In the industrial baking of any type of bread, and a multitude of other product ranges, tunnel ovens are the giants of large-volume, continuous baking, for which efficiency is a must.
Innovation in improving the process efficiency of tunnel ovens is the result of a comprehensive investigation of every equipment part, product requirement and manufacturer needs. Savings can amount to values that are specific to every facility and its methods; however, every parameter optimization can translate into significant gains.
Case-by-case process efficiency
Each tunnel oven Sveba Dahlen makes is built specifically based on the type of products and process the bakery needs. “An advantage of this is that the oven goes into operation with the right capacity and adjusts the power outlet continuously,” Henrik Tillander, Industrial Sales manager tells us. This is achieved by optimizing the heat transfer in the oven chamber, by how Sveba Dahlen places the heating elements/power for the electrical oven, and by using several burners for the gas oven in each zone instead of a single burner for the entire oven.
One way to look at optimizing energy efficiency is to only supply the system with the amount of energy needed. By working with the right energy supply in production and insulation, Sveba Dahlen reduces the amount of waste heat to recycle. “We can also supply equipment to keep energy loss down as much as possible from the exhaust using a system for continuous under pressure/flow regulation,” Tillander explains.
By designing the oven according to the capacity requirement, the energy consumption is optimized from the start. Electric ovens can have elements working only when and where they are needed; Sveba Dahlen’s patented solution for the gas oven with several burners also only adds heat to the part of the oven when and where it is needed. To control the heat supply in exactly the right place in the oven room, there are different types of control equipment such as sensors. The electric ovens can use even more advanced technology to control each element in the oven, with sensors and software. The gas ovens use several small burners in each oven chamber to be able to fine-tune the heat supply. “Together with a very good insulation and regulated exhaust, the savings are optimal,” the specialist highlights.
Almost every Sveba Dahlen oven is tailor-made following specific customer requests. The oven is customized in terms of width and length. The company delivers ovens with a bandwidth of 4.2m and an oven length of 75m. In some cases, stainless-steel belts are needed; other customizations are needed when the production includes heavy loads, for example, which require a reinforced drive train. “The most common accessory that our customers choose is to supplement convection in the zones with turbo air,” Tillander notes. The advantage of ‘Turbo’ is increased efficiency in production, as it provides additional opportunities to fine-tune the heat distribution in the zone. This option increases the flexibility of production in a very cost-effective way, he adds. Steam is another popular request.
