Press - Cepi

Integrated automation with Emiliano Leonardi (Head of Automation Design with CEPI)

CEPI is a provider of fully customized bulk-handling systems, which includes the integrated automation of all operations, including multiple PLC solutions with HMI for the complete management of production and Tracking System software providing process control, warehouse management and full traceability. Hardware and software design is done completely in-house. With a team of 24 programmers working on automation and software design, we are able to provide technical and human continuity through the development of a project that can become very specific and complex.

The automatization of the dosing system governs all operations from the loading of storing stations to conveyance and dosing, including all processes such as fermentation and control on parameters such as temperature, pH, atmosphere, which is crucial in preserving the properties of ingredients such as flour or fats. The recipe is managed exactly in the way indicated by the customer: we only provide accurate automation and the most suitable dosing technology, as well as our expertise in how to optimize the management of various ingredients. We do not overturn their product or their process.

In CEPI, it is our mission to provide a turn-key solutions, that is, solutions that make the user independent. In practice, in our systems the processes are covered from storing to dosing, and we support any materials and processes the user wishes to include due to a very diversified technological offer. We already possess internally all expertise needed to design, build and commission the system, and finally we provide the automation and all the data related to the operations run by the system.

Turnkey systems

Designing a dosing system is a complex process that requires a close analysis of the manufacturer’s processes and detailed information that goes beyond the purely technical. Our process involves all departments from werehouse, to production, technical, purchasing and marketing, to include projection of future productions and create a system that will easily accomodate future developments and expansions.

Our systems are based in long term thinking in order to create the most flexibile solution for each food manufacturer and not preclude any new path they may take in the future. As such, they are very easy to revamp, which contributes to the already high circularity of our product, where equipment have a long life and are mainly built in stainless steel. As well as this, we guarantee continuity with a stable PLC based system that is very standardized and adaptable, therefore ready to follow all changes and future additions. Our automations are also designed to optimize all processes, leading to the minimization of energy and material consumption.

The automation system is development in parallel to the mechanical one. It’s very scalable and customizable, specific down to the single utility. We do not offer pre-ready packages as it is our firm belief that food manufacturers should adapt to our solutions but rather the opposite. We automate through a recipe that includes every technological step of production, including all dosing and mixing phases, their order and where they should happen.

This detailed study translates into a system that ensures not only repeatability and accuracy of recipe but also traceability of all materials and processes, higher efficiency and production volumes, reduced consumptions and pollutions, improved working conditions and less human error as well as enhanced communication with other software and ERP. Our systems make productions more hygienic, with total separation between production and warehouse and optimize space in both areas.

Scalable and customizable automation: what does it mean?

We provide multiple PLC solutions. Our customized 4-15’’ operator panels can be developed on Siemens or Allen Bradley platforms, and handle recipe creation and management, ingredient and hopper parametrization, synoptic overview with real time status and maintenance of utilities with manual command, loading of silos and other stations, as well as any other functions like washing and climatization. Weighing control in real time is provided for all our storing and dosing stations, along with the management of all other variables involved such as temperature and pH.

All our dosing systems are built on a recipe matrix with automation modules which includes commands regarding weight, temperature, number of batches and production cycles for each step. Steps include both dosing and unloading of ingredients. This kind of automation provides a recipe that is adaptable to each production and can be written in the way that is most suitable to its technological and logistic requirements.

The recipe is written on a table which allows to select fully parametrized ingredients for each chronological step, and to establish the quantity that will be dosed, the temperature of the dosing and the duration. The number of cycles and batches can also be included, as well as unloading steps for each ingredient. A congruence check is performed on each step: that the product is within the established range, that each product comes with an unloading step and so on.

Planning the dosing method

Starting with the raw materials involved in the production, we first analyize each ingredient’s technological properties and their monthly and yearly consumptions, to establish their criticalities, advantages and if they allow optimizatios. We use this information to make decisions regarding the dosing method, such as that best matches the ingredient, the quantities that should be dosed in each batch and the overall production volume.

The set-up recommendations we share with our customers depend on the selected dosing method, the recipe itself, the type of ingredient (powder or liquid), the relevance of the ingredient (quantity and frequency of dosing).

Continuous dosing is selected when the downstream technological process requires it as the material flow itself is continuous and stations are not emptied and the filled discreetly. This goes for pasta lines, for micro ingredients such as additions to flour that are dosed through screws or rotary valves, for crystal sugar mills, or situations with a mill downstream of the flour or a minor addition must be made during pneumatic conveyance.

Batch dosing is the most common and applies to the majority of hoppers: addition or subtraction weighed hoppers, flow meters and micro ingredients hoppers. Of course large and small quantities require different mechanical solutions, and we provide stations for micro, medium and macro storage and dosage depending on the quantity and frequency of dosing.

Depending on the type of production, a single or multiple hoppers will be selected. For bakery lines we often recommend a single hopper for sugar and flour, while biscuits and similar products require the separation of ingredients such as powders, water, liquids like oil or yeast, and various micro inclusions on separate hoppers and flow meters, as the ingredients have different requirements, mixing times and separation allows hoppers to work in parallel and optimize production times.

Processes that require successive unloading and mixing of separate ingredients will also require multiple hoppers, as well as rework systems where a hopper is necessary to dose the recovered powdered or liquid product.

Tracking the flow of materials

Our software provides process control, warehouse management and full traceability with digitalization of all material movements. Our customers receive a complete picture of the production process in real time: we provide them with a history of storing and dosing operations, consumption statistics, batch report and related deviations, stock visualization and dynamic graphics illustrating all trends. Ingredients are monitored starting from the moment they enter the warehouse, carrying a virtual label through all production which adds new information every time an operation is performed on the ingredient.

All our data can be easily integrated with global ERP or MES to achieve organization-wide traceability. Our process control software is open, and the information is immediately available for the user, who can use it however they decide. Because we develop our software completely in-house, we are not bound to any third party and therefore our customers are not either.

On top of this, the data can be used in as many ways as the customer wants. They can quickly carry out mass production balances, check consumptions, generate information for Quality Control and Purchases, create projections of future productions and optimize the current process. Data on the tolerance and queue of dosing processes can be used to check the status of the equipment and determine if it requires maintenance.

Ingredients are monitored starting from the loading moment:

through our software when they enter the warehouse, when a first digitalization with codebar happens attaching a virtual label to the lot with product loading time, name, quantity, expiration, packing slip, supplier, and anything else the manufacturer deems necessary. This ingredient is now available for dosing in production, and the information will be carried through the dosing process, while also being made available for any other traceability software operating in the factory
a second digitalization with codebar happens when the lot is loaded into dosing. All the information attached to the lot’s virtual label is carried through the production, now including new info such as loaded weight, loaded units (bags, bowls and such) and loading time. We also perform a congruence check to verify that each ingredient is transferred into the appropriate silo
our software receives a history of production operations from our own touch panels, which manage such operations on the lines, making information available for all dosing and unloading operations of each ingredient lot, including all stations and conveying systems it moves through
All this information is stored on SQL server and can be exchanged

Latest developments

As mentioned, the recipe management we provide is very integrated and includes all technological processes in a single recipe, which means all dosing and mixing steps (inclusive of different mixing speeds, mixing in changing locations, cooling, creaming and so on.) Not only that but we manage processes such as the washing of the dosing systems (for example through Clean In Place), which means we can provide a record of the batches, that is full traceability.

Recently, we have developed a very complex automation for an Italian biscuits producer whose process includes more than thirty hoppers for each line for more than 20 ingredients. All of this is managed by a single integrated recipe with more than 60 ingredients.

