A Single Machine or a Full Production Line?

With encrusting and portioning machines, customers often get stuck on one question: buy one main machine first, or equip mixing, portioning, encrusting, tray arranging, proofing, steaming, or quick freezing all at once? People take both paths; the difference lies in what stage your product and orders have reached.

What Sections Make Up a Production Line?

Taking steamed buns as an example, the journey from raw materials to finished product roughly goes through:

• Upstream: dough mixing, filling preparation, resting.
• Forming: portioning, encrusting, sealing, shaping (the DY-201 Automatic Steamed Bun and Mantou Machine handles this section).
• Downstream: tray arranging, proofing, steaming, cooling, quick freezing, packaging.

On Japan's RHEON encrusting machine product pages, peripherals such as automatic tray arrangers, half-moon pressers, and secondary forming conveyors are listed in addition to the main machine, precisely so the forming section can connect to the upstream and downstream sections. A "full line" simply means making the speeds of every section match each other.

Buy One Machine First, or a Full Line?

When it makes sense to buy a single machine first:

• Your product recipe and size are still being adjusted, and market response is uncertain.
• Only one section is the bottleneck, for example you don't have enough hands for wrapping, but mixing and steaming are still manageable.
• Factory space and power aren't ready yet, or funding needs to be phased.
• You have many products in modest volumes and need a machine that can switch methods often.

When it makes sense to plan a full line from the start:

• Your product is finalized and you have stable long-term orders.
• Several sections are manual, with lots of time spent carrying and waiting.
• You're building a new factory or renovating, and need to re-plan the workflow anyway.

Can a Single Machine Be Expanded into a Line Later?

Yes, but you need to plan for it when buying the first machine:

1. Takt: However many pieces the main machine produces per hour, the upstream mixing capacity and downstream steamer and blast freezer capacity must keep up. When buying a single machine, work out once where the bottleneck in the whole line is.
2. Discharge height and direction: If you'll connect a conveyor or tray arranger later, the position and direction of the main machine's outlet affect whether it can connect.
3. Space: Leave room in front of and behind the main machine for a future conveyor and tray arranging; don't wedge the machine into a corner from the start.
4. Power: The combined power draw of a full line is often much larger than a single machine, so evaluate distribution panel capacity and three-phase power in advance. See Power Requirements.
5. Controls: If you want sections to be linked or output to be recorded later, ask at purchase whether signal contacts can be added. See Smart Machines and Data Collection.

How Many People Does a Line Need?

There's no standard answer; it depends on how far automation goes. You can estimate by "stations": each action that needs a person (loading, refilling, tray arranging, moving trays, inspection, packaging) is a station, and how many stations one person can cover depends on the distance between stations and the takt.

A hypothetical example: a bun line has seven actions: loading dough, refilling filling, tending the main machine, arranging trays, pushing carts into the steamer, unloading and cooling, and packaging. If tray arranging is done by machine and loading and refilling are handled by the same person, it might shrink to 4–5 stations. Actual headcount must be worked out using your output and factory layout; How to Calculate Labor Savings has a more complete method.

Dong-Yih Machinery's Role

Dong-Yih Machinery specializes in manufacturing all kinds of automatic food encrusting and forming machines and portioning and cutting machines; we established an R&D department in 1991 and build specialized food machinery to order. To discuss which section of your line to start with and how the main machine connects upstream and downstream, call us with your product and output requirements (06-257-4644).

FAQ

Q: With limited funds, should I buy an encrusting machine or a mixer first?
A: First find the section that's the biggest bottleneck and uses the most labor right now; investing there usually gives the most obvious return.

Q: If I buy a single machine, can I connect a conveyor later?
A: Usually yes, but first confirm the main machine's outlet height and direction are compatible with the peripheral equipment, and state your expansion plans clearly at purchase.

Q: Is a full line always more economical?
A: A full line saves the labor of carrying and waiting, but requires more investment and space. When the product isn't finalized, flexibility matters more than efficiency.

Q: Roughly how many people does a bun line need?
A: It depends on the level of automation and output. List every action that needs a person, then see how many stations one person can cover.