Our experience is over 40 years includes working with suppliers of biscuit, cookie and cracker production lines from Europe, USA and Asia.
An important part of our Baker Pacific business now is assisting companies in selecting suitable suppliers for new projects and negotiating successful contracts. On current projects we are in contact with suppliers from Italy, Denmark, UK, USA, China, India, Korea, and Japan.
The following are some guide lines we have found valuable in selecting a supplier for a production line.
1. SPECIFICATION OF THE EQUIPMENT
The initial task is to define the products to be made and the output (kg/hr) to be produced. The control and safety systems can be specified as PLC with HMI or hard wired panels. Other important initial considerations are the factory space and layout, services available, including fuel gas / oil, electricity, compressed air.
The specification should cover considerable detail based on the Buyer’s requirements. The following is an example of a specification for a multi-purpose oven.
DIRECT GAS FIRED BAKING OVEN
- Baking chamber 50m long. Band width 1200mm
- 4 zones: 10.0, 12.0, 14.0, 14.0m
- Band pre-heat burners
1 Oven Feed End
- 1200mm diameter drum with scraper
- Band tracking detection and pneumatic tracking system
- Pneumatic oven band tension system
- Oven band tension monitor
- 3.0m drum centre to baking chamber
2. Direct Gas Fired Baking Chamber, 50m long
- 4 zones with separate heat and humidity control, 10m, 12m, 14m, 14m
- Expansion joints between each zone
- Explosion relief panels in oven top
- Inspection window in each zone
- Clean out doors in non-control side, approximately 3.0m apart
3. Heat Rating
- Fuel: LPG
- Maximum heat rating: 2000kWh (33.3 kWh/m2 of oven band)
4. Gas Train
- Manual shut off valve
- Two automatic shut off valves for safety system
- Gas filter
- Zero gas pressure governor
- Gas pressure high/low detection
- Gas pressure gauges at inlet and outlet of gas train
- Gas valve tightness proving system (to check for leakage of gas)
- Main gas pipes and distribution system
5. Combustion Air Supply
- 8 – Centrifugal blowers with 2.2kW direct drives
- 8 – Air pressure gauges
- 8 – Motorised butterfly valves for top and bottom air pressure
- 8- Pressure switches
- Braided air hoses between air header pipes and burners
Note: The air pressure may alternatively be controlled by variable speed blowers or by motorised valves
6. Burner System
- 106 – burners with 1200mm strips (18 with multi lane control) includes 6 pre-heat burners
- Turndown ratio: 4/5:1
- Strip design and material: stainless steel corrugated strips
- 106 – Flame managers
- 106 – gas / air mixers with gas / air ratio adjustment
- 106 – solenoid valves
- 106 – gas tube bends
7. Ignition Sytem
- 106 – electrode shields
- 106 – tube igniters
- 106 – mounting brackets
- 106 – Rajah connectors
- ignition cable
8. Automatic Temperature Control
- Four thermocouples are installed in each oven zone to detect the baking temperatures. These provide signals to controllers at the zone control panels / PLC to provide temperature setting and monitoring with digital readouts
- The combustion air pressure is modulated to maintain the set baking temperatures
- The top and bottom burners in each zone are separately controlled
9. Extraction Fans
- Four (4) – Multi-vane Forward Curved Fans
- Volume: 34m3/min
- Pressure: 70mm WG at 20 degrees C
- Four (4) – Pressure switches for extraction fans
10. Turbulence System for 3 Zones
- Turbulence fan (fixed speed) to distribute convective air to ducts above and below the oven band
- Turbulence ducts adjacent to return ducts to use heat from the return airflow to the burner
- Even distribution of turbulence from full width ducts running the length of the zones
- Adjustment for top and bottom airflow
11. Over Temperature Safety System
- 1 – thermocouple to be mounted in the extraction flue in each zone
- 1 – Omron temperature controller to detect over temperature and actuate main gas shut off valve
12 Oven Delivery End and Drive
- 1000mm drum unit
- 4000mm extension from drum centre to baking chamber
- Baking time adjustable 3 – 9 minutes by variable speed AC motor with inverter control
- Adjustable stripper knife
- Wire mesh band stripping conveyor with adjustable discharge height and retractable nosepiece for biscuit reject
- Cross scrap conveyor for reject biscuits
13. Stand By Drive System
In the event of a failure of the factory power supply, the DC drive will operate the oven band and stripping conveyor
14. Extraction Hood
- A stainless steel hood 2000mm long with an extraction fan mounted over the delivery end extension.
15. Oven Band Cleaner
- Top wire brush to clean inside of the oven band with fixed speed drive.
- Bottom wire brush unit to clean the outside of the oven band with fixed speed drive and mounted on a trolley for removal to the side of the oven.