Another development regards the complete bidirectionality of data between management and production, with easy options to export all data histories required by ERPs and also manage production orders directly, becoming an interface between ERP and production. All production programs can be run remotely.

International Bakery
September 2022

Sourdough: fragrant products with long shelf life

Sourdough is a mixture of water and flour fermented by a set of microorganisms including lactic and acid bacteria and yeast, which are naturally found in the flour. Sourdough bread is tastier, more fragrant and healthier. Easy to digest and with a high nutritional value, it achieves a long-shelf life without preservatives, meeting the increasing demand for food manufactured through processes that preserve the natural properties of its ingredients.

Rye, wheat and multigrain breads but also pizza, focacce, brioches and crackers: in the last two decades, the defining factor in bakery manufacture has been the rediscovery of sourdough, and the development of technologies that make artisan quality possible on an industrial level.

Why is sourdough so good?

Sourdough bread has many benefits: a big one being the long shelf life, as sourdough is more acidic and less prone to develop degenerative bacteria and moulds, so starch retrogradation and staling are delayed.

Sourdough bread is also easy to digest as leavening is longer: starches are metabolized and broken by the microorganisms in the dough, making it easier for the body to process them. With sourdough, there is no need to use additives and improvers to break the starch and to aid flour tightness during the process.

On top of this, sourdough increases the hydration of proteins and creates a more uniform sponginess, as well as giving the finished product better organoleptic characteristics and a more complex aromatic profile. It develops aromatic aldehydes and adds a sour note, improving taste and fragrance.

History: from brewer’s yeast to sourdough

For the longest time, sourdough fermentation was the domain of artisan manufacturing. It was a highly empirical method that relied on the style of each individual producer, since there was no exact knowledge of the bacteria in the sourdough. Leavening the bread through the brewer’s yeast was the industry standard, but the final product saw a loss in fragrance and taste, as well as being harder to digest.

The identification of the bacteria and micro-organisms in the sourdough made it possible to create an easily repeatable recipe. With the evolution of the technology controlling physical parameters such as times, temperatures and pH, finally sourdough production became possible on an industrial scale for all the diverse fermentation processes – the black rye bread common in the Northern and Eastern parts of Europe relies on a more acid dough, while the white bread from the South based on soft wheat flour or semolina has a less acid note but a wider bouquet.

CEPI’s technology

CEPI provides fermenters and bread re-work dissolvers for sourdough (as well as pre-dough and polish). Our technology has been developed to combine natural processing and competitiveness: with a deep knowledge of the materials involved and of all aspects of the process, we offer flexible solutions that deliver precision and full control of all processes, as well as standardization and repeatability of procedures.

Modular and suitable for small, medium and big production volumes, our systems allow food manufacturers to produce healthy and aromatic products while saving space, manpower, additives and yeast. The technology fully preserves the characteristics of the raw materials and meets the highest standards of hygienic production.

We provide fully integrated automation with PLC control, with a flexible management that allows for both automatic and manual options for all operations.

International Confectionery
September 2022

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The new headquarters

Almost forty years since its foundation and with an exceptional near 90% growth in the last decade, this early June CEPI inaugurated its new headquarters. CEPI’s new home has been a much much celebrated, much needed milestone for this Italian company that since 1985 has been designing, manufacturing and commissioning turn-key bulk-handling systems for food manufacturers all over the world.

The new facility tripled our productive area to a total of 15.000 square meters, with a 13.000 square meters factory space and the rest dedicated to offices. CEPI designed their new home according to the principles of safety and sustainability: they wanted it to be beautiful, but most of all, green and safe for all their employees. The new headquarters are powered and heated by renewable energy, including a 430 kw/h solar system, radiant floor heating, total heat recovery, recovery of rainwater for irrigation, refills for electric cars, high efficiency heat pumps, increased insulation and high brightness shed. They are fitted with microfiltration against fine dust in the air, welding gas distribution system, lighter-weight roof and swinging hooks.

But this space also reflects CEPI’s desire to guarantee that their customers are provided with a product that is exceptional in every respect, including heightened efficiency in production and a continuous investment in offering personalized, innovative solutions.

The layout of the new factory has been built through a detailed study of productivity and goods flows. Production is more centralized and rational, thanks not only to the added space but the optimization of all processes and waste reduction. Other important additions include automatic vertical warehouse, customs approved place, dedicated loading area, silo washing department, and a large expansion to the tall areas, which are up to 16 mt in height, for the construction of outdoor stainless-steel silos.

The new headquarters include a 240 square meters testing and prototyping room fitted with metrology room, a testament to their dedication to research aimed at creating a virtuous circle in their research. They will be able to perform more tests for their customers and provide them with more food technology assistance and assistance in the developments of their recipes.

CEPI always say that their product is the installation in all its interacting parts, and their service is costumization. The new testing room will be instrumental in ensuring the delivery of a fine-tuned, turn-key product that matches the materials of our costumers and optimizes their specific process. Their motto is: if your process needs it, we can do it. If we can’t do it yet, we will develop it, just for you. This is the vision that drove CEPI’s growth since its beginnings, enabling them to build around 10.000 installations all over the world with the most important operators in various food markets: from bakery, to confectionery, pasta, cereals, dairy, beverage, functional and baby food but also non food industries such as the pharmaceutical, chemical and paper industries.

With the new testing room, CEPI plans to create system wide prototypes, testing an increasingly wider range of materials – not only will CEPI able to test and develop new technologies, but customers will be able to access their systems and perform dosing and conveyance tests directly on their own materials.

This is especially crucial for processes such as microdosing and blending, which especially require precision and reliability. The dosing of minor ingredients often includes new food products or mixes, and the impact of equipment on their characteristic is unknown, requiring tests in controlled conditions. This is the case of mixes for functional or nutraceuticals foods with or without gluten, or resins and pigments in the chemical sector. In the confectionery sector, it is important to test any product with a high fat percentage such as whole milk and powder butter.

CEPI is going to make a number of systems similarly available for tests: their cold dosing system in paste form of fat, margarine and butter with its total control on temperature, and their system for the production, storing and dosing of invert sugar as well as a complete pneumatic conveyance system.

Heart of technology

After the past two years of restrictions, CEPI has been very happy to welcome old and new friends in their new home. Visits has been continuous and it has been a huge pleasure to meet face to face and show people their working method. CEPI deeply believes in establishing a very personal rapport with customers, requiring face to face interaction whenever possible, as shown by their immediate return to trade shows around the five continents. They accompany the food manufacturer through every stage of the process, from the initial analysis of product and process, to engineering and control, the direct manufacture of all equipment, logistics, commissioning and service.

Still, thanks to a flexible and already very digitalized working model, CEPI was able to keep operations running constantly even at the height of the COVID pandemic. A large percentage of their processes can be run remotely, including commissioning, assistance, and training. Many of their installations have been assembled remotely, and we can count on a worldwide network of local partners, which has further expanded and perfected its coordination in the wake of COVID. It’s thanks to these assets and the relentless efforts from everyone in our teams that our production and turnover have stayed stable around 28M since 2019.

The current situation presents many challenges, but they are confident in their ability to push through and grow, continuously offering a competitive product without ever backing down from our commitment to our people and territory.

The choices they are making are varied and all geared to strengthening their successful model: exploring new food markets and developing technologies aimed at their needs, big investments in research, machinery and training in order to offer an even more customized and automated product with solid food technology assistance for each project, growing their presence in various areas around the world with teams food technology in their headquarters, which will reproduce locally the levels of dynamism and skillful reliability customers have come to expect from CEPI.

