Cookies Production Line
To achieve large-scale, high-quality production of cookies, a popular snack dessert, a modern automated production line is indispensable. The complete production line efficiently and accurately performs the processing from raw materials to golden, crispy, and delicious cookies of various shapes. Its main process flow and core equipment include the following key links:
1.Dough Mixing:
The ingredients are poured into the multi-purpose mixer in a specific order (usually powder and solid fat/butter first, then liquid). Depending on the type of cookie (crisp, tough, brittle), different paddles (paddle or hook) are used, and the stirring speed and duration are adjusted to achieve emulsification, mixing and gluten control (limited development or inhibition), and finally obtain a uniform and qualified dough.
2. Cookie molding:
• Extrusion molding: (applicable to soft dough or cookies with particles) The dough is forced through an extruder head equipped with a specific nozzle (round hole, star-shaped hole, etc.) to extrude strips or specific patterns, and then cut into specified lengths by a wire cutter or a rotary cutter.
• Wire cutting molding: The dough is extruded into thick strips through the extruder head and cut into small pieces vertically by a high-speed fine wire (commonly used to make American chocolate chip cookies).
3. Tunnel Oven Baking:
Tunnel oven: The formed raw dough (raw cookies) are evenly laid on a high-temperature resistant mesh belt (or steel belt) and passes through a long tunnel oven at a constant speed. The oven is usually divided into multiple temperature zones, and the temperature (160°C - 200°C), heat transfer method (conduction, convection, radiation) and humidity are precisely controlled to achieve the ideal "setting - expansion - coloring - dehydration" process. This gives the cookies a crispy or soft taste, an attractive golden color and a unique flavor. The baking time is precisely set according to the cookie size, thickness and recipe.
4. Cookies Cooling:
Multi-layer cooling line/cooling tunnel: Freshly baked cookies are very soft and fragile, and the temperature is very high.and need to be transferred to a multi-layer, long-distance cooling line. At room temperature or with a slight amount of forced ventilation, the cookies need to be cooled slowly (about 10-20 minutes). Sufficient cooling not only helps the cookies to set and stabilize their crisp or soft taste, but also promotes moisture redistribution and temperature balance, ensuring the stability of subsequent packaging. If cooling is not sufficient, it is very easy to cause condensation, softening and even mold after packaging.
5. Cookie Packaging:
• Automatic packaging machine: Qualified cookies are fed into the automatic packaging machine according to sales specifications (such as bag, box, can, roll). Various packaging forms:
• Pillow packaging: Single or multiple cookies are neatly arranged, wrapped with composite plastic film (often containing aluminum foil barrier) into pillow-shaped bags, and heat-sealed and cut.
• Box/tray packaging: Cookies are packed into prefabricated paper boxes or plastic trays, then coated, heat-sealed or covered with paper lids.
• Can/barrel packaging: Cookies are quantitatively filled into metal cans or plastic barrels.
Features:
• High efficiency and high yield: Automated equipment runs continuously, greatly improving production capacity to meet market demand.
• Standardization and consistency: Precise ingredients, temperature control, and time control ensure that the taste, color, size, and texture of each batch and each cookie are highly consistent.
• Food safety and hygiene: Fully enclosed or semi-enclosed system design, stainless steel material, strict cleaning procedures, reducing manual contact links, and minimizing contamination risks.
• Reduced costs: Large-scale production and automation reduce manual dependence, optimize raw material and energy consumption, and reduce unit costs.
• Flexibility: By changing molds, adjusting formula parameters and process settings, the same production line can produce a variety of cookie products with different flavors and shapes.