- Manual adjustment for brush pressure
16. Oven Band
- Type Z47 wire mesh band
- Width 1200mm
- Oven band to be supported on skid bars in the baking chamber and on rollers on the return circuit
17. One – Set of Wiring materials
2. SELECTION OF POTENTIAL SUPPLIERS
The following are important considerations
- Previous experience
- Supplier’s references
- Supplier’s location and sales/service network
- Budget and supplier’s price level
Usually 2-4 suppliers will be selected and asked to quote. The quotations can then be compared and a selection of the two best proposals will be made for detail discussions, visits to reference lines and the supplier’s factory.
3. COMPARISON OF QUOTATIONS The following is a typical comparison made between 3 suppliers, from Asia and Europe. The comparison highlights the differences in specification and commercial terms offered and will form the basis for negotiations with the selected suppliers
| Snack and biscuit line quotations | |||
| Supplier A | Supplier B | Supplier C | |
| MIXER | Horizontal | Vertical spindle | Horizontal |
| Capacity | 500kg hard dough | 500kg hard dough | 550kg |
| Drive | 50kW | 32kW | |
| Speeds | 30 / 60 rpm | 20 / 30 rpm | Variable speed |
| Mixing blade | “Z” blade | 2 spindle | |
| Dough tub | 1 included | 1 included | 1 included |
| Water jacket | included | N/A | included |
| DOUGH FEED | Horizontal arrgt | Vertical tub tilt unit | Horizontal arrgt |
| Live bottom bin with guillotine | Live bottom bin with guillotine | ||
| Dough transfer conveyor to sheeter | Dough transfer conveyor | ||
| 1.2m wide | 1.2m wide | ||
| Metal detector included | Metal detector included | ||
| DOUGH SHEETER | 4 ROLL SHEETER | 3 ROLL SHEETER | 4 ROLL SHEETER |
| Width | 1200mm | 1250mm wide | 1200mm wide |
| Hopper | Scrap incorporation included | ||
| Roll diam. | 310 / 270 diam rolls | 310 / 270 diam rolls | 310 / 270 diam rolls |
| BISCUIT CUTTING MACHINE | |||
| Width | 1200mm | 1250mm | 1200mm |
| 1st Gauge roll unit | 310mm rolls Servo motors for gap settting | 310mm rolls | 310mm rolls |
| Servo motors for gap setting | Servo motors for gap setting | ||
| 2nd Gauge roll unit | Not included | 310mm rolls Servo motors for gap setting | 310mm rolls Servo motors for gap setting |
| Final Gauge roll unit | 400mm rolls Servo motors for gap setting | 410mm rolls Servo motors for gap setting | 400mm rolls Servo motors for gap setting |
| Conveyors | Food grade plastic Manual tensioning Auto tracking | 1350mm wide Rough pattern PU Pneumatic tension Manual double roll tracking | Food grade plastic Auto tension and tracking of final gauge roll belt |
| Relaxation conveyor | Length / width not specified Manual tensioning Manual tracking | 3300mm long x 1350mm wide Pneumatic tensioning Auto tracking | 2.0m long x 1200mm wide Auto tracking and tensionsing |
| Air blowers | None specified | One ambient / hot air | Air blowers included |
| Rotary cutter | 2 roll type, separate emboss and cut rolls, synchronised: 250mm diam Pnematic tracking By-pass facility | 2 roll type, separate emboss and cut rolls: 200-250mm diam. Pneumatic tracking Auto tensioning | 2 roll type, separate emboss and cut rolls: rolls not included Servo controlled pressure rolls Auto tracking and tensioning |
| Scrap lift conveyor | Scrap cutter Manual tensioning Auto tracking | Pneumatic tensioning Manual tracking | included |
| Side scrap return conveyor | included 300mm wide | included 240mm wide | included |
| Reciprocating conveyor feed to laminator | included | included 240mm wide | included |
| Salt sprinkler | Roll type mounted over panner | Belt type | Rotating blade with perforated plate for depositing salt |
| Salt recovery conveyor and panner | Salt recovery by a plastic belt with nose bar | Wire mesh recovery conveyor | Salt sprinkler over panner with transverse conveyor for excess salt |
| Panner | Fixed panner combined with salt revovery Food grade plastic belt | Swivel panner 1350mm wide PU belt | Swivel panner 1200mm plastic belt Manual nose lift |
| CONTROL SYSTEM FOR FORMING MACHINES | Electrical panel Cascade system UPS option | Cascade system Siemens S7 PLC | PLC control with HMI panels |
| BAKING OVEN | |||