CEPI provides an installation that includes the automation, and important innovations are happening in our process control system and operator panels as well, with further integration between the two systems and customizations including a powered production management up to 32 scales per each production line.

We are solidifying our sustainability processes, which includes in great part simply the narration and further certification of choices and actions we have implemented since our inception. On top of a very big commitment to ecological sustainability (which includes high circularity, the long life of their equipment and making it their mission to reduce their energy and material consumptions whenever possible), CEPI has since their inception practiced the principle of giving back: that is, that the people and communities they work with need to benefit from it. This has translated into a rich welfare program for our employees and their families and a concrete effort to leave a positive trace in the communities and territories we work with by not only directing supporting its most vulnerable groups but through the creation of many training and work placement opportunities with other local no profit organizations as well as collaborations with schools and university.

Bulk-handling: history and future of turnkey

Bulk-handling is not just about silos: CEPI designs their dosing system through a close analysis of the manufacturer’s processes and detailed information that goes beyond the purely technical and involves all departments from warehouse to marketing. Each of CEPI’s automation systems is fully customized to match analysis of raw materials, site evaluation, environment and consumptions, and designed through a comprehensive study of the manufacturer’s processes. CEPI has refined this process to perfection, building systems that fit the diverse needs of each process and will easily accommodate future expansions, ensuring a long life cycle to all of their equipment.

A turn-key system is a system that manages all processes from storage to dosing. Because CEPI is able to do this for all materials, and additionally to track all ingredients and provide the data, we are able to offer an integrated and fully traceable system that enables food industry operators to always have production under control. They build around 300 customised installations every year, focusing on the specificity and diversity of each installation and adapting or developing technologies according to their needs.

CEPI’s offer includes multiple indoor and outdoor storing options in stainless steel or antistatic fabric, minisilos and dumping stations for medium production volumes and broad spectrum stations for the storing and accurate dosing of micro ingredients. Materials are moved by clean and efficient conveyance systems designed to minimize energetic impact. Dosing can be continuous or batch, positive, by loss of weight, by volume or by weight, in modular hoppers for powders and tanks for liquids. The 3 in 1 station weighs the ingredient, separates air from product during pneumatic transport and comes with vertical blender for the production of premix. Other applications include flour cooling, fermentation, sugar mills, invert sugar technology, salt solution systems, fat and liquid tanks, fat cold metering, bread and biscuit rework systems including liquid rework of sandwich biscuits, and CIP washing system for a complete hygienization of tanks and pipes.

CEPI provides a turn-key system that includes fully integrated automation, with production management through touch panels and software for full traceability and warehouse management. Hardware and software design is done completely in-house. With vaste food technology expertise, all our technologies are developed factoring the preservation of flavour and ingredient properties, with automation ensuring repeatability and precision of the recipe. Each system is designed through a comprehensive study manufacturer’s processes that includes all operations from warehouse to marketing, and customized to match analysis of raw materials, site evaluation, environment and consumptions.

CEPI was founded in 1985, on the initiative of Pierdomenico Ceccarelli and Giuseppe Milanesi, who were later joined by Marino Montalti and Giancarlo Riccardi, all originally from the Forlì Apennines. Constantly adapting itself to its changing economical and cultural landscape and deeply attached to its territory, CEPI continues to grow under the banner of its founding values: prosperity and possibility for our community, attention to people and the planet, to our partners and to peace, which is especially crucial in our times and which CEPI, which talks and works daily with people all over the world, sees as the basis for fair and widespread economic development.

Rassegna stampa
Giugno 2022

CEPI: la nostra nuova casa

Grazie a tutte le riviste del nostro territorio che hanno parlato dell’inaugurazione della nostra nuova sede e a Radio Bruno, che ha intervistato l’Amministratore Delegato Sandra Ceccarelli.

CEPI è nata nel 1985, per iniziativa di Pierdomenico Ceccarelli insieme a Giuseppe Milanesi, a cui poi si unirono anche Marino Montalti e Giancarlo Riccardi, tutti originari dell’Appennino forlivese. Dopo quasi quarant’anni, abbiamo inaugurato la nostra nuova casa.

Ci siamo trasferiti nel nuovo quartier generale l’autunno scorso, ma abbiamo atteso che le condizioni generali migliorassero per condividere questo piccolo, grande momento di festa insieme a dipendenti, collaboratori e a chi ci ha sostenuto fino al raggiungimento di questo nuovo traguardo.

Sono intervenuti il Vescovo di Forlì-Bertinoro, Mons. Livio Corazza, il Vicesindaco di Forlì, Daniele Mezzacapo, e l’Assessore alle Politiche per l’impresa, Paola Casara.

CEPI continua a crescere all’insegna dei suoi valori fondanti: Possibilità per il territorio, attenzione alle Persone, al Pianeta, ai nostri Partner e, soprattutto in un contesto come quello odierno, alla Pace, un tema a cui CEPI, che quotidianamente dialoga con il mondo, guarda con la convinzione che sia la base per uno sviluppo economico equo e diffuso.

Guarda il video e le foto dell’evento.

International Confectionery
October 2021

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Providing a turnkey solution

Riccardo Satta is a food technologist with two decades of food industry experience both in R&D and in the manufacture of bulk-handling installations. In CEPI, he handles R&D supporting the engineering department in finding the most suitable technical solutions for materials and food products, as well as supporting customers with the development of their installations. Within the Sales Team, he is the Area Manager for Africa. Here, he speaks with International Confectionery about turnkey solutions and how CEPI have developed and grown in recent times.

Cepi is in the process of opening its doors to a new HQ. Can you tell us more about this and how it will boost production and innovation?

After the exceptional growth in the past decade, we have built a new facility that tripled our productive area to a total of 15.000 m2, with a 13.000 m2 factory space and the rest dedicated to offices.  The new headquarters include a 240 m2 testing and prototyping room fitted with metrology room, which is a testament to our dedication to research. We will be able to perform more tests and provide more food technology assistance to our customers.

Our aim with is to create a virtuous circle in our research. With a dedicated space one idea will even more quickly lead to the other, in line with a vision that has always been centered around technology and customization. Our systems are turn-key, which has a deep meaning to us. From technological diversification to personalized innovation, from bulk-handling equipment to data, we aim to provide systems that can be managed in total independence once commissioning is done.

How will you enhance personalisation and support for your customers in this new HQ?

Our customers will be able to perform dosing and conveyance tests directly on their own materials. We also plan to develop system wide prototypes. With prototypes always available, we will be able to test an increasingly wider range of materials. The dosing of minor ingredients often includes new food products or mixes, and the impact of equipment on their characteristic is unknown, requiring tests in controlled conditions. This is the case of mixes for functional or nutraceuticals foods with or without gluten, or resins and pigments in the chemical sector. In the confectionery sector, it is important to test any product with a high fat percentage such as whole milk and powder butter.

Personalization and innovation are tightly connected to each other for us. Our research is often driven by the specific needs each food manufacturer brings to us: our latest dosing station 3in1 (which combines weighing, blending and direct loading on the pneumatic line) has been developed in response to a customer’s need to optimize his productive area.

We are able to provide turn-key systems because of our technological range, which is not limited to manufacturing equipment but extends to the development of our data management systems.

How does the turnkey quality of CEPI’s installations include machinery but also data?

Our Tracking System software provides process control, warehouse management and full traceability with digitalization of all material movements. Our customers receive a complete picture of the production process in real time: we provide them with a history of storing and dosing operations, consumption statistics, batch report and related deviations, stock visualization and dynamic graphics illustrating all trends. Ingredients are monitored starting from the moment they enter the warehouse, carrying a virtual label through all production which adds new information every time an operation is performed on the ingredient.

