FRITSCH designed its LAMINATOR systems to process nearly any type of dough consistently. To do that, the SoftProcessing technology does the heavy lifting (and gentle dough handling).
Starting from the dough sheet forming stage through to laminating and stress-free sheeting, followed by the transfer to the make-up line, each component of the laminating line contributes to the quality of the resulting final products.
Pastries mean precision laminating
For pastries and croissants, the FRITSCH laminating lines ensure a precise control of the dough loop at the level of the satellite head and calibrating head. This allows the dough to roll out evenly, in a controlled manner. “Infra-red sensors recognize the dough sheet and regulate the speed of the infeed table and the rollers so that the dough is transported tension- and accumulation-free through the calibrating head,” FRITSCH explains.
The LAMINATOR
For the automated production of dough sheets, FRITSCH LAMINATOR allows sheeting of nearly any type of dough, the entire range from short dough to puff pastry, Danish and yeast dough. The SoftProcessing technology helps with the gentle processing of each variety, respecting its characteristics.
To operate the LAMINATOR, it is only necessary to set the output and number of layers; all subsequent adjustments are calculated automatically. The entire line is displayed on the control panel to offer an overview of the process, at any time. “This facilitates orientation on the line and enables the user to quickly access the required operating level,” FRITSCH explains.
LAMINATOR 900/1100/1300 for industrial dough sheet production
+ The laminating components allow for 4 to 144 layers – depending on the line configuration and the number of folding systems.
+ It features coated surfaces, efficient scrapers, hygienic stainless steel design, removable flour containers, quick-release mechanisms on all conveyor belts and the removable folding channels.
+ The system can be operated by one person, using its central control via a touchscreen.
+ Continuous dough sheet production
+ Gentle working method to maintain the dough structure
+ Wide range of applications
Every kind of dough – and then some
The range of doughs that can be processed even includes filo dough – made up of paper-thin, unleavened dough layers associated with Mediterranean crispy, flaky specialties. High-precision sheeting and laminating are a must to achieve very thin dough and require very accurate rollers, such as those designed and built by FRITSCH. And this is only the start: “For sheeting very thin, or filo dough, we use the so-called ‘duo calibrating head’ with two calibrating rollers. The speed of the calibrating rollers is adjustable. The speed ratio is adjusted from the infeed to the exit
so that the dough is always slightly pulled, “FRITSCH explains. To make the dough even thinner, a spreading belt can be used, to roll the dough out to the desired characteristics.
Focus: low stress
The technology specialist offers two sheeting options for pastry lines: the low-stress dough sheeter (TBP) – which can also be used on bread and pizza lines – and the DS system. The TBP system, with its five rollers, can reduce the dough very gently, which is why it excels at processing doughs with hydration rates of 145 up to 175. It adapts to the process and to any required changes: “If you adjust the rolling gap between the last two rollers, then the TBP automatically adapts all of the front rollers proportionally, in order to achieve a high-quality dough sheet all the way to the edges,” FRITSCH points out. The side walls are designed as guiding disks that move in sync with the dough.
‘Low stress’ is the core concept for the equipment design: “The heart and soul of our Soft-Processing technology is the FRITSCH satellite head. This forms the dough sheet quickly while being gentle on the dough texture and giving the sheet its desired thickness,” FRITSCH highlights.
An integrated pressing roller ensures that the dough is pressed down gently before it enters the satellite head. For flexibility, the pressing roller’s gaps and the satellite head are infinitely adjustable, by means of its motor. The satellite head can reduce the dough up to a ratio of 10:1.
System configuration
The LAMINATOR can be flexibly set up to match the exact needs of the type of dough being processed. For firm doughs that don’t require any proofing, FRITSCH recommends combining a LAMINATOR with the dough sheet former DS: “The DS employs a three-roller principle: this is where the dough sheet thickness is determined by the rolling gap between the intake roller and the sheeting roller. A clean separation of the dough sheet from the rollers is guaranteed by scrapers. An infra-red sensor controls a flawless transfer of the dough sheet onto the conveyor table without stretch or accumulation,” the specialist explains.
