The Swedish bakery Östras bröd has been baking bread since 1899. But just because you have long traditions doesn’t mean you can’t use new technology. The bakery’s brand new baking machine has a state-of-the-art controlling systems built on Siemens controls – and wireless technology from HMS Industrial Networks. 

The machine builder is Austrian Softtec who specializes in innovative automation solutions for bakeries.

The problem

The baking machine consists of several large cylinder-shaped containers which hold the dough during the process. The cylinders are slowly spinning around like a carousel which makes it possible to fill them with flour and water, but it also makes wiring cumbersome.

Also, the controlling cabinet is on the other side of the room which complicates wiring even further. 

The solution

To solve this issue, Softech installed the Anybus Wireless Bolt-solution from HMS. The Anybus Wireless Bolt establishes a very reliable wireless connection via Bluetooth or Wireless LAN for up to 100 meters.

The top part of the Wireless Bolt is mounted on to the exterior, while the bottom is on the inside connecting to the machine (via Ethernet). 

In the case of Softtec’s baking machine, the Wireless Bolt is used as cable replacement from the machine to the main controlling cabinet on the other side of the room. Softtec has mounted one Wireless Bolt on the top of the baking machine, and another Wireless Bolt on the top of the control cabinet, about 10 meters away. 

“The alternative to using wireless communication here, would be to use slip-rings,” says Andreas Kisch at Softtec. “But everything that moves and turns wears down after a while so we decided to go with a wireless solution that does not require any maintenance.”

From Bolt to Bolt. An Anybus Wireless Bolt is mounted on the to of the baking machine (left) and communicates via Bluetooth to another Wireless Bolt on the top of the controlling cabinet (right).