Bühler Group launched OptiBake, an inductively heated wafer oven designed for precision baking, enhanced flexibility in baking parameters, which can achieve up to 50% energy savings compared to conventional gas-fired wafer baking ovens. The solution was tailored for flat and hollow wafers.
“With OptiBake, we set out to deliver more than just a new wafer oven. We challenged ourselves to combine exceptional wafer quality with unprecedented flexibility, while enabling customers to contribute to sustainability,” says Sandra Lutz, Head of Business Unit Wafer at Bühler Group.
“Our electric induction heating technology responds to the global demand for higher quality and efficiency, reduced operational costs, and a significantly lower carbon footprint.”
OptiBake’s induction heating system uses electromagnetic fields to generate heat directly within the baking plates, dispensing with open flames and combustion. The result is a process that produces no direct emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2), carbon monoxide (CO), or nitrogen oxides (NOx). Energy consumption can fall to 50%, when compared to gas-fired or electrical wafer ovens, reducing the environmental impact, the company highlights.
“At the heart of the oven’s performance is a newly engineered baking plate design, specifically developed to produce the highest wafer sheet quality in combination with the inductive heating system. Paired with an innovative system for individual plate temperature control, it ensures precise and consistent heat distribution throughout the baking process. The ability to fine-tune temperatures plate by plate not only improves product quality but also allows for exceptional flexibility and responsiveness – key for handling recipe changes or varying production demands. In fact, induction heating provides the ideal foundation for precise process control, enabling the system to respond quickly and efficiently to varying production requirements, ensuring consistent product quality and optimized energy use,” Bühler explains.
“With rising CO2 taxes, volatile energy prices, and changing consumer demands, companies must act now to stay ahead,” says Johannes Greil, Head of Product Management Wafer at Bühler. “OptiBake represents a milestone in industrial baking technology, delivering increased quality, efficiency, and flexibility. This powerful combination equips customers to thrive today and remain competitive in the years to come.”
Photos: Buhler
