The art of biscuit, cake and bread making, once a craft practised on a small scale by individuals, is now a major industry. In order to be cost-effective, labour has to be kept to a minimum and many of the dull, repetitive and time-consuming tasks eliminated. It is also vitally important to ensure that the highest standards of hygiene are maintained. All of these factors have led to the increased use of mechanization, and this text provides a handbook for operators, engineers and managers. The author provides a general technical and mechanical background of the basic processing machinery for making bread, biscuits, cookies, crackers, cakes, snacks and confectionery, and introduces the machinery and technology needed to produce the more exotic snacks that are becoming increasingly popular in the Western world. Areas covered include the type construction, processing principles and transmission systems of various pieces of equipment.
Heating principles, basic oven types and their construction - with special reference to the more popular electric ovens - are looked at - and the author provides data to enable the reader to make an informed choice when trying to decide which equipment to purchase. The book culminates with a look at food machinery design.