Over the past few years, MECATHERM has transformed its Demo Center in Barembach, France, from a facility where it showcased its technology into a fully functional baking plant, for projects including training, testing and problem-solving of any kind. Work from process improvements to equipment upgrades and full-scale new product development is carried out here.
For its recent renovation, the Demo Center was not simply equipped with new machinery, but it was also entirely re-envisioned. The 3,000 sqm center, which was Mecatherm’s first equipment manufacturing space 60 years ago (a milestone celebrated in 2024), became a modern center with a fully automated production line and several alternatives for various processes in a modular set-up. It was set up in two distinct areas to replicate the conditions in a bakery – the production room and the cooking zone. And that’s not all: the new air management system, which controls the enclosure’s temperature and pressure, is in itself a feature that inspires visiting bakers, for the efficiency and sustainability improvements of this solution.
Sustainability shaped MECATHERM’s overall strategy, and is reflected in the recent investments in renovating the facility, which are perfectly aligned with with their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) commitments. “We combine technological innovations with environmental respect. We strive to limit our energy consumption and optimize our waste management daily. We aim to go further by constantly improving our practices. From ambient temperature management to the implementation of a waste management flow and the replacement of lighting to minimize energy consumption, all recent adjustments have been designed to minimize the impact of the Demo Center’s activities,” reveals Simon Heyberger, Demo Center Manager.
The industrial-scale line is at the heart of the modernized space, allowing, for the first time here, baking tests to be conducted under real and controlled conditions. Players in the bakery, pastry and sweet goods sectors, such as millers, ingredient suppliers, or baking tray manufacturers, can conduct tests for a number of processes, from mixing to baking. It is first and foremost a highly specialized working space, designed to accommodate finding results, or developing solutions. It even has dedicated ‘think tanks’, quiet meeting capsule-rooms installed right on the production floor, next to the machinery, to facilitate exchanges, quite literally ‘on the spot’.
Raymond Nogael, MECATHERM President
All Mecatherm technology concepts
Simon Heyberger is in charge of the Demo Center and the team of bakers and pastry chefs who are working for Mecatherm. He offered Baking+Biscuit International a tour of the renewed and improved facility. “The setup allows for a wide range of tests for a diverse array of products: crusty breads, soft breads, pastry products and sweet goods,” he shares. Mecatherm brought more than 25 pieces of industrial equipment here, which are all set up and ready for testing under controlled temperature and humidity conditions.
The production line was recently installed, with several of MECATHERM’s latest technologies, such as the M-NS divider and the M-RT molder, which allow working with hydrated and proofed doughs. The line also includes a chamber with three M-UB proofers and a six-meter-high retarder, allowing for smooth product transfer. With these systems, up to three tests of various products can be carried out simultaneously, even with vastly different specialties, such as croissants, baguettes, and bagels.
The ‘Bakery Sustainability’ seminar, co-organized with Puratos, took place at the MECATHERM Demo Center
The KATANA robotic scoring solution from ABI is also integrated on the line, offering different technologies and scoring options: it can swap from ultrasonic blades to waterjet cutting, to ensure accuracy for any type of product, as it adapts according to the product that is to be scored.
A bagel former from ABI is also part of the technology line-up at the Demo Center. It can be used to test a wide range of products.
The oven is always the centerpiece of any baking facility, and the Demo Center in Barembach features not one, but five different industrial ovens, including a stone oven, a tunnel oven combining radiant or convection baking, and the latest development from MECATHERM, the Vertical M-VT oven, which was awarded at iba 2023. Testing can be performed to compare the best baking process and its corresponding solutions, for the exact results desired.
seeing the process on an industrial scale with
all the pieces of equipment allows for rapid skill development and increased autonomy.”
Simon Heyberger, Demo Center Manager, MECATHERM
“By conducting tests under real conditions on a complete line, it is also easier for MECATHERM teams to explain to clients the importance of line engineering. For example, we can show them the benefits of all the technologies and solutions embedded in the line that optimize flows, operation, and line performance,” the Demo Center Manager highlights.
The setup is also the best environment for visiting bakers to discover the benefits of the latest solutions or features developed by MECATHERM, as they can immediately observe the impact on their products by hands-on testing. For example, the latest launches are already available for testing: ”We recently launched an automatic hygrometry management option. This patented innovation not only optimizes energy consumption but also has a direct impact on the quality of the finished product,” he explains.