Lamination consistency
Even fat application is essential to perfectly even lamination. On FRITSCH systems, fat or butter is conveyed via the fat pump and applied to the dough sheet as a fat band. The pump ensures optimum flow properties of the fat, which results in an extremely uniform band of fat on each dough layer. “The FRITSCH nozzle makes it possible to individually adjust the desired thickness of the fat band, quickly and easily,” the specialist notes. The pipe system leading from the pump to the nozzle can be easily removed for cleaning. Moreover, a water separator can also be installed as an additional solution.
Next, folding can be done in several ways. FRITSCH can offer different solutions for various dough and process needs:
+ A folding channel with motorized belts, suitable for folding widths of up to 800 millimeters. This solution can even be used for sensitive doughs. “The active forward feed and guidance of the dough sheet during the folding motion prevent any additional tensile stresses in the dough sheet,” the specialist explains.
+ A horizontal folding station, which also allows cut dough sheet segments to be overlapped. In this way, odd numbers of layers can be obtained, if needed.
Cooling should also be optimized to avoid moisture loss and skin formation. Just like sheeting and laminating, cooling and resting must also be a very gentle process on the dough. Cooling technology made by FRITSCH is based on a combination of contact cooling and convection cooling. In this way, the desired core temperature of the dough sheet is reached very quickly, and the process is stabilized. The temperature of each conveyor belt level can be individually regulated. “In order to prevent the dough from drying out or forming skin, we use a low air flow rate in our cooling cells,” FRITSCH says.
If the end product dictates the technology choice, with the LAMINATOR, the breadth of dough varieties that can be processed also leaves the door wide open for opportunities in new product development.
Sheeting: bread production
Producing extremely thin layers of dough is just one of many challenging sheeting and laminating scenarios. Processing highly-hydrated dough is another – a difficulty known all too well in bakeries. FRITSCH can offer support for these doughs, too, with dedicated sheeting systems for specific demands and dough parameters. On bread lines, the sheeting section is made up of the DOUGHLINER. It is supplied with dough from the Soft Dough Sheeter (SDS) – for soft and pre-proofed doughs.
The specialist illustrates: “FRITSCH bread lines use an SDS in combination with the so-called Soft Dough Roller (SDR) to produce a highly uniform dough sheet. The SDS dough sheeter is ideal for processing very soft and pre-proofed doughs with bowl rest as well as sponge doughs, which, depending on the type of flour used, achieve a hydration rate of 165 to 190.” This system uses fold-up conveyor belts to flour the dough sheet from all sides, which prevents it from sticking while also reducing the need for oil while processing the dough sheet. Monitoring the hopper’s fill level (with the use of sensors) allows for greater precision and more even weight distribution when producing the dough sheet, the specialists from FRITSCH point out, as more dough is added if its level falls below a certain amount. Next, the SDS (Soft Dough Roller) gently rolls out the dough.
FRITSCH developed the new sheeting technology with the SDR that helps produce a highly uniform dough sheet with extremely well-defined edges and without shearing forces, while also having no need for separating agents. This reduces scrap dough to a minimum for the rest of the process. Sheeting is carried out gently: the cross-roller unit spreads the dough to just the right width while simultaneously releasing it from whatever tension may be present. Hygiene was also a big priority of design upgrades for FRITSCH: scraperers or brushes continuously clean the rollers, and the system collects the dough scraps from them in stainless steel trays.
For breads, the satellite head and the calibrating head on the line are designed without any falling height. In this way, the delicate structures in the dough are preserved; they develop during fermentation and remain intact during this important work step. The technology specialist describes: “On the satellite head, the dough is transferred to the infeed side via a table with a knife edge. Once it has been processed, the dough then leaves the system on a conveyor belt installed around the basic roller.” The same dough-in and dough-out methods are used for the calibrating head.
