The SCORPION® 2 Air Velocity Sensor from Reading Thermal enables you to monitor the actual conditions inside your commercial bakery oven and get the critical information you need to correct problems, maintain optimum process control, and improve the quality of your products.
Reading Thermal, a Reading Bakery brand, has been focused on measuring and understanding the commercial baking process for more than 25 years. We manufacture and support the SCORPION® 2 Data Logger, the “brain” of our measurement system and a powerful diagnostic tool that has become an industry standard for understanding and improving your proofing, baking, cooling and freezing processes.
Why Measure Oven Air Velocity?
Oven air velocity is the measurement of airflow inside the oven. Measuring it is important because, along with other parameters, it influences the coloration, texture, firmness, and baking time of your products.
In a radiant oven, for example ribbon burners, the airflow comes from the moving conveyor, the exhaust system, and natural combustion air currents. In a convection oven, for example air recirculation the airflow comes primarily from the air distribution plenums. Because it controls the amount of heat delivered to the product, airflow is critical.
How to Measure Oven Air Velocity
Oven air velocity can be measured and recorded with the SCORPION® 2 Air Velocity Sensor. The sensor array delivers a precise picture of airflow patterns inside the oven from side-to-side and end-to-end. The sensors collect data, at product level, as the array travels through the oven. The number of sensors varies with the width of the conveyor.
To gather data, the Sensor Array is connected to the SCORPION® 2 Data Logger and is run through the process at product level, measuring air velocity from all directions. Then, the SCORPION® Software (SV8) is used to analyze the results.
This process and analysis enable you to spot airflow differences between baking zones, concentrated air velocities on isolated parts of the conveyor, and unwanted air currents at the entrance or exit of the oven that result in inconsistent baking.
We encourage you to review a Scorpion Case Study that demonstrates how the SCORPION® 2 Air Velocity Sensor was used by a midwestern U.S. bakery to locate the source of oven fires in their commercial bakery.
Reading Thermal Profiling Service
Are you experiencing inconsistent product quality, moisture retention, uneven baking, or low production capacity? Reading Thermal also provides the SCORPION® Profiling Service to assist customers with problem-solving at their own locations.
If you don’t have enough information to make reliable decisions about your processes or products, Reading Thermal can help. Our commercial bakery oven Air Velocity Sensor Profiles can provide the data you need to maximize quality and reduce waste. Contact us online, or call our headquarters in Sinking Spring, Pennsylvania at (610) 678-5890 Ext. 2 to learn more about our oven profiling system.