Once upon a time in Europe, waffles were considered an exquisite delicacy worthy only of royalty, and their preparation was timed to the holidays. Today, everyone can buy this product at any nearby supermarket, but the love of this sweetness is still preserved, only the range has become much wider and more interesting.
The waffle business is also popular, because the demand for these products is great. In addition to self-realization, waffles can serve as the basis for the preparation of cakes and pastries, sweets and even ice cream (briquettes, etc.). In this article we will talk about cooking technology, about which equipment for the production of wafers to choose and how to do it right.
Waffles: manufacturing steps
Before deciding on machines and lines for the manufacture of these confectionery products, you should familiarize yourself with the process of their preparation. It is the wafer production technology that determines the choice of a particular equipment, its quantity, power and other characteristics. In general, all stages can be reduced to the following:
- preparation of a special dough;
- baking wafer sheets and their cooling;
- preparation and application of the filling (if necessary);
- re-cooling and slicing wafers;
- glazing and decoration of finished products;
- packing.
At each of these steps, certain equipment for the production of wafers is used, and its dimensions and components depend on the volume of production.
Preparatory stage
Before kneading begins, the raw material for the waffles must be selected and prepared properly. In modern workshops, the whole process is carried out continuously, thanks to the installation of production lines. It is on them that the raw materials first enter a separate room where processing takes place.
- Flour is mixed and sifted with a metal sieve - special sifting machines are used for this. On the inclined slope of the lines there is a special magnetic catcher - it cleans the flour from impurities. Then it is poured into the tank where it is stored.
- Sugar is sifted similarly. The mesh size of the sieves should not exceed 3 mm.
- A filter is used to filter vegetable oil. Here the cells have a diameter of up to 1 mm.
- Baking soda and salt are also crushed and sieved, if necessary.
- Eggs are checked for freshness by scanning them with an ovoscope, then they are soaked, treated with a solution of sodium carbonate and disinfected.
This stage may be quite long, but it is necessary. To reduce the preparation time of raw materials, some food substitutes may be used. For example, instead of fresh eggs, frozen melange is taken. When all components are processed, they go to the production hall.
Cooking and baking waffle dough
This stage is also one of the longest and most capacious. It is important to comply with many requirements - humidity, temperature, portions of the introduction of certain components and so on. It depends on how the dough turns out. It must be fluid and not very viscous so that it can easily spread over the baking sheet. Consider the stages of its preparation and what equipment is used on each of them.
- For kneading, a special machine for the production of wafers is used. Its characteristics depend on the scale of production. On the small one, stations of periodic action are installed, on the large - continuous.The finished dough is filtered and poured into a special container, from where it gets into the oven tanks.
- For baking, an oven for producing wafers with large metal plates having a gap of about 2 mm is used. The choice of the surface of these plates depends on the concept and wishes of the manufacturer. They can be smooth, have a figured or engraved appearance. Baking is carried out at high temperatures (170 degrees), so the higher the power of the oven, the better.
- Sheets are removed by hand (using a knife) or a special elastic plate (automatically). Then they are cooled on the cradle conveyor.
This is a brief description of how waffles are made. Then the cooled sheets go through further stages - adding fillings, glazing, decor. For all this, special devices are used. For the production of wafers without filling (simple), it is enough to equip the workshop with the machines listed above. And also purchase packaging lines for packaging the finished product.
Preparation of filling, filling and slicing
Fatty stuffing (with butter) is best suited as a filling, as it has the lowest humidity and prevents the waffles from softening. For its manufacture, it is necessary to purchase additional equipment. The layer of wafers is carried out by one of the following types of installations - a movable carriage or special machines with a roller mechanism. Finished and solidified products are cut by string cutting machines. Then they are sent to packing.
Complex of equipment for waffle production
Russian manufacturers use equipment for the production of wafers of various models, but most often they are ready-made kits - lines from American and European manufacturers. They allow you to automate and make the entire process of manufacturing products continuous. This is especially convenient in large workshops with large volumes of products.
A complete wafer production line usually includes:
- a container with a stirrer;
- cumulative capacity for the test;
- pump station with a pipeline;
- waffle oven (gas or electric);
- waffle cooler;
- device for automatic sheet stacking;
- spreading and calibrating machines;
- capacity and storage tank - for the preparation of the filling;
- a device for grinding wafer residues;
- heat treatment;
- cooler and installation for cutting wafer sheets;
- filling machine.
The productivity of such a line can reach four tons of finished products, and five people are enough to service it. When assessing the cost of equipment, one should take into account not only the cost, but also the consumption of gas and electricity.
So, some Chinese production lines can be cheaper (thousands per 100 dollars), but in the end they will result in high costs for their work and maintenance. A high-quality line of a European manufacturer can be purchased on average for 400-450 thousand dollars.
Conclusion
In order to organize wafer production, a lot of investments will be required. The main investments are associated with the acquisition of high-quality equipment of the required capacities. In particular, this is the purchase of an automatic line, additional equipment and inventory, a packaging machine. Such a business can fully pay off only after 1.5-2 years. However, after the investment is fully repaid, the profit from such production will be considerable.