Why is data management important and in what ways can customer use the data provided?

Gathering, storing and making data on the materials available is crucial to a healthy process. Firstly, it allows traceability and ensures food security, by knowing which ingredient lot from warehouse was dosed into each final unit. Secondly, process data makes it possible to verify the efficiency of a system.

We are also working on ways to generate more process data, including a historicization of alarms that can aid in planning personalized maintenance. We are also developing ways to historicize energy consumptions.

For you, what qualifies as a ‘turnkey solution’?

Earlier I mentioned that a turn-key solution in our sector is one that manages all processes from storage to dosing. This is true, but this aspect is a consequence of the main quality of a turn-key solution, which is to make the user completely independent.

What makes a system completely independent? As I said, the process needs to be covered from beginning to end, which in our case means storing to dosing. The builder’s technological offer should be very diversified in order to support any materials and processes the user wishes to include, without the need to involve another supplier. Then, the builder needs to possess all expertise needed to design, build and commission the system.

This is our working method. CEPI has been founded and has grown around the very idea of being turn-key provider.

Why do you feel this kind of solution has value for your customer?

The customer is using a tailor-made installation that has been designed to meet their needs. We automatize and optimize their production, enabling their growth in a modular way without ever overturning their process. This means that a food manufacturer won’t have to adapt to a pre-made solution but rather the opposite happens.

Aside from the obvious considerations over reduced costs, working with a single provider also means interfacing with only one interlocutor, who will have complete knowledge of their system, and who has designed, built and commissioned it.

Do you believe every installation requires an open dialogue with customers and crew?

Every installation is unique and has its own story. This is the heart of turn-key work: the dialogue and information exchange with the customer is always open, which creates growing opportunities for both of us. If the customer chooses it, CEPI can enter more deeply in their process and create an optimization proposal based on our experience. This is the case of a recent collaboration where we designed a more efficient dosing solution to include fruit and chocolate in a biscuit line, all without altering the authentic flavor of their product.

What challenges do raw materials pose and why is a turnkey solution integral to manage these?

A system is only turn-key if it overlooks all aspects of the production context it operates in. In our systems, the materials are managed and traced from the beginning to the end of the process. This not only allows extreme precision in the set-up of each operation (with management of aspects such as temperature and atmosphere), but also, we can constantly adjust them on the basis of the data.

Every ingredient brings their own challenges. Fats, milk derivatives and creams require temperature management through storing and dosing, while dehumidified air must be used for hygroscopic materials such as sugar and salt require the use of dehumidified air. Viscous ingredients require specific transport and dosage methods.

A turn-key partner like CEPI will be able to identify all such needs and provide the solutions required. Crucially, all these issues will be managed organically, coordinating complex processes in the most efficient way and producing data that is already integrated.

What solutions does cepi provide for the confectionery market? How do the turnkey solutions of real-time data work with this?

Our method is applied across the board. The confectionery manufacturers that work with us gain a modular and flexible system, access to an unparalleled technological offer and a tailor-made data management system.

Other than storing and dosing, we provide solutions such as independent invert sugar production, sugar milling with relative dosing system for the production of crystal sugar, management of liquid products with appropriate storage and conveying on the basis of their individual characteristics, storage and dosing of fats, pastes and cream. We provide rework technology for biscuit scrap, including sandwich biscuits.

In confectionery, accurate blending and dosing, all the way to the addition of inclusions, are fundamental. That is where our automation system and the data we provide will make a key difference, as the automation is so customized and the data so detailed. The dosing stations we provide span from modular hoppers, to broad spectrum dosing stations for minor ingredients, to the 3in1 station, a system which weighs and blends in a single unit.

Tech4Food
October 2021

CEPI: If your process needs it, we can do it

“If your process needs it, we can do it. And if we can’t do it yet, we will develop it, just for you”. The company motto accurately portrays its mission. Where customization is not a plus but a must. Since 1985.

A new, technologically-advan- ced and environmental-friendly headquarter which tripled the production area. A global network of offices and technicians able to provide assistance to all customer needs. And cutting-edge solutions equipped with the most advanced technologies. CEPI, specialized manufacturer of bulk-handling systems for the storage, conveying and metering of raw materials, as well as fully integrated automation and technologies to complete all production processes, approa- ches its 40th anniversary enjoying very good health. A family-run, Italian company with an international outlook, operating globally with a network of local partners spanning the five continents, and with offices in Malaysia to co- ordinate operations in the Asian market.

“Since 1985, we have been working with the most important companies from all sectors of food manufacturing”, Stefania Montalti, communications manager, explains. “We are currently moving into our new headquarters: after the exceptional 87% growth in the past decade, we have built a new facility that tripled our productive area to a total of 15,000 m2, with a 13,000 m2 factory space and the rest dedicated to offices. As we approach the 40th anniversary since our foundation, we designed our new home to be beautiful, but most of all, green and safe.”

CEPI’s new headquarters will be powered and heated by renewable energy, including a 430 kw/h solar system, radiant floor heating, total heat recovery, recovery of rainwater for irrigation, refills for electric cars, high efficiency heat pumps, increased insulation and high brightness shed. “They are also designed to completely safeguard worker safety – Montalti adds -, with microfiltration against fine dust in the air, welding gas distribution system, lighter-weight roof and swinging hooks.” The plant includes a 240 m2 testing and prototyping room fitted with metrology room, “which is a testament to our dedication to research and will help us provide even further customization to our customers, as well as food te-chnology assistance in developing recipes and mixes.”

Always in the forefront of innovation

CEPI’s vision has centered research, customization and flexibility since the very beginning. The company’s mission goes indeed beyond just assembling food machinery. “We build turn-key installations that manage the production line from storage to dosing, all the while developing specialized solutions to match diverse and ever-changing needs across the planet,” Stefania Montalti underlines. “CEPI brings to the table a global knowledge of materials, environments, and markets as well as the continued research that goes into developing around 300 unique systems every year.”

Born from the encounter of two visions: an engineer’s and a manufacturer’s, CEPI has grown into an ‘idea factory’ that puts technology squarely at the center of its work, developing around the very idea of turn-key: fully cu- stomized, fully in-house designed and manufactured thanks to the highly diversified handling technology it provides.

The right technology for all materials

CEPI’s offer includes multiple indoor and outdoor storing options in stainless steel or antistatic fabric, minisilos and dumping stations for medium production volumes and a broad spectrum of stations for the accurate management of micro ingredients. “Powders, granular products, liquids, fats. Macro, micro, medium volumes. Fermentation, cooling, fluidization, milling, blending, rework. Our motto is: if your process needs it, we can do it. If we can’t do it yet, we will develop it, just for you. Our technologies evolve to match each individual demand from the manufacturer side, leading to an unparalleled technological range”, Stefania Montalti highlights.

Materials are moved by clean and efficient conveyance systems designed to minimize the energetic impact. Dosing is handled in modular hoppers for powders and tanks for liquids, as well as the 3in1 station for the production of premix. Other applications include flour cooling, fermentation, sugar mills, invert sugar technology, salt solution sy- stems, fat and liquid tanks, fat cold metering, bread and biscuit rework systems including liquid rework of sandwich biscuits, and CIP or PIG washing system for a complete hygienization of tanks and pipes.

