Hybrid capability focus for Baker Perkins’ latest oven system

Equipment manufacturer Baker Perkins has launched its latest TruBake HiCirc convection oven, targeting the baked snacks and confectionery market segments.
According to the business, the US-manufactured system offers higher rates of convection, higher heat flux, and a broader range of product capability than its predecessors. It has reportedly been designed with improvements in flexibility, efficiency and hygiene and, for the first time, the ability to be integrated into a hybrid oven.
The stable and predictable baking environment is suitable for a wide variety of products, from brownies, cookies and bars up to crackers and pet treats; it has also already been applied to other products including baked granola and ingredients. Its modular oven body design allows it to be assembled with TruBake DGF (Direct Gas Fired) modules to form a hybrid oven combining the advantages of both heating methods.
As the company noted, an increasing number of its customers select a hybrid oven for its inherent versatility. DGF and convection have different heat transfer and airflow characteristics that affect product quality. Combining the benefits creates a unit that can be set up to exactly match the optimum baking profile of almost any baked product.
The TruBake HiCirc uses direct convection. With no heat exchanger, there are significant savings in fuel and maintenance, plus a faster temperature response time than indirect convection ovens. Features include a 40:1 turndown range for flexibility, large doors for cleaning and maintenance; blowers and burners placed above the oven to create extra floor space; full VFD control of all blowers; and directional damper control. The easy-to-use touch-screen controls contain all the information needed to set up and run the oven efficiently, including a simple graphical interface, recipe-driven settings, clear alarm management and historical trending.
Modules are arranged on-site to form an oven with a number of separate baking zones. Each zone is specified to achieve the necessary baking profile, with independent temperature, extraction and airflow control. Continuous tunnel oven test facilities within Baker Perkins’ Innovation Centre in Grand Rapids, Michigan are available to customers to help develop and define optimum baking profiles for transfer onto production facilities.