Operational Excellence from ContiMix – Continuous Dough Extruder by BUHLER

ContiMix is the FIRST dough extruder, allowing for continuous dough production with full control of the desired dough characteristics (e.g. viscoelasticity, temperature, dough band shape). In replacing batch kneading systems, ContiMix offers the full range of benefits of continuous production systems (traceability, reproducibility, advanced level of food safety). In addition, due to the adjustment of the desired dough specifications, additional benefits play off in the downstream production process: resting phases for dough relaxation become obsolete.

 

 

ContiMix is suited for the production of dough for laminated (e.g. pastry), sheeted (e.g. pizza) or formed (e.g. rolls) bakery products. Production capacities are up to 2,400 kg/h [5200 lbs/h], based on the dough temperature.

 

ContiMix is the FIRST dough combining the mixing and kneading of ingredients with a pressure and / or vacuum treatment and temperature control over the entire process section. This enables a targeted control of the desired dough characteristics as well as a direct processing of the dough band without resting time.

 

 

The combined production process with ContiMix takes place in different processing zones. When passing through these zones, the dough attains the characteristics specific to the selected end products. First zone is the recipe-controlled dosing and mixing of dry and liquid ingredients. Subsequently, these mixed ingredients are being kneaded into a homogeneous dough in the continuously operating twin-screw extruder in the second zone. In the third zone, the treatment with vacuum or pressure – depending on the chosen end product – provides the desired dough characteristics in terms of elasticity and plasticity.

These can be adjusted individually to the respective recipes. For example, for laminated doughs kneaded with vacuum, dough resting becomes obsolete, and the laminating line can be fed directly. The dough is actively cooled throughout the whole process in which even dough temperatures below 16 °C [60°F] are possible. This eliminates expensive CO2 cooling or the addition of flake ice.

 

ContiMix produces a dough band of 600 mm width and 15 to 20 mm thickness and has a capacity of up to 2’400 kg of dough per hour – depending on the dough temperature.

 

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Source – Buhler