Turn-key, for real

CEPI provides a turn-key system that includes fully integrated automation, with production management through touch panels and software for process control, full traceability and warehouse of the management. Hardware and software design is done completely in-house. Each system is designed through a comprehensive study of the manufacturer’s processes that includes all operations from wa- rehouse to marketing, and customized to match analysis of raw materials, site evaluation, environment and consumptions.

“Turn-key means that the user of the system is completely independent as soon as we finish com- missioning and start-up, both in managing the system and in managing the data”, Stefania Montalti explains. “In CEPI, we like to say that our product is the bulk-handling system as a whole and not any specific technology, and our service is the customization. Last but not least, our installations come with integrated automation and are completely traceable, therefore all the data regarding the operations of the bulk-handling system is included in our project. We feel that a system that does not provide all the information about its operations cannot be called turn-key. Not only do we produce the data but we also offer total information exchange with any third party in the line.” And since every installation is different, CEPI’s tailor-made work would not be possible without a continuous dialogue with customers, and without a worldwide network of local partners who are able to provide technological and sales related support at all stages of the project.

Remote control: a company priority

One of latest industry trends that CEPI was able to comply with is the increasing preference for remote control of all operations, from any location and on all devices such as smart phones and tablet. CEPI is indeed able to provide all this alongside remote commissioning, maintenance and monitoring. The automation team provides full 24/7 remote support on all tools with live visualization on VPN network, management of production and intervention on the source code. Testing, optimization, start-up and training can be delivered remotely. Virtual and personalized tutorials and live assistance with dedicated devices are also included in the services provided.

“Globality, flexibility, expertise and dialogue: this is the special recipe behind a rich history of developments that includes too many technologies to list comprehensively”, Stefania Montalti highlights. “To name only a few of the most recent ones: the 3in1 station with vertical blender for the production of premix, the sandwich biscuit rework system adding to our existing rework solutions for bread and dry biscuits, the improvements making our microdosing station even faster and more flexible, and the zero environmental impact heat treatment for the total sanification and disinfestation of outdoor silos.”

International Bakery
September 2021

Product Spotlight: 3 in 1

3 in 1: weighing, filtering and blending in a single unit. 3 in 1 station weighs the ingredient, separates air from product during pneumatic transport and comes with vertical blender for the production of premix to ensure the highest flexibility across a wide range of food sectors. 3 in 1 is fast, accurate and clean, delivering a homogeneous mix of powders even for quantities lower than 1% of the total weight, in the span of 3-5 minutes.

The 3 in 1 can be used to mix ingredients before dosing or in place of the dosing hopper. Its speed makes it very suitable for continuous mixing systems. In installations with multiple lines it can be combined with hoppers to achieve the highest flexibility in production.

Available in sizes from 60 to 1000 liters, it can be loaded pneumatically or by gravity. It is equipped with slide valve and extraction is by with rotary valve or feed screw.

The 3 in 1 is made in stainless steel and is ATEX conform. It comes with hygienic design and is easy to clean, fully inspectable and washable.

Integrated automation and full traceability.

Suitable for bread, pastries, ice cream, pasta, gluten-free products, cereal mix, cereal bars, baby food, functional food, spices mix, instant coffee and more.

As direct manufacturers of turn-key bulk-handling systems for every food market, CEPI provides multiple solutions for the weighing and accurate dosing of all powders and liquids in the recipe. Powder hoppers are stainless steel and modular and dosing can be continuous or batch, positive, by loss of weight, by volume or by weight. Liquid dosing is done in tanks or IBS controlled by electronic metering scale, with temperature and modified atmosphere control.

Micro ingredients such as salt, improvers, aromas, spices, starch, inclusions, and other additives are handled by broad spectrum high precision metering station Trimix, and special solutions are provided for the preparation, storing and dosing of salt solution and invert sugar and the cold and hot dosing of fats.

The dosing system comes with fully integrated automation of all operations including production management on PLC with HMI, full traceability and warehouse management on native software, total information exchange with SQL database and weight control in real time.

Company profile

Cepi designs, manufactures and installs bulk-handling systems for the storage, conveying and dosing of raw materials, as well as fully integrated automation and technologies to complete all production processes. A family-run company with an international outlook, CEPI is based in Italy and operates globally, with offices in Malaysia to coordinate operations in the Asian market and a network of local partners spanning the five continents. Since 1985, we have worked with the most important companies from all sectors of food manufacturing.

CEPI’s vision centers flexibility, customization and the continued research that goes into developing around 300 unique systems every year. We believe in build lasting relationships for lasting projects, through an ongoing conversation which concerns all their aspects: from process and product analysis with hygiene and safety management and food technology support, to engineering and control, manufacture, commissioning and service. All these stages are managed internally and with continuity through all operations and all-encompassing support, we give each project the care it deserves.

International Confectionery
June 2021

Family run with an international outlook

International Confectionery’s Editor, Kiran Grewal, sits down with Ignor Riccardi, Sales Director at CEPI spa, to discuss the company’s development and exciting new sustainable expansion.

Could you tell us more about CEPI’s history, its mission statement and the heritage of the business that inevitably shapes the company today?

CEPI was born in 1985 from the meeting between an engineer and a manufacturer. Combining their experience in designing and building machinery for the European food industry, Ceccarelli Pierdomenico (whose name and surname’s initial syllables gave CEPI its name) and Giuseppe Milanesi set out to create a company that wasn’t just a business venture but an idea factory. CEPI’s mission statement has not changed since our beginnings and goes beyond assembling machinery: we build turn-key installations that manage the production line from storage to dosing, all the while developing specialised solutions to match diverse and ever-changing needs across the planet. Our vision has always been centred around research as well as flexibility and customisation. Giancarlo Riccardi and Marino Montalti, who joined the direction a few years later, shared this focus on technology and customer-oriented approach, and shaped the sales and production departments around it.

In 2021, we are one of the major bulk-handling providers for the food industry globally, with offices in Malaysia to coordinate operations in the Asian market and a network of local partners spanning the five continents. We have worked for some of the most important companies from all food sectors of food manufacturing, designing, manufacturing and commissioning turn-key systems for the storage, conveying and metering of raw materials, as well as fully integrated automation and technologies to complete all production processes. After building more than 10.000 installations the world over, we still consider ourselves a family-run company with an international outlook, whose most important product is not any single technology but the installation, and whose most important service is customisation.

How did CEPI adapt its working model throughout the pandemic? Did you face uncertain situations – how did you overcome them?

Because CEPI’s working model has always been flexible and involving a great deal of digital tools, the shift has not been hard for us. A large percentage of our operations can now be smoothly run remotely. We have developed tools to connect with new people, such as virtual tours of our factory and offices. Our products and installations can be explored through simulations and 3D animations, and we have developed webinars to showcase our technologies and share our expertise on topics as varied as food technology, automation and financing.

In terms of commissioning, assistance, and training, we were ready in many ways: we have always provided such services remotely and we have further boosted our processes to ensure that our projects are fully taken care of. Many of our installations have been assembled remotely, and we can count on a worldwide network of local partners who are able to provide technological and sales related support at all stages of the project.

Because of these reasons, and because of the huge effort from everyone in our team, we are proud to say that our production and turnover have stayed stable around 28M since 2019, despite the overall downturn in markets and the logistic problems created by travelling restrictions.

Could you tell us about the plans for the new HQ – how will it be powered, and will there be more room for production?

After the exceptional 87% growth in the past decade, we are building a new facility that will triple our productive area in the coming spring of 2021 to a total of 15.000 m2, with a 13.000 m2 factory space and the rest dedicated to offices. Our new home will be powered and heated by renewable energy, including a 430 kw/h solar system, radiant floor heating, total heat recovery, recovery of rainwater for irrigation, refills for electric cars, system high efficiency heat pumps, increased insulation and high brightness shed.

