Page 22 - Baking Europe Journal - Winter 2022

TECHNOLOGY
22 AUTOMATION/AI

“Smart baking has the potential with the acceptance that some
disruption to existing working
to improve both output practices will have to be endured and
seen as an investment for the future
performance of the entire bakery whilst managing collateral damage to
existing working practices/
plant and its research and productivity that may occur during
development operations.” upgrade.

Key smart manufacturing
techniques for baking
smart baking system allows for Despite the availability of smart Here we drill down a little further into
process control which is based on processing equipment, uptake in the some of smart manufacturing
product properties, rather than industry continues to be slow with techniques and technologies:-
parameters such as temperature and technology readiness levels varying
relative humidity. and the reliability and robustness of 1. PAT technology-based sensing of
actual process conditions being in baking and baked products.
For example, the sensing technologies need of improvement. Integration • As described above, this is a major
presented below have the potential to with the company’s data constituent of smart baking, which
deliver real-time information on material management control systems and can record a wide variety of critical
and product properties enabling more decision support tools can also parameters for the baking process
informed adjustments in variations of present obstacles that prevent (Fig. 2).
raw materials instead of relying on upgrading. Finally, trust in new
off -line and laboratory analyses of technology is vital, requiring the • In particular, a PAT system carries
fi nished products. Signifi cant involvement of all relevant out an assessment of incoming
improvements in effi ciencies and management personnel in the ingredients, such as fl our, and
product quality can, therefore, be company to adopt a clear vision of reports chemical properties such as
enjoyed across the entire production the long-term benefi ts of moisture, protein and gluten
chain from plant to consumer. modernisation of this nature along content. It can also monitor

Figure 2: A summary of diff erent steps of baking process and where process analytical technologies can be implemented to
monitor critical parameters.

Flour and other Mixing Fermentation Baking Baked product
raw ingredients quality analysis
•Flour quality •Mixing time •Pore size •Browning index •Cellular
•Moisture •Viscoelasticity •CO 2 production •Size and shape structure
content •Air nuclei •Dough consistency •Volume •Texture
•Gluten and •Water flour •Bubble growth •Temperature •Browning index
starch fraction interaction •Bubble anisotropy •Time
Sensing Sensing Sensing Sensing Sensing
technologies technologies technologies technologies technologies
• Optical • Optical • Acoustic • Optical • X-ray
spectroscopy spectroscopy • X-ray spectroscopy • Ultrasound
near-infrared near-infrared • Hyperspectral near-infrared • Color imaging
• Colour imaging • Hyperspectral
• 3D imaging
• Temperature

BAKINGEUROPE Winter 2022/2023
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