In today’s era of digitalization, the baking industry continues to evolve and adopt new digital tools. To stay close to remote customers, MECATHERM developed M-Care, a sophisticated predictive analysis solution that enables industrial bakers and sweet goods manufacturers to detect anomalies (such as drifts) in equipment early and provide operators guidance for easy initial maintenance checks to optimize their machine availability.

M-Care provides easy-to-understand information so any operator can intervene quickly and effectively by following step-by-step instructions. Most of the new MECATHERM equipment is already M-Care ready today. When the operator opens an alert ticket, they have direct access to the documentation required to help them diagnose the problem and resolve it. If the problem persists, the application sets up direct contact with MECATHERM’s technical support team.

MECATHERM recently showcased its MECAFLEX Line, which includes the M-TA Tunnel Oven and the M-UB Handling System to produce a wide range of products from different process combinations with diverse baking tray types and formats. The objective is to provide increased flexibility and make it easy to adapt production to meet new and future consumer demands.

MECATHERM designs, develops, assembles, and installs ovens, machines, and automated lines for bakery and pastry making all over the world. Today, 420 employees are contributing to MECATHERM's industry expertise. The company generates more than 90% of its turnover from exports, with customers in more than 70 countries on five continents around the world.

Greater demands

Over the past few years, the demand placed on rack oven systems have noticeably increased. Important keywords are a wider range of products, including more breads, hotter temperatures, shorter baking times (especially in combination with vacuum conditioning), shorter recovery times, all-natural, long-process proofing goods that are therefore more delicate and generally more prone to flaws.

For many bakers, the MIWE roll-in has been delivering convincing results for bakers for more than 50 years with its superior baking performance, great flexibility and uniformity, as well as its particularly low energy consumption. Its countless special functions developed by MIWE, such as “atmospheric baking,” which guarantees an even baking result at all times regardless of the weather, or the extremely sensitive type of temperature control thanks to MIWE delta baking are what set it apart.

This is why MIWE is presenting some important innovations and further improvements with its 2021 model year MIWE roll-in e+. This includes the MIWE Heat Flow, developed in continuous exchange with users and master bakers – it is a combination of an optimized heat storage wall and a vertically positioned air grill which has been newly developed from scratch, and newly arranged “trumpet nozzles” which, with their optimized flow geometry, ensure stable, uniform baking results for a wide variety of baked goods – all combined with extremely economical energy use.

The steam device has also been further developed and, thanks to a comprehensive optimization of the steam water inlets, a new type of water routing and an intelligent cascade design, it now ensures that the steam reaches the entire baking chamber significantly faster and yet more evenly.

The patented MIWE air control has also been further improved, and multilayer insulating mats provide completely new insulation and a permanently improved insulating effect.

The further development of the MIWE roll-in is not only a response to the noticeably increased requirements of today’s bakers - it has also been developed in close cooperation with those who work with rack ovens on a daily basis.

All innovations on the MIWE roll-in were developed in continuous exchange with users and master bakers. They have already proven themselves in extensive tests. As MIWE explains, “because that’s the only way we can make sure we meet the high standards that our customers quite rightly demand of our products.”

Digital evolution  

MECATHERM, a world leader in the design and manufacturing of automatic equipment and production lines for the bakery and sweet goods industry, recently exhibited at INTERPACK from May 4-10, 2023, in Düsseldorf, Germany, where the company showcased its complete solutions and latest developments to help manufacturers overcome product quality, industrial performance, and sustainability challenges. A special focus will be on:

• Solutions to optimize energy efficiency.

• A new easy-to-clean oven dedicated to delicate products.

• Innovative digital solutions to boost industrial performance.

“In today’s world, our customers are increasingly demanding sustainable solutions to grow their businesses responsibly. At MECATHERM, we are highly committed to supporting these ambitions. We are continuously investing in and developing innovative solutions to help our customers reach long-term success while minimizing their impact on the environment,” the company announced.

“MECATHERM is convinced that digital evolution, combined with our high level of expertise, will support and accelerate the changes needed to shape the future. It has always been in MECATHERM’s DNA to make manufacturers’ lives easier. Through strong cooperation, they can continue relying on us and build competitive advantages in this changing world,” comments Raymond Nogael, vice president of marketing and business development at TMG.

Sustainability is a priority concern for the entire baking and sweet goods value chain. Many players have set ambitious goals to preserve the planet for future generations. As an industrial solutions provider, MECATHERM has made it a priority to offer solutions that enable manufacturers to reduce energy consumption, resulting in fewer carbon emissions and reducing the overall environmental impact of baking activities.

At INTERPACK, MECATHERM’s experts shared specific insights on how to achieve energy savings. First, they explored oven designs, such as compact vertical ovens or tunnel ovens, and how different ways of operating these ovens provide opportunities to reduce energy losses.

Second, MECATHERM underlined how the use of convection heat transfer mode, can optimize baking time and reduce the temperature of fumes. This is why MECATHERM ovens are all equipped with convection heating technology, either as the main heating mode (vertical ovens), in combination with radiant heating (M-TA and FTM Ovens), or as an option in a specific heating zone (FTP Oven).