Mecatherm built a fully automated line for a wide range of product tests at the Demo Center
More than a renovation: a concept revision
The Demo Center has become much more than a space for demonstrating equipment: the renovation sought to improve testing conditions and integrate CSR into the experience offered to visiting bakers.
To achieve these goals, for the Center and in all its operations, MECATHERM put in place a continuous improvement approach across the company, looking to improve customer satisfaction. And it works, Heyberger underlines: “We have established a structured method of conducting tests with clients. During a test, a dedicated team is mobilized, and everything is meticulously prepared in advance and at each stage. It seems that this approach is successful, as the average satisfaction rating was 9.2/10 for 2024.”
The Center is strategically located at the heart of the Barembach factory, meaning that all MECATHERM’s experts are easily within reach. It didn’t only imply setting up the best technology lineup, but also making sure the team easily synchronizes their day-to-day work with supporting visitor projects. Each working visit is carefully planned in advance, in all details, from the specialists needed for the task, to the ingredients preferred and processes targeted.
The M-NS divider
Expertise at hand
A team of seven bakers and pastry chefs, each with 10 to 30 years of experience at MECATHERM, is available to support all kinds of projects at the Center. “They are the same teams who support clients, from trials to the commissioning of the equipment or line at the clients’ site. As they are comprehensively familiar with each project, our bakers and pastry chefs know the client’s expectations in detail, so they can recommend all the ideal conditions during commissioning,” the Center’s manager explains the collaborative workflow.
The exit of the M-RT molder, adapted for for crusty breads, even with high-hydrated doughs
In addition, a complete team of specialists in various fields is available on-site to assist with all working visits, from product managers, engineers, designers, expert bakers and pastry chefs, to the entire MECATHERM R&D team.
The work carried out at the Center revolves around knowledge exchange and experimentation. This includes training, seminars and technical tests. “Beyond the product tests conducted by our clients, the MECATHERM Demo Center is also a place of exchange and experimentation where visitors from around the world come to attend training sessions or seminars,” the expert points out. For this end, the MECATHERM Academy was established, with various training programs combining theory and practice. The ‘Fundamentals of Industrial Bakery in 72 Hours’ training course, for example, is one of the most appreciated programs – and one of many opportunities focusing on specific topics. “Getting hands-on with the dough and then seeing the process on an industrial scale with all the pieces of equipment allows for rapid skill development and increased autonomy,” Heyberger observes.
The ABI Katana robot scoring system
Expert classes on sustainability
At the end of November 2024, MECATHERM co-organized the ‘Bakery Sustainability’ Seminar, together with Puratos and other partners. This event, held in the newly remodeled facility, brought together important guests from key companies in the bakery, pastry, and sweet goods sectors, to discuss available solutions to address climate change and waste challenges. Innovative solutions were presented, from ingredients for more sustainable baked goods to solutions for reducing the carbon footprint of a production line, and the conversations explored how to drive sustainable practices across the entire bakery value chain, the organizer shares. MECATHERM and ABI presented innovative solutions designed to optimize the energy efficiency of the manufacturing process as well as to reduce product waste, such as the new patented Hygro Control System dedicated to vertical ovens, the product buffer concept with MVD or MDC, as well as the EYE-Q Quality Control System from ABI integrating artificial intelligence,” the expert highlights the event’s program.
The full-scale industrial line can be used for extensive testing, with five industrial ovens to choose from
The attendees witnessed live product demonstrations at the Demo Center, focusing on producing baguettes and brioches with a significantly reduced environmental and carbon footprint. These demonstrations highlighted the use of regenerative flour and innovative baking technologies, ensuring that sustainability does not come at the expense of quality. Sensory evaluations of the products were also conducted.
The Demo Center also wants to support new-generation bakers: each year, nearly 150 students come to visit. “We are always delighted to welcome young people and show them the exciting careers our sector offers,” says the Center’s manager. They are often surprised by what the technology can achieve. Solutions integrating Artificial Intelligence, connected services, innovative solutions adapted to sustainability challenges, are among the concepts that can inspire and attract young talent going forward, MECATHERM believes.
Simon Heyberger, Demo Center Manager
