Snack foods such as biscuits and cookies are gradually becoming more popular, and their market is becoming more segmented and vast with time. The biscuit industry is rapidly developing, and some companies have successively entered this market, occupying the majority of the high-end biscuit market share and possessing significant advantages. On the other hand, new biscuit companies have sprung up and developed rapidly, and the number of their annual outputs has also increased.
The bakery or biscuit industry is important in the Indian food industry, so installing a biscuit-making plant is necessary for the business owner. The increase in the production of biscuit products could be attributed to the advantages of machinery in the processed food industry.
Biscuit production began with the development of machines to reduce the need for labour. The mixer stirred and formed the dough first, followed by the mechanical oven for continuous baking. It was primarily the mechanised transportation of dough and biscuits in the factory, followed by packaging.
The biscuit forming machine, tunnel-type hot air circulation electric oven, oil injection machine, turning machine, cooling line, biscuit finishing machine, biscuit sandwich machine, packaging table, and other components comprise the fully automatic multi-functional biscuit production lines.
The entire line is controlled by a CPU module, which is powered by a back-mounted motor and has a compact structure and a high level of automation. All mechatronic processes, such as baking, oil injection, and cooling, are now taken care of by machines.
There are various types of machinery used in the biscuit industry, and consultants have a significant impact on the installation of machinery for this industry. Biscuit manufacturing machinery is available in a variety of configurations and is used for a variety of purposes. Let’s take a look at some of the machinery used in this industry.
Cut-Sheet Laminator
A cut-sheet laminator is located behind the dough cutter conveyor and in front of the forming machine. It is used for laminating dough sheets by cutting them into slices and sending them through three gauge rollers. The cut sheet laminator is primarily used for pre-made dough sheets, laminating and sprinkling powder in the preparation of hard biscuits, particularly crackers (soda or cream), as it overlaps layers of dough sheets, giving the final products a flaky appearance and texture.
Furthermore, it can balance gluten within the dough sheet. It is especially important in the production of most hard biscuits, such as soda biscuits, crackers, and so on. Each dough sheet is laid onto the previous one by the cut sheet laminator. The dough is thus overlapped and received by a lower discharge conveyor before being transferred to the next set of gauge rollers to be gauged to the final thickness before entering the rolling cutter.
Pneumatic Cutting Machine
The pneumatic cutting machine ensures precise cutting speed every time, resulting in a consistent cutting result with no breaks. The machine is made up of a pneumatic cylinder with a linking joint attached to it. A cutter blade is used to assemble this joint. The pneumatic cutting machine is used to cut the dough into pieces of a specific thickness before transferring it to forming machines such as sheeters and laminators.
Automatic speed calculation is used for feeding and cutting conveyors, fluted rollers, and calibration rollers. The stacking position, stacking speed, dough layer length, and dough number can all be changed. Calibration rollers and fluted rollers of grey cast iron, manufactured by centrifugal casting, are also used.
Twin Roller Cutting Machine
Twin Cut is a single roller-cutting machine used for hard crackers, dough biscuits, and cocktails. These machines are also clad in stainless steel and have a sturdy steel construction. Each roller has an operational moistening device, cutting band, and drive.
One must position the cutting rollers next to each other. Split bearings and roller removal are required for simple installation. Bearing designs with varying diameters allow for the use of various cutting rollers. Band centring and cutting bands with pneumatic band tensioning are employed.
The first roller in a twin roller operation embosses the custom-designed pattern, biscuit name, and/or company logo. The contours are cut out with the second roller. In a single-roller operation, the first roller idles or is removed, and the second roller serves as both a die and a cutting roller in a slower process.
In the market, there are numerous types of biscuit line manufacturers. However, I recommend New Era Machines, as they have a range of machinery available and also come with one of the best after-sales services.
They are now India’s largest manufacturer of automated baking lines and systems, having launched their own biscuit lines in 1965. They have successfully served clients all over the world by incorporating cutting-edge technologies for streamlined production and low maintenance without sacrificing quality.
New Era Machines offers a different range of machinery for soft and hard biscuit lines. Choose the best option based on your requirement and budget.