Rondo extends capability of machine for baguettes

19-Mar-2010 - Last updated on 19-Mar-2010 at 08:37 GMT

Baking industry requests for the modification of a croissant machine to also allow for baguette production has further widened the application possibilities of Rondo’s Curl and More equipment, claims the Swiss machinery developer.

The Rondo engineers designed a moulding plate that serves as a replacement for the curling unit to enable production of baguettes on the same equipment, explained Jorg Sonnabend, marketing manager at Rondo.

He said this new, optional accessory, which was introduced at the recent Europain trade show in Paris, extends the equipment's flexibility for the semi-industrial baker involved in the production of curled pastries such as croissants, soft salted sticks, pretzel sticks and baguettes.

Sonnabend told BakeryandSnacks.com that the baguette functionality was tested in house and the results show that the Curl & More can accommodate baguettes of all sizes, and the equipment can handle four rows of baguettes of 110mm in length at a rate of 8,000 per hour.

He claims there is minimal downtime resulting from product changeover on the machine and it, in fact, allows the smaller scale baker react quickly to market demands.

The equipment is targeted at bakers in countries such as France, Spain, Greece, Italy and Russia that have capacity to serve either their own outlets and/or supermarket chains.

The curling speed on the Curl & More is low, he continued, and remains the same for all pastries, which ensures uniformity of product and high filling capacity, and the output for filled and unfilled croissants in two to six rows ranges from 4,000 to 12,000 units per hour, said Sonnabend.

In combination with a laminating line or a pastry line, the equipment enables fully automatic production of curled pastries of all types.

The ROI on the equipment is relative to application, he claims, but should be in the range of one to two years, based on the line’s product output capacity and changeover flexibility.

Furthermore, said Sonnabend, the line is designed to be easy to clean with smooth surfaces, concealed motors and a touchscreen control panel that requires a minimum of care.

The company has a preventative maintenance policy and its technical personnel check in with bakery manufacturers six months post installation to ensure the equipment is functioning as designed, added the marketing manager.