Automated continuous mixing delivers real-time process assessment and consistency round the clock.
Continuous mixers allow for all parameters to be constantly monitored and saved digitally, including ingredient stream rates, dough temperature, mixing energy input, throughput, mixer shaft speed, coolant temperatures, starts and stops, ingredient refill status, ingredient totalizers, dough totalizers, and many others. Exact Mixing’s continuous mixing systems, for example, are fully automated, meaning that the operators need only respond to alarms in case readings show parameters deviate from preset values, which doesn’t happen very often. The collected data is saved and used to generate graphs to compare actual values against set points. Information quantifying the dough production is also available, with details about its current progress, the amount completed per shift, or sorted by any other criteria that are useful to production.
© Zeppelin Systems
The new modular Codos® kneading system
Consistent, high quality of any type of bakery goods starts with a perfectly prepared dough. Zeppelin’s new CODOS® mixing and kneading system brings innovations for continuous operations to help achieve it consistently. After modernization and reworking, the Codos® system concept has been repositioned and introduced to the market as Fresh-Up, a modular mixing and kneading system with new components. The complete system consists of a CODOS® tower, a DymoMix® and a CODOS® NT kneader.
CODOS® tower – liquid and solid matter dosage to feed the continuous system
The CODOS® tower is the initial unit in the CODOS® system. It consists of a storage container with a mixing tool and a differential weigh feeder positioned underneath to produce a continuous and constant mass flow of powdered raw materials.
“Mostly cereal flours are dosed in the bakery. Other raw materials such as starch, proteins or dextrins for gluten-free products can also be processed. The Codos® tower also includes the water dosing and temperature control as well as dosing for other liquids such as yeast suspension or oil,” explains Dr. Christian Faber, Senior Technology Consulting, Zeppelin Systems. Liquids are continuously metered together with powdered raw materials. The pumps used for dosing liquids and the flow meters as well as the necessary valves are located on liquid panels on the CODOS® tower. The panels with the aggregates and instruments are also modular, highly accessible and can easily be replaced, he details.
DymoMix® – special hydration
The DymoMix® hydration system can be used as a premixer in the Codos® system and as a complementary production step between dosing and kneading of doughs or other further processing steps. “The special feature is that powdery components are hydrated with water or oil, immediately forming a homogeneous mixture. This procedure allows the production of improved-quality dough. Hydrating with water or oil is accomplished by a specially-designed nozzle built into the rotating shaft of the unit. This forms a liquid film through which the powdered particles must pass, becoming hydrated. Unlike conventional systems, a high-pressure water jet is not used for hydration. As a result, even with low moisture contents, a high-quality product can be produced, ready to be processed immediately without intermediate steps,” the expert elaborates. The CODOS® tower and DymoMix® and CODOS® NT kneaders can be used in different combinations, for different applications:
+ For the production of pumpable pre-doughs or liquid doughs that are to be fermented (e.g. liquid sponge or sourdoughs)
+ For the production of premixed bread or roll doughs, which are continuously kneaded in the CODOS® NT kneader
”Consistent, high quality of any type of bakery goods starts with a perfectly prepared dough. Zeppelin’s new CODOS® mixing and kneading system brings innovations for continuous
operations to help achieve it consistently.“
Dr. Christian Faber, Senior Technology Consulting, Zeppelin Systems
CODOS® NT – ensuring a gentle kneading process
The dough is formed in the horizontally operating continuous CODOS® NT kneader. “Special helical interlocking twin shafts apply the energy required for kneading to the dough. This forms the gluten structure of the wheat dough. The bow shape of the kneading attachments on the twin shafts ensures gentle kneading without cutting the dough. The energy input required for the specific product can be controlled via the speed of the kneading shafts, as can the dwell time of the dough. Thanks to a double-walled, temperature-controlled trough design, the dough always maintains the desired temperature. This allows the specified temperature of the dough to be maintained within narrow limits,” Faber explains.
Process control, improvements
Chilled laminated dough is required to make a croissant. In this case, the flour is kneaded with ice water so that the dough temperature is 18 °C or even lower. Alternative cooling solutions such as CO2 or ice are not required for temperature control with CODOS® NT kneaders, leading to savings in the cooling process. For hamburger buns, however, a warm dough of about 28-30°C is needed. In this case, the mixing water temperature is automatically controlled so that the dough has the correct temperature after kneading.
Depending on the recipe requirements, ingredients can be added at any point of the mixing and kneading process. “For example, to produce a high-quality pretzel dough, it is necessary to add the high fat content after mixing but before kneading.“ Process flexibility also allows control of the dwell time of individual components. As a result, sensitive raw materials such as fruit chunks or flakes can be fed at the end of the process and incorporated with minimal impact.
With an output range between 500 and 6,000 kg/h, the new generation of CODOS® NT is a step up in terms of capacity and efficiency over previous models. Advantages include precise temperature control, raw material metering accuracy, and low energy and maintenance requirements.
Faber: “The high-torque water-cooled servo motor offers savings on energy and space. It is also flexible and easy to use, requiring fewer controls. The design incorporates ease of operation and maintenance without the need to disassemble the shaft. A hood was incorporated for quick access to replace seals, bearings or couplings.” These are the only parts that require regular replacement, minimizing maintenance costs. Hygiene requirements were also taken into account, such as a fully automatic cleaning system.
The main area of application for the CODOS® system are monolines, where production can run around the clock. The same system can be used for doughs with broadly differing requirements and characteristics. The new CODOS® NT line is currently available in two different sizes: CODOS®NT 160, with a dough capacity from 500 kg to 3 t/h, and the CODOS®NT 200, with capacities from 2t to 6 t/h.
The article is part of an extended feature, which was originally published in [BBI 2 – 2022]. Read the full article in the magazine:
