There are numerous approaches to in-store baking optimization, depending on the concept of each bakery, its product needs and the baseline of its operations. The big expectations come from oven innovation.
The very concept of in-store baking is to efficiently provide customers with oven-fresh baked goods, with the ability to flexibly react to changing demands and even using the oven as a sales assistant. To optimize sales and minimize product waste, baking can be done – as needed – in an area accessible to customers and passers-by, for the all-enticing ‘sight-and-scent’ baking, in the words of Prof. Edgar Wenz.
Smart tools drive efficiency
Energy usage can be optimized by only baking full decks, in shorter time frames to benefit from residual heat instead of reheating the ovens entirely every time. Monitoring makes perfect control, and energy management tools such as the MIWE sbs:energymonitor does just that: it can help analyze baking times, monitor the status of the oven and be used to create practical baking calendars.
They are more, in terms of useful tools that help increase baking efficiency: smart refrigeration systems. “Product freshness can be optimized with procedures such as the MIWE smartproof, for products like rolls, or even baking bread via the MIWE smartfresh system, which also helps take the toll off tiring night shifts because raw or parbaked products can be stored overnight easily and in the positive temperature range, saving energy,” MIWE’s experts point out.
Bake faster and smarter
There are several ways to shorten baking times and save energy by using the MIWE optitherm temperature control (which is now available for the MIWE condo), by accurately adjusting the heating power to the baking process, respectively to the specific needs of various types of products. The MIWE optitherm system consists of a special lining in the baking chamber, a new controller for heating elements, a modified temperature sensor, and updated software.
In addition to a shorter baking time, it helps achieve evenly baked products as the energy is evenly distributed inside the baking chamber, and can even be used for more demanding specialties such as soft doughs. “This is possible because MIWE optitherm allows for more precise regulation of the heating power output of the heating elements. By using this feature, the temperature curve in the baking chamber can be guided more precisely along the ideal curve, which leads to more efficient and faster baking results,” the specialist explains.
“MIWE optitherm was developed on our international customers’ requests to make systems even more flexible in the bandwidth of products they could bake and regarding baking times.” Baking faster means less energy is needed for the same amount of baking goods. Shorter baking times also support increased productivity, since more products can be baked in a given timeframe.
Bake flexibly
To further optimize energy use, an essential variable needs to be addressed, inherent to in-store baking: demand fluctuations and balancing baking for and in between peak hours. MIWE’s answer to this variable is called the MIWE flexbake®, an automatic system that compensates for process and volume fluctuations.
Figure 1: Energy consumption goes down when using ‘blocking times’. The same product volumes were baked, but in different decks and in different time windows.
In-store convection oven MIWE aero e+ set up to start automatically with MIWE Auto-start and MIWE cleaning control (since a clean(ed) oven also needs less energy).
With the flexbake, the temperature in the baking chamber of a convection oven is controlled via the output of the heating element and air circulation. When placing cold goods in the oven, a ‘counter-cooling’ effect is enabled in the baking chamber: if fewer dough pieces than usual are brought in, or if they are warmer than usual, the counter-cooling effect is less intense. This causes the temperature curve inside the oven to rise significantly. Conversely, leaving a door open for a long time cools down the baking chamber considerably. “Process fluctuations of this kind occur time and again; but, they result in a baking process that is optimized for the right operating scenario,” the specialist explains. The MIWE flexbake® system ensures that the baking station compensates for any process fluctuations of this kind automatically, intelligently and flexibly. As such, it is ‘taught’ – in one ‘learning session’ per product/baking program – set up under ideal conditions for baking efficiency (full load, correct loading temperature of the goods). It saves the temperature curve recorded and then always controls the baking chamber temperature along this ideal curve, while operating in flexbake® mode. “This is how the same perfect baking results are always achieved in the process, even with fluctuations,” MIWE’s specialist underlines.
Bake eco
The MIWE eco-Mode provides additional tools to adjust to demand fluctuations: it maintains the oven in a low-energy-consuming standby mode that keeps it ready to quickly begin baking. The ‘eco mode’ automatically identifies the optimum balance between the lowest-possible level of energy consumed to keep the oven bake-ready at any given moment. To achieve this, the temperature of the baking chamber is automatically decreased to a freely-configurable value, either after a baking cycle finishes or after a preset idle period. The eco mode can also be activated manually, defining the time when it should start baking.
How (and when) to work with it? On paper, “Using the MIWE eco-Mode is always a good idea,” the expert observes. However, switching the oven off entirely makes for the biggest savings. This will be the most advantageous course of action when it is very likely that the oven will not be needed for a predictable/extended amount of time. “The same goes for deck ovens: one deck can stay in eco-Mode, while others can be fully switched off,” MIWE illustrates. When (un)predictable demand fluctuations are expected, the MIWE eco-Mode helps to have the oven ready to bake faster than a ‘cold start’. In addition to saving energy, this also means that the oven can bake faster, or more products, in a certain interval. This feature can be used on almost all MIWE ovens.
MIWE equipment features for efficiency
Recent updates and previous (energy) efficiency helpers:
a. MIWE optitherm
MIWE optitherm is an optional feature that enables a more precise temperature control of the MIWE condo. With a new controller, modified temperature sensors, and special chamber lining, MIWE optitherm provides more accurate and uniform heat distribution for high-quality baking results. It also helps save energy by allowing for shorter baking times and/or lower temperatures.
b. MIWE sbs:energymonitor
MIWE sbs:energymonitor is an energy monitoring system that tracks and analyses energy usage in in-store baking. It helps identify energy-saving potentials, reduce energy consumption and costs, and provides valuable insights into the bakery’s energy usage patterns.
c. MIWE condo handmode
The handmode in the MIWE condo is a feature that allows manual control of the MIWE condo oven through simple, user-friendly controls. It provides quick and easy access to temperature and time settings for baking without pre-programmed settings. This is of advantage to professional bakers, for an artisan-style of baking, as well as to untrained staff for easy operation.
The general Touch Control MIWE TC and its intuitive user interface make baking very simple even for untrained or frequently changing staff, which contributes to increasing efficiency in bakeries.
d. MIWE eco-Mode
The MIWE eco-Mode is an energy-saving feature that allows bakers to reduce their energy consumption while still remaining ready for almost immediate baking. It can be set to automatic functioning or manual activation.
Monitoring energy means saving energy
Choosing from an array of useful tools and combining them for the best results is the answer to optimizing in-store baking. For example, the central management system, the MIWE smart baking suite, and especially the sbs:energymonitor, display a baking efficiency indicator. To calculate it, the system analyzes the different oven states (ready-to-bake, baking, heating, eco-Mode) and the amount of time they are active. Ideally, baking times should be high compared to ready-for-baking intervals, for optimum energy use. “This can be optimized by implementing ‘blocking times’, when an oven or deck is not allowed to bake, so that other decks can be used more efficiently, instead,” MIWE explains.
The MIWE sbs provides a number of benefits through its intelligent networked systems: “The software package allows for full-scale mapping of the organizational structure, central administration, monitoring, and synchronization of systems. Bakers can create, manage and centrally store baking programs and related information, assign uniform sets of baking programs to specific groups of stores, and analyze metrics-based reports about baking processes, capacity utilization, consumption, and adherence to process quality standards, in real-time,” explains the specialist.
Introduced at the end of 2022, the sbs:energymonitor feature was specially designed for networked baking stations, recording the energy consumption of the oven, while also compiling information about each mode of operation. This feature can even break down the energy consumed for different types of products and calculate an itemized energy bill. The system runs comparisons between days of the week, or over several weeks, with details about different products or baking programs, highlighting good and inefficient energy use.
It breaks down baking efficiency as a key operating parameter given by the ratio between the actual baking time and the total switch-on time. Depending on the value, this baking efficiency coefficient is displayed using a traffic light system, with red indicating very low efficiency, amber representing an average efficiency level, and green symbolizing high efficiency.
Sustainability matters
While each operation defines its own path to sustainability improvements, many roads lead to ovens. There are plenty of technologies, functionalities and features to choose from. The innovation going into baking ovens is a direct route to sustainability improvements, from features such as the MIWE flexbake, or the energy-saving MIWE eco-Mode. The company’s e+ products are designed to prioritize it: “MIWE products, especially e+ products are very energy-
efficient with effective insulation, efficient steam condensers and LED-lighting,” highlight the specialists. In addition, cleaning has simplified, to optimize the energy the oven needs to bake and to expand its availability.
