Bakery & Dough Proofing Equipment
In baking, proofing is the final rise of shaped dough before it bakes, the last rest period of fermentation. Commercial bakeries use proofing equipment to control the speed and quality of that rise, keep to their baking schedules and deliver consistent product. The Henry Group builds tray, tunnel and spiral proofers, manual proof boxes and rack retarders in Greenville, Texas, with the loaders and controls that go with them.
Bakery Proofing Systems
The Henry Group offers a complete line of bakery Proofing Systems for use in the Commercial Baking Industry. We custom design and size our technology to fit your production capacity and needs. Our bakery proofing equipment includes rack proofers, tray proofers, manual boxes, and spiral proofers. We provide proofing systems ranging from Manual Proof Boxes to Semi-Automated Proofing and Retarding Boxes and then fully automated Tray Proofing Systems. We offer a number of automated loading and unloading options and a full complement of support equipment and conveyors.
- Proof boxes - caster rack, mono-rail automatic traveling rack
- Final tray proofers - floor mounted and overhead
- Final proofers - pita bread and pizza shells
- Final Tunnel Proofers - Danish, Buns, Bread, etc.
- Spiral conveyor proofer
- Parts - all replacement parts for existing Chubco proofers
Rack Retarders
Rack retarders suit products with long retarding and proofing times, such as bagels, on a slow-moving rack system. See manual proof boxes and rack retarders.
Proofer Loading Equipment
Proofer Loaders and Unloaders come in a variety of styles. Loaders are available in our standard pusher style configuration or as a lug style loaders to accommodate space constraints. We also provide Proofer Elevators and Lowerators for split level applications like unloading on a different floor of a multi-story building.
- Proofer Groupers
- Transpositor Conveyors
- Step feed conveyors
- Pusher bar loader
- Lug style loader
- Pin style - individual pans
- Pusher bar unloaders
- Finger belt unloaders
- Direct transfer to oven hearth
- Multi-stage transfer belts
- Seeding and topping conveyors
- Peel board stackers
- Peel handling conveyors
- Overhead proofer elevator loaders
- Overhead proofer lowerator unloaders/oven loaders
- Proofer rack automated widget loaders
- Retarder rack automated widget loaders
Proofing Support Equipment
Peel board cleaners keep the peels clean on lines that proof on peel boards, such as bagel lines with long retarding and proofing times. THG’s inline peel board cleaning works in a fully automated line and can also be run manually.
Tunnel Proofers
A tunnel proofer is a linear proofing chamber with a single center-driven belt. Product proofs directly on the moving belt in warm, humidity-controlled air, and the belt speed sets the proof time. In an integrated line, the proofer speed follows the bake time selected for the oven, so dough pieces transfer between machines at matched speeds without crowding or bunching.
- Enclosure of 4-inch insulated panels skinned in 304 stainless steel, with stainless trim and hardware
- Removable panels and inspection windows every 8 to 10 feet along the operator side for access and sanitation
- Packaged conditioning unit with stainless supply ductwork to both ends of the chamber, and heating elements at the infeed, center and discharge
- Three thermocouples and three relative-humidity sensors along the chamber, with PID control of temperature and humidity
- Variable-speed belt drive with a 10:1 range, with proof time adjustable at the operator interface
- Recipe-based controls with trend displays and fault history
- Imprinting rollers for products that need a pattern on top of the dough pieces
- Supplied as a new line section or fitted over an existing conveyor
Common questions
What proofing equipment does THG supply?
Manual proof boxes, rack retarders, traveling-tray proofers, spiral proofers and tunnel proofers, along with proofer loaders, unloaders, elevators and lowerators, and support equipment such as peel board cleaners and conveyors.
How is proof time set on a tunnel proofer?
Belt speed sets the proof time. The variable-speed drive has a 10:1 range and is adjusted at the operator interface. When the proofer is part of a line that includes the oven, its speed is set automatically from the oven bake time.
How are temperature and humidity controlled in a tunnel proofer?
Thermocouples and relative-humidity sensors at the infeed, center and discharge feed a PLC with PID control. Set points can be stored in product recipes or entered manually, and trends are shown on the operator interface.
Can a tunnel proofer be added to an existing conveyor?
Yes. THG has fitted a proof box over an existing conveyor and its return rollers, with a new belt and a control panel matched to the plant’s existing systems.
What spare parts should be kept for a tunnel proofer?
THG recommends keeping a motor gearbox, heating elements, thermocouples, relative-humidity sensors and a belt. The drawings supplied with the proofer are numbered so parts can be identified when ordering.
Talk with THG about your equipment.
Share your product, the process and the equipment you need to connect.