Maintenance of bakery machines in daily operation

A cunningV-beltIt can shut down an entire bakery. In many businesses, this happens at the worst possible moment. Production is underway, the dough is prepared, and suddenly a machine breaks down. The repair often only takes a few minutes, but the loss of production can amount to several thousand euros.

Many of these breakdowns are preventable. Most bakery machines show signs of wear early on, long before a component actually fails. Regular maintenance, therefore, is more than just machine upkeep. It's an economic decision that directly impacts production reliability and the lifespan of the equipment.

A spiral mixer like a model fromDiosnaor a bread roll plant fromkingIn many factories, these machines run for several hours every day. Over the years, stress, vibration, and temperature fluctuations accumulate. Wear and tear is therefore normal. The crucial factor is whether it is detected in time.

Why maintenance is so crucial for bakery machines

Bakery machines are among the most heavily stressed equipment in the food industry.Kneading machinesmoving several hundred kilograms of doughDough dividerworking with high mechanical pressure andBread roll pressesThey often run without interruption during peak hours.

Typical causes of machine failures are rarely complex damage. In practice, they are usually due to simple wear parts.

• Ball bearings in the drive system
• Seals and O-rings
• Conveyor and working belts
• Switches and controls
• Drive components

A practical example: In many systems, conveyor belts wear out relatively quickly. A replacement like the...Tape for WP MultimaticThe system can resume operation immediately.

Maintenance plan for ongoing bakery operations

Check-ups every 3 to 6 months

• Check the V-belt
  Belts should be checked regularly. If visible cracks are found, they should be replaced immediately.
• Check seals
  Faulty seals often lead to oil leaks. Examples include:Flange gasketsorO-rings.
• Testing controls
  Faulty pushbuttons or switches are a common cause of downtime. Typical replacement parts include, for example, the...Emergency Stop Buttonor theStart/Stop button.

Check once a year

• Check ball bearings
  Bearings are among the most common wear parts in machines. Corresponding spare parts can be found in the category.ball bearings.
• Check conveyor belts
  Damaged belts quickly lead to uneven dough handling. Typical examples are:Spreader belts for Multimatic systems.
• Check gearbox oil and lubrication
  Many machines use separate lubrication pumps, such as theOil lubrication pump for WP Multimatic.

Check-up every 2 to 3 years

• Check drive components
  Wear is often evident on gears or friction wheels such as theFriction wheel for Diosna spiral mixer.
• Check hydraulic system
  In hydraulic systems, pipes should be checked regularly, for example with aHydraulic hose set for Multimatic.

When spare parts are hard to find

Many manufacturers eventually discontinue older machines. Spare parts become more difficult to obtain or have long delivery times. This is precisely why many bakeries now rely on specialized spare parts dealers.

An overview of typical parts can be found in the categories.Controls,bandsorDrive technology.

If a specific part cannot be clearly identified, a look at the machine's nameplate often helps. Alternatively, you can also...Spare parts requestplace.

Further information

We explain in detail in the article why many companies are now operating their machines for longer periods and repairing them more frequently.Why more and more bakeries are opting for repair instead of new purchases.

You can find more spare parts and components on theHomepage of bakeryparts.comor directly in the manufacturer categories such asWP,WP Kemper,WP HatonorFortuna.