Orlando Baking Installed The DirectDrive System. Now, Their Spiral Concerns are Toast.

Background

Orlando Baking Company was founded more than 150 years ago in Castel di Sangro, Italy, and has operated out of a series of facilities in Cleveland, Ohio, for over a century. Orlando Baking produces European-style breads and custom-baked goods, such as bread loaves, rolls, buns, and frozen bread products, for sale at markets and grocery stores across Ohio and nearby states.

Challenge

One of Orlando Baking’s most popular frozen products, Texas toast, is made from thick slices of buttery toasted white bread. The company had been using a low-tension spiral to freeze the product. The toast generated grease that interfered with the friction between the spiral’s drum and belt; this caused many spiral-belt problems, including slipping, surging, and “flipping up.” 

Product orientation was another challenge because toast slices often became skewed or misaligned when moving through the spiral. Two workers, whose job was to straighten out or realign toast slices, were stationed at the spiral discharge. Nevertheless, the threat of product loss was an ongoing concern.

Solution

Tired of the constant spiral struggles, Orlando Baking turned to Intralox for a solution to its freezing challenges. The DirectDrive System, a part of the Intralox Spiral Optimization Program, proved to be the answer. 

The DirectDrive System eliminates overdrive by utilizing positive drive to engage the belt edge directly with the drum, even when butter or grease is present. This allows the spiral to operate with zero slip and no drum-belt edge friction. Plants that install The DirectDrive System can improve product orientation and load-carrying capacity while reducing cleaning costs and simplifying spiral controls. The Intralox Spiral Optimization Program further enhances operations by offering unparalleled customer service, technical support, and spiral expertise.

Results

Since installing The DirectDrive System in April 2012, Orlando Baking has eliminated their spiral struggles while also realizing substantial operational benefits. They were able to eliminate the two worker positions at the spiral discharge and reduce belt tension significantly. The plant has encountered zero downtime since the installation. 

Orlando Baking has also been very satisfied with the service and support they have received through the Intralox Spiral Optimization Program. “Intralox’s service is A1,” says John Orlando, the company’s Vice President of Operations. The company is currently considering The DirectDrive System for another spiral freezer in their Cleveland plant.