IBIE Innovations: Dough Tech Bread Moulder
For this month’s blog post we continue with our IBIE innovations. That’s where we write a bit about something we learned or saw at the International Baking Expo last month in Las Vegas. Last month we wrote about the Bakepod® Concept by the Merand company. You can read about that concept here.
This month we will be reviewing the new AM Series from Dough Tech. The AM Series features the AM315 Bread Moulder and the AM435 Bread Moulder/Sheeter. These machines are brand new and have just been rolled out to the public. Dough Tech had this to say when asked to provide a word about the machines:
“Dough Tech’s bread moulders have been designed with the baker in mind. Emphasis has been placed on performance, safety, ergonomics, sanitation and maintenance. The high standards required for artisan dough are now available to every baker and every loaf”.
To start, the AM315 is a very sleek looking machine with nice lines and curves. It’s clean finish and stainless-steel exterior scream cleanliness and sanitation. It has an open frame design with strong locking casters making it easy to move around and set in place. Dough is dropped into the machine by way of a dough hopper that is situated on the top back of the machine. The hopper itself is nicely constructed, as is the catch pan on the back. Big green and red Start and E-Stop buttons are located on the back of the machine.
The AM315 comes with a sanitary removable endless FDA Approved conveyor belt. The belt itself has no wires or laces keeping it together, as it is one piece and can be taken off and cleaned in the sink. The rollers can be accessed by turning the knobs on the top of the machine counterclockwise, then tipping back the top of machine and lifting off the cover. Once removed, the dough scrapers can then be removed and cleaned with ease. No other moulder on the market is that easy to clean.
Moulding is done on the AM315 by a moulding plate attached to the bottom bed of the machine. To remove or change the moulding plate, position a person on either side of the machine and then lift and remove the assembly. Once the moulding plate is off, the belt tension can be removed by way of a locking handle. Dough Tech seems to be the only company out there with this technology that lets you remove the belt so easily from the machine with no tools, which is a game changer.
Roller adjustments and moulding plate adjustments are done simply, easily and on the fly by way of handles on the right side of the machine. Each adjustment has an increment setting in 1/16-inch, making it very easy to lock in your process. A variety of moulding plate sizes are available, from 6 to 20 inches.
In terms of safety, Dough Tech has taken great steps to make the AM315 a very safe machine for operators. Safety sensors have been added inside the top cover, making it impossible for the machine to run without the top cover on. A sensor has also been placed in the hopper, switching off the machine when it is engaged. This switch is to prevent operator’s hands from entering the hopper. Gaps from the belt to the sides have also been eliminated, making it impossible for fingers to get trapped in the belt.
In addition to the things above, Dough Tech boasts these features for the AM315 on their spec sheet and website:
- Sanitary stainless-steel construction
- Easy to clean open frame design
- Sanitary removable endless conveyor belt. FDA approved
- Removable top cover for easy access to rollers
- Removable, washable moulding plate fabric
- No tools required for disassembly
- Integrated infeed hopper safety
- 120-volt GFCI compliant
- Direct Drive motor, 1 HP
- Full motor torque regardless of speed
- No maintenance lube for life drive system
- Single person operation
- Variable speed control
To get a spec sheet or to view the AM315 online go here
Dough Tech is located in Salt Lake City and has been around since 2002, focusing on the dough aspect of baking. To learn more about the company go here.