The layout of the new factory has been built through a detailed study of productivity and goods flows and we expect production to be much more centralised and rational, thanks not only to the added space but the optimisation of all processes and waste reduction as well. Other important additions include automatic vertical warehouse, customs approved place, dedicated loading area, silo washing department, and much extended upper areas up to 16 mt in height for the manufacture of outdoor silos on top of our existing tower.

What latest technologies and innovations have you seen at the company?

Sustainability is a key factor not only in our decision-making, but in that of food manufacturers as well! Because of this, we are working to expand the range of our reworking solutions, which already includes the recovery of bread and similar products as well as biscuit scraps both dry and liquid, with the latest addition being our systems for the reworking of sandwich biscuits.

When it comes to dosing, the 3 in 1 station is one of our most important innovations. It weighs the ingredient, separates air from product during pneumatic transport and at last blends, all in single unit. The vertical blender inside is a system to produce premix that ensures the highest flexibility across a wide range of food sectors. Fast, accurate and clean, 3 in 1 optimises mixing and production times and can be used to mix ingredients before dosing or in place of the dosing hopper.

We are also providing a new heat treatment for outdoor silos that ensures sanification and total disinfestation against pests of flour and micro-organisms such as bacteria and fungi. This treatment has zero environmental impact and doesn’t require downtime after application as it doesn’t generate residuals.

What are the latest trends and market insight you are seeing in the confectionery market?

The biggest trend we are seeing is towards healthy products. This includes bio food with related concerns about cultivation and storage, and nutraceutical/functional foods which add active components to provide added benefits such as reducing the risk of diseases and increasing energy, mental clarity, fitness and anti-aging.

Alongside this there is also interest in products perceived as traditional or authentic. Products from the past are associated with a simpler taste and fragrance and employing natural ingredients and a less processed recipe. In terms of manufacturing, this demands technologies that can improve the management of the raw materials and avoid intrusive processing.

Other challenges are the conciliation between these needs and economic concerns, the new distribution channels that will emerge and the support of sustainability efforts.

What are the benefits to automatic dosing systems and why is digitalisation and improvement of technology an important step for the company to grow?

CEPI provides fully integrated automation of our bulk-handling systems. Production is managed through multiple operator panel solutions, and our native software provides process control, warehouse management and full traceability as well as total information exchange through SQL database and communication with ERP or MES. Weighing control in real time is provided for all our storing and dosing stations, along with the management of all other variables involved such as temperature and pH. Hardware and software design is done completely in-house, which allows us to provide technical and human continuity through the development of a project that can become very specific and complex.

Each of our automation systems is tailor- made to match analysis of raw materials, site evaluation, environment and consumptions. It’s designed through a comprehensive study of the manufacturer’s processes that concerns all operations from warehouse to marketing to allow the inclusion of future projected productions. This highly customised system will not only ensure a unique and high-quality product, but also enhance traceability and communication with other software and ERP, provide higher efficiency and production volumes, reduce consumptions and pollutions and improve working conditions. Our systems also make productions more hygienic, with total separation between production and warehouse and optimise space in both areas.

What future projects will CEPI be working on and what can we expect to see going forward? We are expecting the economy to rebound, and with restrictions lifting we are expecting to meet people again in venues such as fair trades, but not only. All in all, we think there will be many opportunities for new projects which will put our new headquarters to good work! However, as we shift back into normality, we plan to integrate the solutions and tools we developed facing COVID-19 to make our working model even more flexible.

The new headquarters include a 240 m2 testing and prototyping room fitted with metrology room, which is a testament to our dedication to research and will help us provide even further customisation to our customers, as well as food technology assistance and assistance in developing recipe and mixes.

We are looking into insourcing as many processes as we can to offer an even more complete product to our customers, and we want to explore new markets such as meat and brewery. The new headquarters, as big an accomplishment as it is, is only just the beginning!

International Bakery
April 2021

alimentando.info/dolcisalaticonsumi

Providing turn-key solutions for the bakery market

One of the main factors we consider when designing installations is the preservation of food properties and flavour. This outlook is built both into the development of our technologies and the way we design our automatic dosing systems. Our storing solutions are built in suitable top quality materials and are designed to be easy to clean, with multiple filtering and sifting systems to enhance food security. They can be fitted with technologies such as double-jacketing or dehumidification for hygroscopic products. We perform a study of room temperature and humidity and provide our customers with instructions for the correct maintenance of their working environments.

We have also developed an exclusive welding technique to prevent pollution and contamination in stainless steel equipment and our fabric silos employ antistatic HT Trevira fabric with patented technology to ensure equipotentiality. We provide a hot treatment to sanitise our outdoor silos, which removes microorganisms and infestations. The accuracy of our automatic dosing systems ensures precision in the dough, protecting the unique flavour of each recipe, and includes FIFO management of ingredients which greatly enhances the traceability process.

Protecting the quality of flour

For bakery lines and flour specifically we also provide fluidisation and technologies to ensure natural maturation and stability of temperature.

Correct and linear management of the dough temperature is essential in bread-making. Seasonal changes cause considerable variations to the temperatures of work areas and raw materials, impacting leavening times and creating unevenness in the finished product. CEPI offers a centralised cooling system for a gradual and automatic reaching of set temperature, based on the direct exchange of pre-cooled air through a fluidised bed and able to independently take the flour to the temperature required for further processing. This system eliminates the need for cooling agents such as cooled water or ice, which not only add unnecessary costs to your process but lead to instant decreases and unstable temperatures through time. The progressive cooling of the CEPI system guarantees higher stability and precision, and homogeneity in the dough with thermal exchange acting directly on every flour particle.

All storing solutions can be equipped with a fluidisation system that allows for chronological extraction with FIFO logic, greatly enhancing the traceability process. The flour oxygenation operated by the fluidised bed leads to a crucial improvement in the quality of the flour, with a faster but natural maturation that improves the flour’s rheological properties without using additives. Fluidised flour is much better for breadmaking, with better responses to all treatments from dough preparation to fermentation. The dough is more elastic and easier to work. It absorbs water more easily and keeps gas in more easily during leavening.

Bread made from well oxygenated flour is softer thanks to a more alveolar product, and more digestible as oxygenation allows for longer leavening. Accuracy throughout Accuracy is the necessary goal of any good bulk-handling installation for the food industry, as it serves the double purpose of protecting the unique flavour of the product and ensuring that all safety and health concerns regarding ingredients are met.

The systems we provide for bakery lines provide high accuracy both in dosing of macro ingredients such as flour and that of minor ones such as aromas and inclusions. Our automatic dosing systems cover every operation from loading to dosing, ensuring the repeatability and precision of the recipe, and as mentioned, we provide FIFO management for all products (even unpackaged ones) and full traceability for macro, medium and minor ingredients both powdered and liquid.

As well as the automation, we provide Trimix, a broad spectrum dosing solution for micro ingredients, as well as a blending and premixing station that can be used both to mix ingredients before dosing or in place of the dosing hopper.

Trimix is capable of handling a wide range of challenging materials such as powder milk, powder cocoa and salt. It has an easy-to-clean design with an air blade system to clean the bearings, and comes with technologies to prevent leakage in the surrounding environment and leftovers within the storing units or scale. It is suitable for continuous dosing in big production lines, without clogging or the formation of bridges even for hygroscopic ingredients such as crystal sugar.

