RBS SCIENCE & INNOVATION CENTER

The brand new 30,000 square foot Reading Bakery Systems Science & Innovation Center is a unique, fully – equipped, licensed food processing research and development facility. The Center provides a complete processing line capable of producing a wide assortment of baked snacks including crackers, biscuits, pretzels, bread snacks and other food products. The Innovation Center will be used to demonstrate RBS equipment and by customers and industry partners to confidentially:

Demonstrate new processes
Validate ingredients and test ingredient changes
Test new machinery and processing techniques
Research innovations in mixing, forming, baking and drying to maximize profitability
Produce market samples for testing

Additionally, the Science & Innovation Center includes a QC lab with analytical equipment and private customer conferencing areas. Reading Thermal Systems, a division of RBS that manufactures and supports the SCORPION® Data Logging Measurement System, is also located in the new Innovation Center. Customers using the Center will have access to the SCORPION® to help measure and record conditions in the processing oven.

The Innovation Center is available for customer rental on a half day, daily or weekly basis.

The Science & Innovation Center is located in Sinking Spring, Pennsylvania, near the RBS manufacturing plant. This close proximity provides access to a fully equipped manufacturing and fabrication facility for machinery modifications required prior to or during customer trials. Custom equipment and die design assistance is also available on site from the engineering department.

SCIENCE & INNOVATION CENTER STAFF
The Science & Innovation Center is staffed by an experienced staff with almost 100 years experience in the baking industry.

Mr. Ken Zvoncheck, Manager, Science & Innovation Center, has over 20 years of manufacturing, research and development and quality assurance experience in baked snacks.

Mr. John Tishner, T.L. Green Technical Support Specialist, has over 30 years of experience in commissioning Biscuit, Cookie and Cracker lines worldwide and is available for customer trials.

Mr. Steve Mull, Director of Technical Services, has over 25 years of experience in all aspects of the bakery manufacturing industry.

SCIENCE & INNOVATION CENTER EQUIPMENT
The Innovation Center includes a variety of dough mixing and forming processes, as well as, a complete process line for making baked snacks, crackers, biscuits and many other food products.

Dough Mixing Equipment
A dedicated mixing area features a wide range of mixing technologies. A Shaffer Horizontal Mixer, a Hobart bowl mixer, and a Collette high speed mixer offer various batch mixing technologies.

The ExACT line of continuous mixers offers single screw, twin screw, and high shear technologies in a continuously mixed, automated process. Various size mixers are available for Science & Innovation Center work or in plant demonstrations.

Bulk handling and ingredient metering equipment include, Shick bulk handling system, Hayes and Stolz horizontal dry blender, Accurate gravimetric dry feeders, and mass flow liquid systems.

Forming Equipment
A variety of sheeted, laminated, extruded and co-extruded products can be developed and tested at the Science & Innovation Center.

The T. L. Green sheeting equipment consists of a 3-Roll Sheeter, 2 Gauging Stations, with adjustable roll speed differential, and a 2-station Rotary Cutter. The entire sheeting line is controlled by a remote Operator Interface Terminal.

The Reading Pretzel & Snack LP Extruder with bandcutter is ideal for extruding baked snacks, pet treats, bread snacks, cookies, as well as potato, corn and rice-based products.

T.L. Green Rotary Molder and Wirecut Machines are available for producing formed and soft-dough cookies and biscuits.

Additional Equipment
RBS Guillotine Cutters, topical applicators and sodium hydroxide cookers are available, as well as a wide variety of extrusion and cutting dies.

Baking
Flexibility and easy product changeovers are key factors in any processing line. The Innovation Center 600 mm wide PRISM Oven is capable of baking everything from pretzels & bread snacks to pecan pies and biscuits. The 9.75M long PRISM Oven utilizes an open mesh band and consists of 2 zones of radiant and / or convection baking. Product is then transferred into a single 4.8M long, 600 mm wide forced convection dryer. The oven and dryer are individually controlled using a remote OIT control station.

SCORPION® Data Logging Measurement System
Science & Innovation Center customers also have access to the Reading Thermal Systems SCORPION® Data Logging Measurement System. The SCORPION® measures and records conditions in processing ovens, such as air flow, humidity, heat flux and temperature. This system is an excellent tool for analyzing the product baking curve and can also be used to mimic Innovation Center oven conditions in a larger production oven.

Packaging
All finished products can be either bulk packaged or hand filled/sealed in pre-formed bags and shipped to the customer location.