Having the right coating for the product, the process and the pan goes a long way to obtaining perfectly baked products for longer, while optimizing costs.
The durability of pan coatings starts the moment they meet the pan, and the design of the pan plays a major role in the life of the coating.
© Kempf
Coating automation
KEMPF has recently started working in its new coating plant, built in Rohrbach, Germany – the result of a EUR 18 m investment in equipment and property. The building occupies 5,000 sqm, out of the 80,000 sqm that, in time, will house additional buildings, including new company offices.
KEMPF developed this plant for high-quality bakeware coatings. Three fully-automated coating lines are operating there now, with room for expansion with two additional lines. KEMPF designed the plant with a high level of automation, to ensure consistent product quality and self-sufficient production. “State-of-the-art technology was brought into the new plant,” shares Guido Kempf, KEMPF CEO. Sustainability plays an important role at the new factory, which is powered by solar panels, with over 2,300 units installed on the roof.
Here, the entire range of KEMPF’s KG-FLON non-stick coatings can be applied, coatings dedicated to the bakery industry: Fluoropolymer coatings, original TEFLON©, Silicone coatings, Plasma coatings and Ceramic coatings.
The company is increasingly focusing on burger buns and croissant trays at the new facility, which is home to three fully-automated lines for baking trays, deep-drawn pans, croissant and burger pans, as well as pizza pans. With a daily capacity for coating and recoating of 4,800 sqm, “This plant is exclusively dedicated to coating bakeware,” Kempf tells us.
“We are planning to launch a new type of coating in Q1 2023. We are now in the final testing stages of development.”
Guido Kempf, CEO, KEMPF
Coating development
New coatings are also developed at the facility. KEMPF works together with its coating/chemical suppliers and two universities to perfect new solutions. And work is well underway: “We are planning to launch a new type of coating in Q1 2023. We are now in the final testing stages of development and the results we see are outstanding,” Kempf reveals. This coating is said to have an excellent non-stick effect and can extend the life cycle of the trays and pans by up to 40%, in comparison to existing coatings on the market. It can be used for manufacturing standard baguettes, rolls, buns and similar products. In addition, this new coating also shows, “Very, very good results on pans for glazed buns, because of its very smooth surface,” Kempf explains. In this manufacturing scenario, the company determined that the new coating will ensure up to 80% more baking cycles, compared with other coatings.
This coating is undergoing thorough testing, together with bakeries. The first step in perfecting it with feedback from production, was running application trials in the company’s laboratory. Durability over baking cycles was then tested in-house. In the third step, KEMPF trialed small batches of 10-20 pieces, which were put through existing baking lines of selected customers. For the fourth and final testing step, complete lines are equipped and run production cycles in full-scale manufacturing conditions.
Harsh-condition baking
From the product’s standpoint, lye products are among the most challenging ones, regarding the type of coatings needed. KEMPF’s KG-Flon 750 was developed exactly for this use. “This is a coating that has extraordinary diffusion resistance, which is critical for it to withstand the very aggressive lye for a long time.” In addition to pretzels and other lye-dough products, this coating is also a good solution for breads with a high ratio of sourdough.
Custom solutions are perfected to meet specific production environments, current and new product ranges and manufacturing lines.
The article is part of an extended feature, which was originally published in [BBI 4 – 2022]. Read the full article in the magazine:
