noise guillotine with a servo traveling motor. Numerous other new features complete the system built to make the work of the bakers easier. With a modular design, it is prepared to grow together with the bakeries, as it has the versatility to process many types of dough and the opening to incorporate any product shape and size. It can be built with lengths varying from 5.5 meters to 16.2 meters, to ensure they can fit in crowded facilities and that they can be generously expanded, as needed. It can be set up to run in either direction, left-to-right or right-to-left, for even more setup options.
The design of the Starline 5 eliminates the need to walk along the line for various digital adjustments at the HMI. The main display, a 15-inch screen, intuitively shows the operations with icons representing each process, which are also found on the module performing them, to make it user-friendly for any operator. Each module has its own, separate screen and controls so any adjustments can be made directly at the respective stage, and it will be synchronized with the entire system. For even more convenience, it can also be operated remotely, on mobile devices.
Flexibility is the key, and the new Starline was designed to make a comprehensive portfolio of products, starting with pastries, but by no means limited there; it can also be used for crackers, breads and even pizza. It allows various degrees of automatization, depending on the preferences of the manufacturer, when they want to retain the artisanal aspect for various steps.
1. The table profile
Sometimes, the simplest innovations are the most efficient, RONDO anticipated. This is certainly true for the new conveying table, which was designed to bring balance to the system. Featuring an inclined surface, the table is much more ergonomic, for easier staff access. “They can simply stand next to the line and operate everything easily. Hygiene is greatly improved thanks to this angle, which also increases cleaning efficiency, after a day of production,” RONDO explained. Along with the new inclination of the table profile, the Starline 5 also introduces an innovative design feature: a clamping mechanism that enables accessory changeover without tools, which drastically reduces changeover times.
2. The cutting station
The new length cutting station is equipped with a pressurized system for the cutting tools, which enables highly accurate cutting along the dough band. As it is applying pressure to cut, stiff or cold doughs can also be processed. Thicker dough bands can also be processed, for products such as ciabatta.
The smart cutting station can come with several features and accessories; for example, it can be synchronized with all the downstream steps, to maximize efficiency. “A motor can even be added inside the cutting station, to increase its flexibility in product or dough changes,” Weissbach illustrates one of the highlights of this station.
3. The guillotine
The novelty of the new guillotine, which is equipped with a servo motor, is its traveling mode. Combining the servo-controlled up-and-down movement with the traveling mode, productivity increases, and product quality is greatly improved. Operating noise is also lowered, to the point that it can barely be heard while cutting, contributing to a better working environment.
These three elements were designed for high product quality. In addition, every single accessory on the line was redesigned and optimized for the same goal. The new roll winder, for instance, was built from new materials and has a different surface. The result is that it can roll dough strands even tighter than what was possible with the previous technology. Products can be processed at varying speeds, while the different stations remain in sync, to adapt to different products.
At the end of the launch day, the dinner event was hosted on Lake Thun.
The daily workflow
The Starline 5 was designed for multi-shift operation, RONDO highlights, with the freedom to plan production changes easily and quickly, thanks to its quick-clamping systems. Precision is also ensured, for all products, with the redesigned guillotine.
Both production time and product volumes are optimized with the new line – with consistently high product quality. The machine can be adjusted precisely to the properties of each kind of dough, for even higher processing efficiency.
The Starline 5 is intuitive to work with and can be learned very quickly. Its clear software is accessible on the main HMI display and on each coordinated module for instant reaction time, on the go. With labeled controls and accessories, the machine is fail-safe to use even without prior experience. Moreover, the blue handles conveniently installed on the sides of the accessories also make it comfortable to adjust.
For changeovers, all mechanical settings are now marked in blue, so they can be easily identified. All accessories also even come with blue handles to indicate their intended use. Once a recipe is selected from the control panel, the needed parameters are already set. In addition, it will also show which accessories are required to be installed to produce the selected specialty. If the accessory is not placed correctly or not plugged in, the control panel indicates exactly where and what something is missing, to complete the changeover. Only then will it allow production to start.
The line operates with a single, hybrid cable running underneath the line, which not only allows easy access while working, but also helps with cleaning.
The cleaning process of the Starline 5 has been thought through from the ground up: the machine is clearly laid out and all of its sections are easily accessible for quick cleaning. The table’s conveying belt has a quick-release system, with stirrups for drying and components that can be removed without tools for washing in a dedicated space, away from the line.
As seen in daily production
There are a few bakeries that are already using the new line, and joined the event to share their experience. The consensus was clear: it’s a must-have equipment, praised for its automation features and its accuracy in production.
Panella Bakery, from Switzerland, has been working with the Starline 5 line since May, 2024. In Daniel Moser’s words (Head of Supply Chain at Panella), this line is a must-have. He was particularly impressed with the guillotine. With the new make-up system, the bakery can achieve better weight accuracy, line efficiency and faster production, he shared with the visitors to the launch event.
Hemmerle Bakery installed the Starline 5 in March, 2025, at its production facility near Dusseldorf. The make-up line is used to make folded products, rolled varieties and sheet cakes, which were previously manufactured with its predecessor, the Starline 26. The bakers here are especially happy with the control panel options and the quick changeover times. They also observe that the weight consistency of the products is greatly improved, as well as filling consistency.
And the list will soon continue, starting with three new owners who decided to acquire the line right after the launch event. After the mid-May launch in-house, RONDO will introduce this system to the IBIE 2025 visitors, in Las Vegas.
