July 31, 2024

When to Replace Versus Refurbish Industrial Baking Pans

Let’s set the scene: millions of buns are made in your industrial bakery each week, passing from belts to machines to bags. You’ve noticed that the buns are starting to stick to the pans, requiring you to increase the amount of release agents used on your bun pans. You might have a pan problem on your hands – but how do you know if your pans should be refurbished or completely replaced?

What Happens to Baking Pans Over Time?

With consistent use, all industrial baking pans will wear down. Here are a few things to watch out for. 

Pan Thinning

As pans cycle through your production lines, the bottoms can become worn thin from contact with conveyor belts. This thinning of the pan bottom can cause baked goods to bake faster and potentially burn, leading to lower-quality products or worse, complete product loss. 

Pan Warping

Warping can occur when pans are exposed to rapid changes in temperature or too much heat. Wobbly baking pans aren’t just annoying – they won’t heat evenly and may become the culprit of pan line jams, resulting in significant downtime and loss of product for your bakery if they no longer run smoothly through your system. 

Pan Scratching and Coating Degradation

Cleaning pans with harsh or rigid brushes or pads or abrasive cleaners can lead to scratches in the pan coating, resulting in the degradation of the coating. A pan coating that is damaged will not only reduce the overall performance of the pan, but can also create sanitation issues and lead to increased costs through ways such as extra release agent usage.

When Should I Replace Versus Refurbish Pans?

Replacing baking pans is significantly more costly than refurbishing them but can happen prematurely if a pan has not been properly maintained. That’s why it’s so important to have a consistent pan refurbishment schedule for your bakery to extend the life of your pans and get the most out of your investment.

Many industrial bakeries wait too long before refurbishing their pans. To prevent this issue, our team can help you create a Pan Service Plan – a unique plan based on the facets of your operations that will provide a plan for the most ideal times for pan refurbishment.

Our proprietary refurbishment process, known as the Pan Glo® Process helps bakeries:

• Reduce costs by using bakeware longer and reducing or eliminating the need for secondary release agents such as oil, silicone, or paper.
• Decrease cleaning time.
• Increase efficiency through fewer work stoppages and handling errors.
• Increase productivity with higher yields and reduced waste.
• Improve product quality and consistency through improved dough flow and release.
• Increase safety and cleanliness in the bakery due to reduction or elimination of oils and grease for release agents.
• Enhance sustainability by reducing scrap levels and consumption of oils, as well as prolonging the life of baking pans.

We know that extending pan life, reducing scrap, and staying on budget matters for industrial  bakeries. Prioritizing regular refurbishment can help you do just that. 

Extending the Value of Your Industrial Pans

When it comes to understanding the timeline for your baking pan maintenance, materials matter – lower quality pans are more likely to dent and warp, especially if they’re maintained improperly or infrequently. Getting the most out of your industrial pans starts by choosing pans made with high-quality materials. That means considering the construction details of the entire pan, not just the coating. 

Many pan coating companies source their pans elsewhere and have no control over their construction. At Bundy Baking Solutions, we oversee the entire lifecycle of our pans, from material sourcing, custom construction, and quality coatings. 

Helping our customers get the most out of their pans requires a partnership, not just exceptional products. We’ll show you how to prevent unnecessary wear and damage to your pans and engineer custom pan solutions for your bakery.