Oven Loaders & Unloaders
The Henry Group designs and manufactures automatic oven loading systems for loading and unloading bread, bun, sheet, or specialty pans directly into or from traveling trays and tunnel ovens. Our traveling tray loader/unloader is available in various configurations to fit your needs. We also provide tunnel oven loaders and unloaders for hearth-baked products. Our wing loaders transfer proofed products directly from peel boards to the baking surface. Our hearth unloaders can be configured in a variety of methods depending on product specifications. Our combination loaders and unloaders offer the versatility to load hearth-baked products or panned products directly to and from the oven and are offered with dual discharge product conveyor systems. THG also manufactures overhead proofer elevators, lowerators, loaders, and unloaders along with in-pan cooler transfer loaders.
Available Types of Automatic Oven Loading Systems
- Pan Loaders/Unloaders
- 3 Stage Loaders
- Hearth Product Loaders/Unloaders
- Combination Pan and Hearth Loaders/Unloaders
- Wing Loader/Peel Board Unloader/Oven Loader
- In-Pan Cooler Transfer Loaders
- Pin Style Loaders/Unloaders for Pie Tins
- Tilting Bed Unloaders
- Hearth Slide Discharge Conveyor Unloaders
- Peel Board Rack Loaders for Proofer/Retarders
How Tunnel Oven Loading Works
A side-feed cross conveyor collects each group of pans, and an overhead pusher bar pushes the group onto the oven hearth. Loader controls are tied to hearth travel, so the operator can set the spacing between pan groups from the operator interface.
- End-stop limit switch
- Group-too-long photo-eye, for groups too large to fit the oven
- Late-pan limit switch, for extra or off-center pans
- Home-position-blocked photo-eye
- Overload clutch on the pusher drive to protect the machine and the pans
How Unloading Works
On tunnel ovens, pans leave the hearth on a transfer conveyor and are squared up against a stop. A driven roller section then releases each row onto a chain cross conveyor that discharges the pans at a right angle to the oven. Photo-eyes check the discharge conveyor, and an alarm sounds if pans back up or the discharge is blocked.
On traveling tray ovens, under-tray pusher fingers mesh with the oven trays and push the pans onto the unloader deck on a level plane. An encoder on the oven main drive keeps the unloader in step with the trays.
Grouping and Multi-Row Handling
Groupers ahead of the loader collect randomly spaced pans into groups sized for the oven. A 90° conveyor, curve or spreader can feed the grouper. Servo loaders and unloaders are available for multi-row handling of foil or cardboard trays and tins, with recipes that adjust for different pan sizes.
Construction and Controls
- Tubular steel frames on sanitary adjustable legs or V-groove casters, with stainless steel machinery covers
- Assembled and tested before shipment, with electrical connections terminating at one location
- Loader and unloader recipes stored in the oven operator interface
- Interlocks with the oven and downstream equipment, with an operator bypass for the unloader
- Machine-mounted stop, start, jog and horn-silence stations, with a horn and beacon for faults
- Safety light curtains on traveling tray oven loaders
Common questions
How does the loader put pans on a tunnel oven hearth?
A side-feed cross conveyor collects the pan group, and an overhead pusher bar pushes it onto the hearth. The operator sets the spacing between groups at the operator interface.
What protects the pans and the loader from jams?
An overload clutch on the pusher drive, plus sensors that stop the cycle if a group is too long, a pan is late or off-center, or something blocks the pusher home position.
What happens if equipment after the oven stops?
The oven is interlocked with the discharge equipment and takes a run signal from downstream. Photo-eyes hold the unloader and sound a warning when the discharge is blocked, and an operator bypass lets the oven keep running if the unloader is off.
Can you handle trays or multiple rows?
Yes. Servo loaders and unloaders can handle several rows of foil or cardboard trays and tins, with recipes built into the oven operator interface.
Can new loaders and unloaders be added to an existing oven?
Yes. THG supplies new loaders and unloaders for existing ovens and rebuilds existing loaders and unloaders.
Talk with THG about your equipment.
Share your product, the process and the equipment you need to connect.