During BakingTech 2017, the American Society of Baking presented several Innovation Awards to celebrate leadership in bakery equipment, technology, ingredients and more.

In his 1954 compendium of writings, “Ideas and Opinions,” Albert Einstein said that “all knowledge of reality starts from experience and ends in it.” He put forth this scientific “fundamental truth” in connection to his predecessors Johannes Kepler and Galileo Galilei, tying it to the origins of modern science.

From the moment an ingredient comes through the door of a manufacturing facility, to the moment the finished product is delivered to the store, rapid traceability is a must. Thankfully, new technology makes error-free traceability easy.

Automation is the key element in the evolution of product handling equipment often seen in the snack and bakery market. Cartoners, case packers, palletizers and similar equipment increase productivity while handling a wide range of packaging styles.

Automation has begun to take over the world of sorting and ingredient handling among snack and bakery products, especially in the area of continuous batching and delivery systems.

The topic for this article, conveyor efficiency, offers unique viewpoints from both an OEM and a baker. With modern day bakeries having hundreds to thousands of feet of conveyor, this is certainly a moving subject.

Members of BIF will contribute perspectives in a new, regular, editorial column on the subject of bakery operational Efficiency.

Inventory control is an important part of a supplier’s day-to-day operations for snack production and bakeries.

Sustainability means different things to different people. For some, it’s all about minimizing emissions or reducing the carbon footprint. For others, it’s strengthening local economies and communities.

The human-machine interface (HMI) is essential in an operator’s daily work, as it represents how he or she can use and control the equipment, via technology. These days, using an HMI is all about fostering an easy user experience.