Commercial bakeries that are interested in improving product consistency, simplifying the mixing process, reducing labor, and cutting costs should understand the benefits of Continuous Mixing vs. batch mixing systems. Exact Mixing can help.
Exact Mixing, a Reading Bakery Systems brand, is the leading supplier of Continuous Mixing Systems for the food industry. For over 25 years, we have developed continuous mixing systems that are ideal for the baked snack, cookie, cracker, sweet goods, pizza, tortilla, pet treat and bread and buns industries. We also offer continuous mixing solutions for non-bakery items, such as protein bars, peanut butter, icing and pet treats.
Dough Mixing Technology
Mixers come in all sizes, shapes, and methods of operation, but they invariably fit into one of two categories – batch or continuous.
In the batch mixing process, all ingredients are loaded into the mixer together or in a specific order and mixed until the desired dough is produced. One batch at a time is mixed and finished before the other is started. This means that each batch can produce different, and sometimes undesirable, results.
In the Continuous Mixing process, ingredients are continuously metered into the mixing chamber, generating a continuous stream of mixed product at the exit of the mixer. The mixing may be done in stages to ensure all ingredients are properly incorporated.
Advantages of Batch Mixing
- Flexibility of production
- Excellent for small to medium batches
- Easy to make slight variations from batch to batch
- Accurate control over mixing time
- Precise control over mix quality
- Easy to pre-mix minor ingredients
- Good batch traceability
- Easy to clean
- Frequent product changes lower cleaning costs
- Lower operating costs than Continuous Mixers in the short-term but requires more labor
Advantages of Continuous Mixing
- Consistent finished product weight, size and texture
- Evenly hydrates dough
- Better integration of minor ingredients
- Consistent, steady supply of dough
- Dough leaves mixer in usable size loaves
- Achieve high production rates with one mixer
- One mixer can feed multiple lines
- Self-monitoring and self-correcting
- Easy to sanitize, maintain, clean and inspect, due to its clamshell design
- Can be operated with less labor and energy than batch mixing
- User-friendly interface control panel
- Requires little training to operate
- Excellent traceability
- Smaller footprint than batch mixers, which saves space, money and energy
- Achieve verifiable kill temperatures (pet foods)
The Continuous Mixing process eliminates the problems associated with batch cycles and produces a consistent product all day, every day.
See It in Action
If you would like to explore which Exact Continuous Mixing equipment may be right for your products, visit with our team at the Reading Bakery Systems Science & Innovation Center in Sinking Spring, Pennsylvania, USA.
A dedicated Continuous Mixing area features all of the Exact Mixer models, including the EX Mixer (Single screw), MX Mixer (Twin screw), FX Mixer (High shear), and HDX Mixer (High development). Mixers in various sizes are available for Innovation Center work or in-plant demonstrations.
Our Innovation Center Continuous Mixing area also includes an automated bulk handling system, a horizontal dry blender, gravimetric dry feeders and mass flow liquid systems. Customers can work with our team to test machinery and processing techniques; develop new products; and produce market samples for testing.
Explore the differences between Continuous Mixing and batch mixing and discover the many available mixer models from Exact Mixing. Call our Robesonia, Pennsylvania headquarters at (01) 610-693-5816 or contact us online.
