The largest bakery group in the Baltic countries, the VAASAN Group recently inaugurated a new production site for the production of bake-off products in Saue, Estonia. In the 7 500 square meter facilities, this international baking forerunner manufactures over two hundred assorted bake-off products for the Baltic and Scandinavian markets.
According to CEO Esa Rautalinko, the brand new factory employing around hundred people helps the company establish a stronger hold in the Baltics, where it already is the market leader in the fresh white and dark bread segment.
Dosetec has been a familiar partner to the VAASAN Group for several years. It has customized various automatic dosing and weighing systems for the group´s needs in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and around Finland, for example.
Very high capacity
A reliable partner was once again required, as the Saue factory needed a dosing and weighing system for, among other things, raw materials for muffins, as well as a system capable of vast production batches. Dosetec equipped the system with ultra modern technology that ensures a very high capacity for the needs of the group´s growth strategy.
– In fact, the project was rather challenging, because the system´s operating speed needed to be adjusted to the exact synchronization in relation to the other processes of the production, states Pertti Hännikäinen, the Vice President of Dosetec.
– But it is fundamental that even unexpected challenges can be solved. I believe that our customers appreciate our problem solving abilities in particular, even in complex situations. We are worthy of their trust, and we have never let a customer down, Hännikäinen says with 25 years of experience in Dosetec.
Flour protected from moisture
The new dosing and weighing system in the Saue factory is large and comprehensive. There are four flour silos that are located outside the factory. Dosetec has utilized fiberglass (glass-reinforced polyester) as the silo material, because it functions as efficient insulation, and moisture condensation caused by temperature differences remains low.
Automation from start to finish
The system´s hopper scales, big bag (FIBC) stations, receiving hoppers, liquid dosing and bench scales for manual dosing are all Dosetec´s craftsmanship. Almost every step related to dosing and weighing is automatic.
– The bench scales for manual dosing are highly automation assisted. Operation is easier and smoother when the recipes are in the control system instead paper, for instance. The control system guides the user and takes care that the dosed spice batches are reported for follow-up and quality management, Hännikäinen tells.
Accuracy for dosing, uniform end product quality
For the dosing of various liquids, Dosetec customized a comprehensive system that ensures, among other things, the correct dough temperature. The system calculates the right amount of warm and cold water and adds the correct dosage to the dough mixer.
– Accuracy and reliability are the keywords in the dosing of liquids and other raw materials. It is obvious that in addition to the high capacity, an operator like the VAASAN Group requires capability from the system to produce uniform end product quality and minimize waste. A degree of high automation helps decrease possible human errors.