Linde North America and Shick have launched a newly renovated test facility that combines precise temperature control with pneumatic ingredient-conveying solutions.
Featuring a pneumatic conveyor equipped with a CO2 injection chilling system from Linde North America, the technical center requires a sample amount of the dry ingredient to validate the in-line chilling process. It can quickly match a conveyor chilling system to any dry-ingredient processing parameters.
Shick's Sales and Marketing director Scott Fischer said that inline chilling with cryogenic gases has been around for a number of years, but is growing in importance with increased attention to process quality and repeatability.
"Adding precise temperature control to our pneumatic conveying systems can give bakeries a significant advantage in mixing/blending process control -- and that contributes to finished baked goods quality," Fischer added.
With the help of in-line chilling system, the injector technology from Linde accurately controls the amount of cryogenic carbon dioxide (CO2) gas into the convey line to instantly chill dry ingredients as they flow to the mixer.
In order to control temperature of the product to within ±1F° of the set point, temperature of the ingredient is measured prior to the mixer.
Linde stated that the bakery operations can achieve more accurate and consistent temperature control that improves the quality and characteristics of the dough.
Cryogenic chilling enhances the ability to mix at ideal temperatures and reduces or even eliminates the use of supplementary ice cooling, thus improving product quality.
Shick, which offers ingredient automation solutions, is involved in full-scale testing of the cryogenic chilling system on dry ingredient at its R&D facility in Kansas city, US.
