Proposing an optimal spray nozzle and installation layout tailored to the properties of the dough enabled effective moisture conditioning.

A confectionery factory was seeking a way to prevent cracks from forming on the surface of cream puff dough during baking. To address this issue, they began exploring methods of moisture conditioning the dough before feeding it into the tunnel oven.

The primary cause of cracking was identified as dryness during baking. While increasing the moisture content of the dough could help prevent cracking, uncontrolled moisture adjustment would negatively affect the final texture.

To tackle this, the customer approached IKEUCHI for a solution to adjust the moisture level of the dough on the conveyor line just prior to baking.

IKEUCHI selected the BIMJ pneumatic spray nozzle, which sprays a minimal amount of moisture evenly across the dough surface in the form of an ultra-fine fog. This nozzle enables ideal droplet formation that lightly moistens the surface without over-wetting.

We created a spray unit that can uniformly cover the entire width of the conveyor by installing multiple BIMJ nozzles onto a Food Sanitation Act-compliant nozzle header prepared by the customer.

Note: The nozzle parts used complies with the Food Sanitation Act in Japan. Please either prepare a compliant nozzle header on your end or contact your IKEUCHI sales representative for assistance.

The solution successfully reduced the defect rate by 80%, significantly decreasing product waste.