| Length / width | 1.2m x 36m long Hybrid oven Direct Gas Fired / Convection oven 4 zones | 1.25 x 42m DGF oven 4 zones | 1.2m x 36m Hybrid DGF/convection oven 3 zones |
| Oven band | Steinhaus F4012k-st on rollers Pneumatic tensioning Auto tracking system Pre-heat: 6 burners | Wire-mesh band Pneumatic tracking 3 stage Pneumatic tension Pre-heat: 8 burners | Wire mesh on rollers Auto tracking Pneumatic tensioning Pre-heat: 6 burners |
| Gas train | Not specified | Not specified | Not specified |
| DGF oven | DGF 2 zones, 24m total length Baking chamber: Aluminum steel 50 burners (9 – 3 zone burners) Thermocouples: 2 per zone 1500 kWh installed | 60 burners 1080 kWh installed Modular constr. 3m modules Thermocouples 4 per zone | DGF 2 zones, 24m long 56 burners (3 – 3 zone burners) |
| Convection oven | One zone, 12m long 1- modulating burner 250kWh 1- thermocouple + 1 – safety thermocouple | N/A | Indirect system with heat exchanger One zone 12.1m long 1- Riello modulating burner |
| Combustion air supply | Not specified | Not specified | Not specified |
| Inspection windows | 1 per zone | 1 per zone | Not specified |
| Clean out doors | 1 per zone | 1 per zone | |
| Insulation | 130 kg/m3 | 80kg/m3 | Mineral wool |
| Extraction | 1 – extraction fan per zone | 1 VS extraction fan per zone | 1 – extraction fan per zone |
| Band cleaner | Triple brush group | Not specified | Double brush for outside of band |
| Stripping conveyor | Included Material not specified | Not specified | Steel mesh belt 1.3m wide Cross conveyor for emergency discharge |
| OIL SPRAY | |||
| Oil application | 2 – 15% | Separate pumps for top and bottom spray | |
| Spinning discs | Fixed speed spinning discs | 14 spinning discs | Spinning disc system |
| Filter mist unit | Vapour recovery hood | Filter mist unit included | Hood with suction unit and filter |
| Drain conveyor | 3.0m Plastic belt? | 2.0m Stainless steel mesh | 3.0m Plastic belt |
| COOLING CONVEYOR | 40m long 1.2m wide DC drives Auto tracking Manual tensioning | 60m long 1350mm wide SEW drives 3 sets of blowers | 54m 1300mm wide 4 conveyors and 2 – 180 degree bends Auto tracking and pneumatic tensioning |
| BISCUIT STACKER | Adjustable star wheel stacker 1.2m wide Magnetic guides | Adjustable star wheel stacker 1.25m wide | Adjustable star wheel Stacker 1.4m wide Guides for 24 lanes |
| PACKING TABLE | 1.2m wide 10m long Auto tracking Manual tensioning Biscuit guides? | 1450mm wide 12m long Pnematic tensioning Pneumatic tensioning | 1.4m wide 10m long Guides for 24 biscuit lanes |
| COMPONENT SUPPLIERS PLC INVERTERS ELECTRICS BEARINGS DRIVES PNEUMATICS | PLC Omron / Siemens / Allen Bradley Danfoss / Omron inverters SEW drives Legrand / Siemens / Omron electrics Pneumatics Omnitec / Festo Bearings FAG / SKF | Siemens S7 PLC Danfoss inverters SEW drives Telemechaniqe / Schneider electrics Pneumatics AIRTAC Bearings NSK | Suppliers except burners and metal detector not specificed |
| PRICE | EURO 1,300,000 FOT | USD 1,200,000 Packed and crated | EURO 2,000,000 incl. packing, supervision of installation and commissioning |
| TERMS | 30% deposit, 70% prior to shipment | 30% deposit, 65% prior to shipment, 5% on completion | To be agreed |
| DELIVERY | 6 – 7 months | 6 months | To be agreed |
4. SNACK AND BISCUIT LINE QUOTATIONS
It is recommended that 2 – 3 suppliers are shortlisted for negotiations. Visits should be made to see the factories of the potential suppliers and to see relevant production lines in operation. At this stage the specifications of the equipment can be finalised with each supplier.
After the decision by the Buyer on the potential suppliers, the price and commercial terms of the contract may be negotiated, usually with two potential suppliers. A final decision on the supplier can now be made by the Buyer.
4. COMMERCIAL TERMS
The following are typical headings for a contract to buy a production line.
1. Scope of the Order
2. Equipment specifications
3. Performance criteria
4. Programme Schedule
5. Price and payment terms
6. Delivery
7. Additional shipments
8. Exclusions
9. Guarantees
10. Liquidated damages
11. Liability
12. Confidentiality
13. Amendments in writing
14. Contract signatures:
Buyer:
Seller:
Baker Pacific Ltd. 02/12/2020
baking process and engineering 