A beloved staple for eating out and at-home ordering, pizza is moving with the times. And so is the entire manufacturing process behind each fresh-out-of-the-oven slice.
The worldwide pizza market size was worth USD 272.40 billion in 2024. It is expected to grow to USD 282.91 billion by the end of 2025 and reach USD 409.50 billion by 2032. While North America is the established driver of this growth (with a market share of 38.83% in 2024, according to research by Fortune Business Insights), American-style pizza is only one in a multitude of exciting offerings that speak to consumers around the globe.
Pizza offerings are very much attuned to the times as product innovation reflects today’s favorites. There’s a pizza product for everyone’s taste buds, diet needs and values: from pizza to pinsa, vegetarian and vegan to gluten-free, locally-sourced and ethically-produced, from the evergreen flavors to gourmet, unusual and conversation-sparking varieties, frozen or ready to eat, with all kinds of crusts.
This growing popularity spells opportunity for pizza makers. For successful launches and production efficiency, they rely on automated systems. For industrial pizza production, Swiss specialist RONDO developed the ASTec Pizza Line for 24/7 operations, for big to even bigger production setups – in terms of volume as well as product diversity. It can make not only different pizza products, but also all sorts of pizza snacks, pizza baguettes and more. The possible product range includes round, oval and square pizza, focaccia, pinsa, pressed pizza and calzone – all with unique dough recipes, including gluten-free. RONDO observes three dominant industry trends in pizza making today: increased production capacity, artisanal quality, and – last but not least – the growing popularity of pinsa ranges.
Automation for optimized efficiency is built in: designed for flexible and easy operation in industrial environments, this line dedicated to pizza production guides the operator via its HMI by clearly indicating which tools to use and at which station to install them. In this way, a smooth and accurate configuration is ensured for each product made on the line. For convenience, the ASTec Pizza focuses on providing maximum support to operators during product changeovers. “The main assistance comes from the HMI, which allows users to save an unlimited number of recipes. With a single click, all line parameters, such as speed and thickness, are automatically adjusted to produce the new product,” explains Nicola Zangrande, Product Manager, RONDO.
“This satellite head configuration enables a gentler yet more effective reduction curve, minimizing stress on the dough.”
Nicola Zangrande, Product Manager, RONDO
The ASTec pizza line range offers various widths, tailored according to specific production and layout demands. In any case, large-volume production is possible: with lines measuring 1,500 mm in width, up to 5 tons of pizza can be produced per hour, for example.
Process optimization is not the only priority for this system. Equally important is hygiene, which is not only built into its design, but it is also part of its name: ASTec stands for ‘Advanced Sanitary Technology’. To match any sanitation protocols, the line can be supplied in both wash-down and dry-cleaning versions. “The washable version is designed to withstand high-pressure water cleaning, ensuring optimal hygiene standards where required,” RONDO highlights. The R&D regularly upgrades the line for improvements in cleaning, sanitation, and ease of use.
MIDOS in the equipment lineup
Paired with the MIDOS (Multiple Industrial Dough System), the pizza system forms the dough band without using any flour and oil, as the dough band former also features
Advanced Sanitary Technology (ASTec). This design is the latest innovation from RONDO, incorporated in the MIDOS stress-free dough band former. Zangrande explains: “MIDOS can handle pre-proofed doughs, fully preserving the work done during mixing and pre-proofing stages. It also excels with highly hydrated doughs and, depending on the type of flour used, can reach hydration levels of up to 85% (water content).”
The MIDOS’ rollers for processing the dough band are optimized – in both size and positioning. Working with four independently driven rollers, a homogenous dough band is produced gently and consistently, which helps preserve the gluten networks within the dough and control product weight with a high degree of accuracy. For convenience, it is designed to work with any dough feeding system.
RONDO Pizza Seminar
In October 2025, RONDO organized a two-day seminar at its RONDO Dough-how Center in Schio, Italy. The workshop combined theoretical insights with hands-on, practical guides. The differences between sourdough and yeast dough production were analyzed, with a focus on all key processing steps in pizza production. The agenda featured expert-led sessions from a group of process and technology specialists:
+ Pizza technology, Professor Franco Antoniazzi (Parma University)
+ Mixing process
+ Pizza sheeting and shaping process (RONDO)
+ Tomato dosing and spreading/topping/slicing
+ Baking process
+ Live demo of pinsa product processing at the RONDO Dough-how Center
From dough band to pizza pie
Once the dough band is formed, the other machines in the ASTec line take over, adjusting the dough to the desired width and thickness. The satellite unit handles the thickness reduction of the dough sheet, which can be significant. RONDO takes pride in the design of its high-performance satellite unit, which features a head equipped with 16 rollers, each measuring 76 mm in diameter: “This configuration enables a gentler yet more effective reduction curve, minimizing stress on the dough.” The final dough thickness is thoroughly controlled and maintained in the desired size by using multiple calibrators, which are adjusted according to the target thickness and production speed.
The ASTec Pizza Line covers all the bases for the exact pizza base intended: the weight and size of the pizza bases will always be 100% accurate, since each piece is obtained by stamping. Each pie is now ready to receive sauces and toppings. RONDO regularly collaborates with suppliers of equipment for stages before or after the sheeting process, to ensure the ASTec Pizza Line will seamlessly integrate any application/topping units, such as tomato sauce depositors, mozzarella dispensers and any systems that dispense ingredients of various textures and consistencies, which can range from mushrooms, ham, olives, and more (even pineapple). RONDO highlights how the integration works: “All interconnections and synchronization between machines are managed by the PLC, ensuring smooth and efficient operation across the entire line.”
The entire process, from the initial handling of raw materials to packaging finished products, can be automated for a mouth-watering range of high-quality pizza products. Efficiency and convenience in the process are key.
The washable version of the ASTec Pizza Line is designed to withstand high-pressure water cleaning, ensuring optimal hygiene standards where required.”
Nicola Zangrande, Product Manager, RONDO
Meeting high hygiene standards, the ASTec line covers the entire range of pizza and pinsa varieties. Only fast, recipe-driven changeovers to run different recipes on this high-capacity system, which was designed for ease of operation. The dough and product consistency, respectively, are ensured.