If you are experiencing inconsistent product quality, you can count on the state-of-the-art Reading Thermal SCORPION® 2 Data Logger and our various sensors and sensor arrays for troubleshooting.
Reading Thermal is a Reading Bakery Systems brand located in Sinking Spring, Pennsylvania, that has focused on measuring the commercial baking process for nearly 30 years.
Our SCORPION® 2 Data Logger permits you to monitor in-process oven conditions and get the essential data you need to maintain optimal process control and correct any problems.
Sensor Measurements
When you connect our smart sensors and sensor arrays to the SCORPION® 2 Profiling System and pass them through the oven with your product, the measurement system will capture the four main baking parameters:
1) Temperature (air, band, and product core): During baking, oven temperature impacts drying/dehydration, oven-spring, and color formation. Heat extremes (too low or too high) can lead to unwelcome changes in texture and taste. The Scorpion® 2 Temperature Sensor Array is designed to measure temperatures at the product level, in fixed positions across the conveyor, and detail the exact temperatures from side-to-side and end-to-end.
2) Air flow (velocity): In a radiant oven, air flow comes from the moving conveyor, the exhaust system, and natural combustion air currents. In a convection oven, it comes mainly from the air distribution plenums. Measuring air flow in your oven with the SCORPION® 2 Air Velocity Sensor is critical because airflow affects your final product’s texture, firmness, coloration, and baking time. The profiles will help you spot airflow differences between baking zones as well as undesirable air currents at the entrance or exit of the oven that are often responsible for inconsistent baking.
3) Heat flux (energy transfer): Product characteristics are defined by the amount and type of heat applied during the baking process. The differences explain why one oven bakes differently than another. And analyzing and controlling these differences is critical to understanding how the finished characteristics of your products will be affected. The SCORPION® 2 Heat Flux Sensor measures radiant and heat fluxes at product level and displays the results in Btu/hr·ft2 or convective W/m2.
4) Humidity: As your products bake, they use the available moisture in your oven., The quality and texture of your products will not turn out as expected without proper humidity. Lower oven humidity usually results in crustier bread. Higher oven humidity can lighten the crust color of baked goods and prevent burning. Global bakeries trust the SCORPION® 2 Digital Humidity Sensor to measure the absolute moisture content of the thermal environment accurately in heating and cooling processes.
When your large-scale commercial bakery ovens need troubleshooting, look no further than the SCORPION® 2 Data Logger for a solution. Contact us online or call our headquarters at (610) 678-5890 Ext. 2 to explore the benefits of our innovative products.