The three in one station weighs the ingredient, separates air from product during pneumatic transport and at last blends, all in a single unit. The vertical blender inside is a system for the production of premix that ensures the highest flexibility across a wide range of food sectors, optimising mixing and production times as the blend is already homogenous before reaching the mixer. It is fast, accurate and clean, delivering a homogeneous mix of powders even for quantities lower than 1% in the span of 3-5 minutes. It can mix ingredients before dosing or be used in place of the dosing hopper, and its speed makes it very suitable for continuous mixing systems.

Fully automated

CEPI provides a turn-key system that includes full automation. The design of the dosing system is a delicate process that requires a close analysis of all the manufacturer’s processes in order to fully optimise their production. Not only is all of our hardware and software design done in-house, but we have refined this process to perfection. The systems we design are customised to match analysis of raw materials, site evaluation, environment and consumptions in order to guarantee taste and integrity of the final product. They cover all operations from loading to conveying to dosing, as well as operations such as washing or climatising.

On top of repeatability and constancy in the recipe, our automated systems provide full traceability of materials, enhance communication with other software and ERP, reduce consumptions, powders and pollutions, generally improve hygiene with total separation between production and warehouse, improve working conditions and reduce human error, optimise space in the production area and warehouse. Last but not least, our systems are easy to adapt or expand including the addition of new ingredients due to the flexibility of the process.

CEPI’s touch panels can be fully customised and are developed across both Siemens and Allen Bradley platforms. They handle recipe creation and management, ingredient and hopper parameterisation, synoptic overview with real time status and maintenance of utilities with manual command, loading of silos and other stations, and any other functions like washing and climatisation. Other options include CEPI’s native PLC and weighing processor with LCD display, for standard operations and one-line production processes.

CEPI’s native software Tracking System provides complete traceability including digitalisation of all ingredient movements, lot control with barcode system and warehouse management, greatly enhancing food safety and the optimal management of related alarms. Receiving and visualising data from the touch panels managing the production, Tracking System creates a history of storing and recipe production operations, providing production analysis with statistics of ingredient consumption, batch report with deviation analysis, stock visualisation and dynamic graphics illustrating product, recipe or lot trends.

CEPI’s automation system is interconnected and can exchange information with any third party in the line. Our solutions provide full horizontal and vertical integration, managing dialogue and data among our devices and those of other partners, after the dosing and before the raw ingredients management. All our data can be easily integrated with global ERP to achieve organisation-wide traceability. It can generate important information for not only for the production departments and management, but for departments such as quality control (lot usage information for each raw material) and purchases (schedule of raw material purchase, spare part purchase).

The sourdough revolution

Sourdough bread is tastier, more fragrant and healthier. Easy to digest and with a high nutritional value, it achieves a long-shelf life without preservatives, meeting the increasing demand for food manufactured through processes that preserve and enhance the natural properties of its ingredients.

Rye, wheat and multigrain breads but also pizza, focacce, brioches and crackers: in the last two decades, the defining factor in bakery manufacturing has been the rediscovery of sourdough, and the development of technologies that make artisan quality possible on an industrial level.

CEPI’s fermentation technology includes fermenters and bread re-work dissolvers for sourdough, as well as pre-dough and poolish. Our systems deliver precision and full control of all processes, as well as standardisation and repeatability of procedures. They can stand-alone or be easily integrated in the production process, allowing for bread making through both direct method and indirect two steps method, according to the needs of the manufacturer.

Modular and suitable for small, medium and big production volumes, our systems allow food manufacturers to produce healthy, natural and aromatic products while saving space, manpower, additives and yeast. The technology fully preserves the characteristics of the raw materials and meets the highest standards of hygienic production.

Automation with PLC control, with a flexible management that allows for both automatic and manual options for all operations.

One trend we are observing during the pandemy is self-production: people have rediscovered the art of making their own bread, pizza and focacce. For manufacturers, it would be interesting to provide mixes of ingredients for customers who want to prepare their own product. Our three in one station is the ideal match for this kind of production.

Overall the trend towards healthy products continues, including bio food with related concerns about cultivation and storage, and nutraceutical/functional foods which add active components to provide added benefits as well as nutritional. There is also high interest towards products perceived as traditional or authentic – products with a simpler taste and fragrance that employ natural ingredients and a less processed recipe. As well as this, a growing number of customers are interested in verifying the sustainability of food they eat, including consumptions of materials and energy.

DolciSalati&Consumi
March 2021

Tecnologie ‘buone come il pane’

PLe competenze e l’esperienza di Cepi al servizio della panificazione. Grazie a una vasta gamma di attrezzature e soluzioni tailor-made per lo stoccaggio, il trasporto e il dosaggio delle materie prime. Partner strategico dell’industria alimentare dal 1985, anno della sua fondazione, Cepi progetta, costruisce e installa impianti chiavi in mano per lo stoccaggio, il trasporto e il dosaggio delle materie prime. Azienda a conduzione familiare con uno sguardo internazionale, Cepi ha sede a Forlì ma opera a livello globale grazie a una rete di partner nei cinque continenti e uffici in Malesia, per coordinare le opera- zioni nel mercato asiatico.

Partner strategico dell’industria alimentare dal 1985, anno della sua fondazione, Cepi proget- ta, costruisce e installa impianti chiavi in mano per lo stoccaggio, il trasporto e il dosaggio delle materie prime. Azienda a conduzione familiare con uno sguardo internazionale, Cepi ha sede a Forlì ma opera a livello globale grazie a una rete di partner nei cinque continenti e uffici in Malesia, per coordinare le opera- zioni nel mercato asiatico.

“La nostra missione va oltre l’assemblaggio di macchinari: costruiamo instal- lazioni chiavi in mano che gestiscono la linea di produzione dallo stoccaggio al dosaggio, sviluppando soluzioni specializzate per soddisfare esigenze molto diverse e in continua evoluzione”, spiega l’azienda che, forte di una conoscenza globale di materiali, ambienti e mercati, è costantemente impegnata nell’attività di ricerca che la porta a sviluppare circa 300 sistemi unici ogni anno.

“Forniamo automazione integrata di tutte le operazioni produttive, con gestione della produzione attraverso soluzioni touch panel e software nativo per il controllo dei processi, piena tracciabilità, gestione del magazzino e scambio di informazioni con altri software ed Erp”, aggiunge Cepi. “Ogni sistema è personalizzato sulla base di un’analisi approfondita delle materie prime, del sito e dei consumi, e uno studio completo dei processi del produttore”. I sistemi firmati Cepi coprono ogni operazione, dal caricamento al dosaggio, garantendo la ripetibilità e la precisione della ricetta così come la piena tracciabilità per macro, medi e piccoli ingredienti, sia in polvere che liquidi.

LA PANIFICAZIONE SECONDO CEPI

Cepi ha sviluppato impianti per tutti i tipi di pane: a pasta molle o dura, integrale o di granoturco, di segale, di mais o di soda, incluse focacce e piadine. Con l’obiettivo di fornire le soluzioni (e l’esperienza tecnoalimentare) necessarie per gestire al meglio ogni ingrediente, inclusi quelli comunemente impiegati nelle produzioni biologiche come quinoa, teff, amaranto, latte in polvere e fibre.

