Optimizing bread recipes and fine-tuning their production will guarantee the best results, consistently. Between this bread and perfectly cut sandwich-ready slices is the right blade.
When slicing bread in industrial-scale operations with automated systems, an efficient setup means clean cuts, with minimum damage to the product. Accuracy is a must and, to achieve it, the blades should match the characteristics of the bread, while ensuring the correct spacing for the desired slice thickness is set up.
Soft bread, for example, is best cut with thin blades, to minimize the amount of crumbs that break off. But, when slicing bread with a well-defined crust, a thicker blade is the better tool; the same goes for more dense bread varieties. Then, material choices are also available – for the blade itself and its coating, where one is used. The shape and pattern of the blade’s cutting edge are also important considerations when matching blade with product: either serrated, straight, or rounded.
Hansaloy designs blades for all types of breads and buns – and their corresponding slicing machines – according to the properties of each type of product, in terms of crust, texture and grain variety. The blades are designed for scoring that will result in smooth cuts, slices with consistent texture and shaped, as well as minimum product loss through crumbs. The key is matching the product with the best-suited blade.
Understanding slicing blades
Hansaloy uses two primary variables to match different types of breads, textures, and grains to the best slicing blade for the application:
+ Pitch: the distance between the peaks of the scallops along the edge of the blade, and
+ Edge: different kinds of blade edges (straight, serrated/toothed, scalloped/curved) are specifically designed for various slicing applications.
Serrated edges can be provided with fine, medium, or coarse serrations, to match different textures of the bread. Scallop-edged blades, in turn, excel at slicing soft breads efficiently, maintaining the integrity of the slices. Straight blades, although occasionally used, are nevertheless a great option for applications including cakes and pastries, specialty breads such as gluten-free, or doughs.
Looking at the blade for the product, Nick Blaser, VP, Sales, explains: “A standard cross-ground blade (the S or E edge model) is well suited for a variety of products. As the pitch is changed from larger (12.7 mm) to medium (9.4 mm) and smaller (6.4 mm) sizes, the blade will become more aggressive and do a better job of penetrating hard-crusted products.
Blade pitch options:
+ 12.7 mm (1/2”): the most commonly used pitch, good for soft breads
+ 9.5 mm (3/8”): the best versatile pitch option, good for both hard and soft products.
+ 6.4 mm (1/4”): originally developed for hard crust, European-
style breads; suitable for a variety of breads specialties, especially firm breads.
A parallel ground blade (the H22 or H27 type of edge) is well suited for minimal crumb creation and extremely smooth slice quality. These blades go through an additional sharpening process that smooths the side wall of the blade edge, to reduce crumbing. And, as the pitch goes from larger to smaller, the blade becomes more aggressive, penetrating harder crusted breads.”
Alternatively, looking at the product’s impact on the blade, various types of baked products will impact the life and quality of the blades differently. “When evaluating the product being sliced, we review the overall quality of the blade to provide the best match, Blaser notes. “The nature of how bread is sliced is a torture test for a steel blade,” he points out.
To extend the lifespan of the blades, Hansaloy developed a steel alloy specifically for slicing breads and buns, and perfected it over the years. The steel alloy used by the specialist is designed to resist premature breakage while maintaining a razor-sharp edge over time.
Next, the blade manufacturing process must also allow for tight length control to ensure a consistent blade length, both within a box and from box to box. For this to happen, the blade manufacturing process must have quality checks along the way, Hansaloy points out.
Moreover, the blade’s tension should be monitored and controlled, to ensure its lifespan is maximized. “Running blades at either high or low tension will introduce heat, which can lead to premature blade breakage. Having a system in place and using a Hansaloy mechanical or digital tension gauge will ensure proper tension and promote blade longevity,” Blaser recommends. When blades are replaced, their tension should be measured to ensure the slicer is operating within the recommended tension.
To manufacture the blades, Hansaloy uses a proprietary welding process with high-strength welds and precise band lengths. To ensure a consistent geometry of scallop, the blade specialist has developed its own grinding technology, with excellent results in the life of the blade band. For sharpness as well as extended edge life, blades undergo precision grinding and finishing as required by each model. Where needed, blade coatings can also be applied, for use in high-speed slicing. Hansaloy’s quality process has several built-in checks along the way to ensure consistent blade geometry, including checking the scallop profiles while blades are being made, the specialist details. The engineering of the blades not only ensures extended lifespans, but also lower maintenance needs.
As long as the product meets its best match in slicing blades, the ‘next thing since sliced bread’ is ‘better sliced bread’.