A leading processing firm for bakery, snack and confectionery markets, Baker Perkins has rolled-out to global markets its production line for American style cookies and biscuits, currently used in North America.
The move follows "an increasing demand on every continent both for mid-range output plants, and for traditional US style cookies, brownies and moulded biscuits," said the UK firm, that operates out of Peterborough in the UK and Grand Rapids, Michigan in the US.
The private firm added that "hundreds of these Baker Perkins systems have been installed in North America".
The complete mixing-to-cooling lines feature an EM Recirc oven, with forming by either a wirecut machine or a rotary moulder.
According to the company, the EM Recirc oven gives a traditional ‘home baked’ appearance.
Flexibility for the baking profile can be achieved through the product's "exclusive feature": the heat transfer style can be varied, zone by zone, from fully radiant to fully convective - or any combination in between.
Further enhanced by the biscuit maker's ability "to use both radiant and convection modes in the same oven, and change the profile from one product to the next."
The ‘home baked cookie’ look begins at the wirecut stage. All machines feature die and filler block technology that, says the firm, guarantees precise weight control.
Variance is just plus or minus 1 per cent on plain dough.
Cost savings can occur as "labour, downtime and waste are minimised by quick changeover, rapid cleaning and clear, intuitive controls," states Baker Perkins.
The firm adds that large inclusions, such as chocolate chunks, nuts and raisins, can be handled easily.
As an alternative to the wirecut method, the EM390 rotary moulder can be adopted for moulded biscuits, bars and mini cookies.
The high-specification basic machine meets the needs for "tight piece weight control, with easy cleaning and rapid changeovers providing cost savings and improved up time to make payback extremely attractive," the firm concludes.
Acquired in 1987 by the dairy and liquid food specialist, APV, Baker Perkins regained its independence in 2006 when it was acquired by private investors John Cowx and Brian Taylor.