The industrial tunnel oven allows for the easy baking of multiple products with reduced energy consumption. Discover the advantages it offers and all the proposals by Italforni.
Industrial tunnel ovens are tools capable of ensuring high production capacity with maximum energy efficiency. There are multiple variables to consider before making a purchase, which vary depending on the production processes to be managed and the specific needs of each business.
Choosing the right professional tunnel oven for your operation is essential to optimize work and maximize profits.
One of the advantages of this type of oven is its ability to be customized to meet specific production needs. Size, tunnel length, and conveyor belt speed can be easily customized during the design phase to adapt to any cooking requirements and types.
In this article, we will explore how industrial tunnel ovens work and what are the main advantages they offer.
- How does an industrial tunnel oven work?
- What are the advantages of industrial tunnel ovens?
- The best industrial tunnel ovens: Italforni solutions
- Why use an industrial tunnel oven?
How does an industrial tunnel oven work?
An industrial tunnel oven continuously bakes products as they pass through a thermally insulated tunnel.
The only adjustment to be made is the conveyor belt speed, which affects the cooking time of the food.
The quality of the conveyor belt is important for conduction cooking of the food, i.e., heat transmitted by direct contact. This belt can be made using a steel mesh or small refractory stone strips.
The first solution is more economical and suitable for products that do not require a high heat boost, while the second allows for greater thermal efficiency.
What are the advantages of industrial tunnel ovens?
Let’s start with the fact that tunnel ovens can be powered by electricity or gas. In the former case, two sets of electric resistors are placed inside the baking chamber.
Usually, there is the possibility to independently adjust the bottom and top heat, balancing radiation cooking. The structure and characteristics of industrial tunnel ovens can improve the production efficiency of various businesses, from small bakeries to more structured food industries.
Energy efficiency, high production capacity, and precise temperature control make them an ideal solution for many businesses. Certainly, the ability to customize and adapt to one’s production needs is another significant advantage for maximizing production.
But these are not the only pros of this category of professional ovens; the main advantages of industrial tunnel ovens are:
- Ease of use;
- Production efficiency;
- Customization possibilities.
Let’s delve into the listed advantages below.
1. Extreme ease of use
The first major advantage of tunnel ovens lies in their ease of use, which reduces the effort and attention required to complete the baking process.
In traditional professional ovens, there is a need to manually load and unload each product, using different types of peels. In addition, baking in traditional ovens may require a 180° rotation halfway through baking (as in the case of pizza) to achieve uniform results.
Baking in industrial tunnel ovens is extremely simplified, allowing operators to focus on other productive activities. Furthermore, the ease of use of these tools allows them to be used by non-specialized personnel as well.
2. Production efficiency
Industrial tunnel ovens can handle large volumes of products continuously.
This makes them perfect for large-scale productions, reducing cooking times and increasing overall productivity. Moreover, they eliminate variations in cooking among different products, thereby avoiding potential waste.
Tunnel ovens also offer very precise temperature control, which is essential for many industrial processes that require constant and uniform heat. Once the temperature is balanced with conveyor belt speed and top and bottom heat, perfect cooking results are always achieved.
Therefore, the tunnel oven’s structure eliminates the problem of temperature differences in different zones of a traditional baking chamber.
3. Customization possibilities
Tunnel ovens can be customized to meet the specific needs of any production process.
They can be tailored in terms of tunnel dimensions and length to best fit workflow or specific cooking requirements. This feature makes the industrial tunnel oven a tool capable of quickly adapting to the cooking of very different recipes.
In fact, tunnel ovens represent one of the most efficient equipment options for those who need to manage high production capacities.
Moreover, depending on the available space and the machinery to be integrated into the production process, it is possible to choose solutions with single or double side-by-side belts. This way, two products with different processing times can be cooked simultaneously.
The best industrial tunnel ovens: Italforni solutions
Having seen the significant advantages of tunnel ovens, let’s now delve into the different possible configurations for this type of equipment.
The diverse needs of various types of businesses have led to the development of specific ovens for every production requirement.
The quality of the product to be made and the quantities to be baked each day are the main parameters to consider when choosing the ideal solution. Width, length, and height of the tunnel, as well as the overall dimensions of the unit, can vary greatly depending on different production needs.
To simplify, we can distinguish industrial tunnel ovens based on size, resulting in two main categories:
- Standard tunnel ovens;
- Industrial tunnel ovens.
Let’s see what differs between smaller and larger ovens.
When to choose a standard tunnel oven?
Industrial tunnel ovens designed for artisanal activities such as pizzerias, bakeries, or pastry shops are normally smaller in size compared to traditional ovens.
This does not mean compromising on baking performance, which will still be high, consistent, and repeatable. The same applies to energy efficiency: even the more compact models ensure low consumption, thanks to insulation and heat recovery technologies.
Companies often customize the size of tunnel ovens to adapt them to specific customer needs, ensuring consistently perfect baking.
Italforni has developed three models of compact tunnel ovens, thus meeting the needs of various types of businesses, which are:
- Tunnel Classic, characterized by a copper-coated steel conveyor belt, suitable for tray-baked products and low-rise baked goods;
- Tunnel Stone Electric, equipped with a refractory stone conveyor belt, suitable for products that require a gradual and constant heat boost;
- Tunnel Gas Stone, also equipped with a refractory stone belt but powered by gas, with less radiation cooking and more conduction.
Compact Italforni industrial tunnel ovens can satisfy many types of artisanal businesses, thanks to their high production efficiency and ease of use.
When to choose an industrial tunnel oven?
Let’s now move on to larger ovens, ideal for many types of businesses in the food industry.
These solutions have a very wide tunnel and are designed for large-scale production, making them suitable for processing large quantities of products simultaneously.
The main feature of these ovens is clearly their enormous production capacity and cost optimization. Over the years, constant research for improvement has led Italforni to create industrial tunnel ovens with high performance and low consumption.
Italforni’s industrial tunnel ovens include four models:
- Desert, the electric industrial tunnel oven with a refractory stone conveyor belt, capable of reaching 600°C and perfect for making large-sized baked goods;
- Biscuit, the ideal tunnel for pastry shops and bakeries, with a copper-coated steel conveyor belt;
- Industrial Stone, the ideal industrial tunnel for pizzerias or bakeries, characterized by a refractory stone belt and a 105 mm high baking chamber;
- Automatic Production Line, developed for the mass production of pizzas and focaccias, with a copper-coated steel conveyor belt.
All Italforni industrial tunnel ovens have adjustable conveyor belt speed and are powered by high-quality armored steel resistors.
Furthermore, all models allow for independent adjustment of the heat distribution between the top and bottom and can be integrated into any automated production setup.
Why use an industrial tunnel oven?
Opting for an industrial tunnel oven means significantly improving production efficiency, product quality, and resource management.
This type of oven is a valuable asset for both small-scale businesses and those engaged in large-scale production processes.
Additionally, industrial tunnel ovens excel in providing precision-controlled cooking, resulting in uniformly cooked products. The benefits they offer are diverse, ranging from energy efficiency to customization possibilities.
Italforni can equip its tunnel ovens with special configurations, creating tailor-made solutions to meet the specific needs of each company.