Energy consumption is undisputed at the top of the industry’s concerns and efforts for improvement. Tunnel ovens offer opportunities to go the extra mile on the path to resource savings.
The newest technology developments make tunnel ovens more energy-efficient. As more advanced systems enable energy savings, the equipment itself is easier to use, which contributes to minimizing waste of any kind.
The art of tunnel baking: Artista Deli by Sveba Dahlen
The Artista Deli is Sveba Dahlen’s recently launched modular oven, for bakery products and pizza. It was designed to deliver three ovens in one, all focusing on craftsmanship, process automation efficiency, at production high capacity.
Sustainability was a main consideration in its design: the energy-efficient modular system minimizes resource waste during manufacturing. “During the actual baking time, the oven uses approximately 30 – 45% of the installed power. To avoid peaks when starting up the oven, the baker can sequentially start up each heating zone in the oven,” says its manufacturer. It also features a ‘turbo’ function, for greater baking flexibility, in terms of both time and color. This heating mode also provides shorter heating and baking times and lower energy consumption.
Since the included stone hearth belt can be replaced with a perforated or solid steel belt, it can become three different types of ovens: stone hearth belt can be used for pizza, flatbread, pitta bread, naan bread, and similar products, while the steel belt is used for sweeter doughs and low-rise products such as cookies. Thirdly, the perforated steel belt is used for free-form, high-rise loaves.
“The Artista Deli oven rationalizes the flow in the bakery by minimizing processing and increasing production volumes compared with a traditional deck oven. This process completely replaces baking in traditional pizza and bakery ovens and the baking process thus requires less labor.”
Sveba Dahlen specialists
The Artista Deli is a small electric stone tunnel oven with a baking temperature of up to 450°C / 842°F. This makes it extremely flexible for everything from bread to pizza, and provides precision and consistent baking results: “Artista Deli is ideal for genuine stone-baked pizza, pizza crusts and many other products such as loaves of bread baked either with or without a tin, focaccia, flatbread, pitta bread, Arabic bread, Persian bread, naan bread, and more,” the Swedish specialist explains. Running on electricity, the Artista Deli is completely fossil-free and has a low carbon footprint. The Artista Deli is also energy-efficient since it only uses the energy that is actually needed during the active baking time. “This means that Artista Deli rationalizes the flow in the bakery by minimizing processing and increasing production volumes compared with a traditional deck oven. This process completely replaces baking in traditional pizza and bakery ovens and the baking process thus requires less labor,” says Sveba Dahlen.
The new Sveba Dahlen oven features two heating zones, with independent settings for the top and the bottom. It can come with a baking area ranging from 1.35 to 5.40 sqm. One of its unique characteristics is that it incorporates three dampers for moisture extraction, in an oven of just 4.5 m in length, which greatly contribute to crust development, for bread and pizza.
Optionally, conveyors can also be added at the infeed and outfeed to further automate the process flow on the line. This oven can be combined with other machines such as a tin set (strap) conveyors or packaging stations. It can be used by semi-industrial and industrial bakeries, as well as test baking and showrooms. Its modular construction also means that it can be expanded over time.
The article is part of an extended feature, published in Baking+Biscuit International, issue 5 -2023.
