Mixers:

Industrial Mixers are machines that blend, emulsify, homogenize or otherwise mix material into
a single substance. Mixers thoroughly combine virtually any solid or liquid that is necessary to
form a final product.

Different mixers can be used in making bread dough. Capacity (pounds of dough per hour),
energy consumption, rpm, acquisition costs, level of process control, hygienic design, are some
features that high-speed bakers often consider buying dough mixing equipment.

The selection of a correct type and size of mixer depends on the type and amount of food being
mixed and the speed of operation needed to achieve the required degree of mixing with
minimum energy consumption. There are a very large variety of mixers available,due to the large
number of mixing applications and the empirical nature of mixer design and development.

Types:
Vertical or Planetary Bakery Mixers

Topos Mondial Planetary Bakery MixerPlanetary bakery mixers also known as vertical mixers
get their name from the orbital motion the dough agitator makes, which are circular orbits along
the inside wall. The mixers consist of a movable bowl or trough with one or two vertical shafts
that may be stationary or may have planetary movement. Otherwise planetary mixers are very
versatile. These mixers will normally come with a wire whisk, stainless steel bowl, dough hook,
and beater blade.
• These mixers will normally come with a wire whisk, stainless steel bowl, dough hook, and
beater blade.

Horizontal Bakery Mixers

Topos Mondial Horizontal Bakery Mixer Horizontal mixers typically contain a bowl that tilts to
remove dough when mixed. The beaters are driven horizontally within the bowl on one or two
shafts. How the dough is cut or stretched depends on the shape and speed of the blades.

The three types of Horizontal Mixers that Topos offers are:

Three roller bar mixer - used to roll and stretch dough which allows it to develop proper gluten
structure.
Single sigma mixers - suitable for cookies, crackers, corn tortillas and biscuits.
Double sigma mixers - used for soft dough cookies mixes, cake, pretzels, granola, muffins,
energy type bars, and scones.

Pros

• Very powerful mixers, therefore, able to produce tough dough more rapidly.

• Good and accurate control of the temperature of the mixing bowl from a jacket with constantly
circulating water or refrigerant.
• Ingredients can be added through the roof of the horizontal bakery mixer while the beaters are
moving.

Cons
• The beaters tend to throw materials up to the roof of the mixer.

• The horizontal mixer's lid totally encloses it; so the progress of the mix can not be completely
observed.

• The beater shape allows for blending, dispersion, and kneading, and this could lead to each
action being less than ideal.

• As the size of horizontal bakery mixers increases, kneading efficiency tends to decline relative
to heat build up due to friction.

Spiral Bakery Mixers

Topos Mondial Spiral Bakery MixerThe spiral-shaped dough agitator gives spiral mixers their
name. Unlike the planetary mixing bowl that remains stationary, a spiral mixing bowl moves
while the agitator remains in place. Spiral bakery mixers are often the mixer of choice for
bakeries. They are often referred to as “one-bagger” or “three-bagger.” This represents the
amount of 100-pound bags of flour or dough they can hold.

Pros

• The sturdy dough agitator found in spiral mixers is

typically more effective than traditional beaters and even
dough hooks when mixing heavy, stiff dough.

• More dough can be mixed at once in a spiral mixer.

• There is less resistance on the spirals, and this help to control the temperature of the dough and
will ensure proper rising and easier kneading.

• There is no need to use downsized bowls and agitators to mix small batches.

Cons

• Spiral mixers are only suitable for mixing dough and not mixing or whipping.

Three Spindle-Vertical Mixer

The vertical mixer is the most common type of mixer, used for the sponge and dough process
used in crackers, but it can also be used for short and hard dough. Example: rotary moulded;
wire-cut and semi-sweet (hard) dough.

The spindle mixer has two or three shafts with vertical mixing paddles, and operates at two
speeds of 15 and 55 r p m’s. The mixing paddles mix, cut and tear through the dough.

The mixers can also be used for developed dough, such as chemically modified crackers and
semi-sweet dough, but due to their relatively slow rpm’s, they can take over sixty minutes to
achieve the desired final dough temperature for semi-sweet dough.

Horizontal high speed mixer

The horizontal mixer has single or double arm or Z-blade beaters operating in two or three speed
modes, and has a cooling water jacket. It provides good side to side mixing of the ingredients, as
well as in the direction of rotation of the mixing arms.

High speed horizontal mixers should be equipped with a two speed motor for the mixing arms,
run on slow at approximately 35 rpm and fast at approx. 70 rpm.

These mixers are versatile for the preparation of a wide range of dough, from soft (short) and
high fat to a hard dough, and are most influential where gluten development is required. This will
be necessary for developing the gluten for products like Petit Beurre and Marie dough.

Mixer capacity

The mixer capacity should be sufficient the ingredient dispensing time and process line
throughput and dough resting time, influencing changes in dough rheology. It is essential not to
under-load or over-load the mixer, otherwise its action may be impaired leading to variations in
dough consistency.

Beater speed

To be efficient in mixing at slow and high speed to produce a homogenous dough in a relatively
short mixing time.

Horizontal high speed center sprag mixer

Twin Helical beater and static sprag option mixing cycles can be reduces, effective mixing can
be achieved down to 70% of the batch capacity, less work is input is induced into the dough,
resulting in reduced gluten development etc.

The sprag configuration allows rapid incorporation of particulate ingredients e.g. chocolate chip,
dried fruit, etc without degenerating the additives. I.e. melting, damaged fruit.

Both these mixers are capable of producing ‘mechanical emulsification’ in the first stage of
mixing, which is discussed, later in this document.

The implications of mixing to time, or final dough temperature, or number of revolutions of the
beater, often result in variations in dough consistency, but by mixing to an energy value, it
reproduces dough consistency and in one location it also resulted in a 50% reduction in mixing
time.

The illustrations are of significant value to the operator, in understanding the interaction of the
ingredients, such as flour: water adsorption, and influence of chemicals such as enzymes, at
relatively high temperatures.

This was demonstrated to me in a ‘Greenfield Site’ project, where the operators were new to the
industry.

Continuous Mixer

The Oakes Single-Screw Continuous Mixer consists of a feed-end stator, a rotor and a delivery
end stator.

In this system the loss-in-weight dry ingredients are screw fed and the liquid ingredients pumped
into a port and are conveyed through the continuous mixer.

Its prime function is a shearing action whilst blending and mixing the dough, whilst a water
jacket maintains a constant temperature. In this system, the desired proportions of ingredients are
conveyed through the continuous mixer. Its prime function is a shearing action whilst blending
and mixing the dough. Whilst a water cooling jacket maintains a constant temperature of the
dough.

Twin screw continous mixer

Continuous mixing of short dough

The Twin-Screw Continuous Mixer consists of a co-rotating set of twin screws, where the flights
are of different designs to allow for changing the transportation and kneading of the dough, along
the length of the barrel.

Continuous mixing is the logical progression from batch mixing, benefitting from improved
process control, increased yield, controlled dough homogeneity and
rheology, increased product volume, and the potential for
reducing the fat content of short dough biscuits and cookies.
Continuous mixing of biscuit dough, can yield a reduction in of up to 10% reduction in fat
content, and also a reduction in dough specific gravity, yielding a light texture and homogenous
dough, due to the efficiency and mixing action of the in the barrel.

Dough rheology and temperature are constant; improving process efficiency compared with the
Batch process method of mixing, illuminating the requirement for ‘dough standing time’ (lay
time). Continuous mixing also reduces labour costs.