Improved airflow system can support sustainability goals

GLOBAL food processing equipment manufacturer, JBT FoodTech, has dramatically improved the airflow system on its Double D Revoband Continuous Protein Oven to reduce cook times and improve yield.

The new system can also support sustainability goals as it uses less fuel to achieve this enhanced performance.
The 3G Airflow system – Double D’s third generation of airflow design for its Revoband Continuous Protein Oven – can achieve an average 10% improvement in cook times, and up to 42% on certain types of bacon.

Tests have shown that, with the 3G Airflow system fitted, cook times for potatoes were reduced by 16%, and sausage links by 10%.
These reductions in cook times have also resulted in yield improvements of up to 2%.

The new airflow system, which has been developed at JBT FoodTech’s Food Technology Centre in Broxburn in theUK, requires no additional energy to achieve these benefits.
“With the 3G Airflow system we are basically delivering more power from the heat exchanger, but without a rise in temperature. This means the system uses less fuel relative to the extra power generated,” comments John Kelso, JBT FoodTech’s Double D product line manager.

“The system generates an increased volume of air within the cooker, from both top and bottom louvres. This thermal response improves the power delivered to the product and this has led to major reductions in cook times. These reduced and measurable reductions in energy usage can contribute to customers’ CSR programmes and sustainability goals.”
The system can also improve the colour and appearance of the product. This was demonstrated with a series of tests which were carried out on sausage links, which were chosen for their ability to show colour change effectively.

“Cooking sausages was a good example of the system’s effectiveness because, by increasing fan speed only, the skin would normally blister,” says Kelso. “However, with the 3G Airflow system the impact was to achieve colour change more quickly, but without blistering the skin.”

The 3G Airflow system will now be fitted as standard on all new Double D Revoband Continuous Protein Ovens.
Testing is available at the company’s UK Food Technology Centre in Broxburn.

www.jbtfoodtech.com