Stoccaggio e dosaggio

L’attrezzatura per lo stoccaggio comprende silos per interni ed esterni in acciaio inox o tessuto Trevira anti- statico. Mentre la stazione per il dosaggio di micro ingredienti è in grado di gestire un’ampia gamma di materiali ‘impegnativi’ supportando ricette molto diverse: con un dosaggio accurato di sale, miglioratori, aromi, spezie, amido, inclusioni e altri additivi comunemente usati nella cottura bio e senza glutine, come gomma xantana, lecitina, psillio e cellulosa. “È adatta al dosaggio continuo su grandi linee di produzione, facile da pulire e dotata di tecnologie per prevenire perdite e residui”, sottolinea l’azienda. “La nostra stazione 3 in 1 con miscelatore verticale è la scelta ideale per la produzione di premix: oltre a pesare gli ingredienti, filtra e miscela in un’unica unità, ottimizzando i tempi e creando una miscela già omogenea prima di rag- giungere il mixer. La stazione 3 in 1 è veloce, precisa e igienica. Ed eroga una miscela omogenea di polveri anche per quantità inferiori all’1% del totale nell’arco di 3-5 minuti. Può essere utilizzata anche al posto del- la tramoggia di dosaggio, e la sua velocità la rende molto adatta ai sistemi di miscelazione in continuo”.

Fluidificazione e raffreddamento

La farina trae grande beneficio dall’impiego di tecnologie come la fluidificazione e il raffreddamento, che garantiscono una maturazione naturale e temperature stabili. L’ossigenazione della farina operata dal letto fluido ne migliora sensibilmente la qualità, con una maturazione veloce ma naturale, senza bisogno di additivi. “La farina fluidificata è più panificabile”, spiega ancora Cepi, “con migliori risposte a tutti i trattamenti: dalla fermentazione alla preparazione dell’impasto, che è più elastico e più facile da lavo- rare, poiché assorbe acqua più facilmente e trattiene meglio i gas durante la lievitazione. Il pane fatto con farina ben ossigenata risulta quindi più soffice, grazie a un prodotto ben alveolato, e la maggiore durata del- la lievitazione lo rende più digeribile”.

Una gestione corretta e lineare della temperatura dell’impasto è essenziale, ma troppo spesso è soggetta ai cambiamenti stagionali e alle variazioni di temperatura negli ambienti di lavoro. Incidendo sui tempi di lievitazione e creando disomogeneità nei prodotti finiti. “Cepi offre un sistema di raffreddamento centralizzato che rende possibile il raggiungimento graduale della temperatura impostata, basato sullo scambio diretto di aria precedentemente raffreddata attraverso letto fluido e in grado di portare autonomamente la farina alla temperatura richiesta per ulteriori lavorazioni, eliminando il ricorso ad agenti refrigeranti”, sottolinea l’azienda. “Forniamo un raffreddamento progressivo che garantisce stabilità, precisione e omogeneità nell’impasto grazie allo scambio termico diretto su ogni particella di farina”.

Fermentazione

Pane di segale, grano e multicereali, ma anche pizza, focaccia, brioche e cracker. Negli ultimi 20 anni, il trend dominante nel comparto della panificazione è stata la riscoperta del lievito madre e lo sviluppo di tecnologie che rendono possibile la qualità artigiana- le a livello industriale. “I nostri sistemi consentono la panificazione sia con metodo diretto che con metodo indiretto a due fasi, garantendo precisione e pieno controllo di tutti i processi, nonché standardizzazione e ripetibilità delle procedure”, spiega l’azienda. “Modulari e adatti a piccoli, medi e grandi volumi di produzione, preservano le caratteristiche delle materie prime e soddisfano i più alti standard di produzione igienica”.

International Confectionery
March 2021

Automation and process control: traceability, hygiene and trends

CEPI provides a fully integrated automation of their bulk-handling systems, with production management through multiple operator panel solutions such as customised 4-15’’ operator panel on Siemers or Allen Bradley platform for nontypical processes, CEPI native PLC Leonardo for typical processes and weighing processor WP140 with LCD display for simple one line productions. Their native software Tracking System provides process control, warehouse management and full traceability with production statistics and data management, as well as total information exchange through SQL database and communication with ERP or MES.

Weighing control in real time is provided for all their storing and dosing stations, along with the management of all other variables involved such as temperature and pH.

Each of the automation systems is fully customised to match analysis of raw materials, site evaluation, environment and consumptions, and designed through a comprehensive study of the manufacturer’s processes. This regards all operations from warehouse to marketing in order to allow the inclusion of future projected productions. Hardware and software design is done completely in-house, which allows them to provide technical and human continuity through the development of a project that can become very specific and complex.

Traceability is key

The complete traceability of all ingredients is fundamental to achieve hygienic productions. CEPI’s native software Tracking System provides complete traceability of all powdered and liquid ingredients. This covers the digitalisation of all movements, lot control with barcode system and warehouse management, which greatly enhances food safety and the optimal management of related alarms. Receiving and visualising data from the operator panels managing the production, Tracking System creates a history of storing and recipe production operations, providing production analysis with statistics of ingredient consumption, batch report with deviation analysis, stock visualisation and dynamic graphics illustrating product, recipe or lot trends.

As well as this, automated systems allow remote control of all operations, ensuring that loading and production operations are completely hygienic and shielding against contamination. Both digitalisation and automation also protect operators’ safety by making distancing easier.

CEPI’s systems are tailored to the needs of each process, with flexible management that allows a manual option for all operations, while still supplying all necessary weighing and dosing information such as weights, times and temperatures. However the general preference is for automated operations. Even during automatic productions, operators in possession of the required authorisation level can always intervene to stop or adjust the process, for example by changing a recipe on the fly. All utilities can be commanded manually during maintenance.

In an increasingly digital world, and with greater advancements in technology, automating processes has been an effective way to efficiently produce confectionery products that are hygienic, without fault and full of flavour.

Why automatize the dosing system

Automatising the dosing system will improve working conditions and eliminate human error, optimise space in the production area and the warehouse and reduce consumptions and pollution. An automated dosing system is more hygienic, with total separation between production and warehouse, and enhances traceability of materials and processes, communication with other software and ERP. Because of the very close and personalised analysis we do when designing a dosing system and the flexibility of our process, our solutions are easy to adapt or expand with addition of new ingredients.

We are seeing an increasing push towards vertical integration of production data beyond those regarding materials, like data on energy consumptions or compressed air, or anything that is useful to establish the exact value of a product.

The automation CEPI develops matches this demand by providing total interconnection and information exchange. We can send and receive information to and from any third party in the line. Our solutions provide full horizontal and vertical integration, managing dialogue and data among our devices and those of other partners, after the dosing and before the raw ingredients management. All our data can be easily integrated with global ERP to achieve organisation-wide traceability. It can generate important information for not only for the production departments and management, but for departments such as Quality Control (lot usage information for each raw material) and Purchases (schedule of raw material purchase, spare part purchase).

The move toward a total digitalisation extends to a preference for remote control of all operations, from any location and on all devices such as smartphones and tablets, which CEPI is already providing alongside with remote commissioning, maintenance and monitoring. Our automation team provides full 24/7 remote support on all tools with live visualisation on VPN network, management of production and intervention on the source code. Testing, optimisation, start-up and training have long been delivered remotely, as well as virtual and personalised tutorials and live assistance with dedicated devices.

International Confectionery
February 2021

Sandwich Biscuit Rework

Reworking production scraps is good for the planet and for your production process, with less material consumptions and reduction of waste. The latest innovation in CEPI’s technology consists of a system for the liquid recovery of biscuit scraps. Your sandwich biscuit scraps are broken inside a stainless steel tank with an agitator that creates an emulsion with a liquid part (oil, fat or water) to be dosed directly on the mixer to produce more biscuits.

The system consists of a hopper for the dosing of oil or water, manual loading of biscuit scraps, breaking and production of emulsion inside the tank, conveyance to liquid hopper and dosing on a mixer. The tank can be heated or double-jacketed depending on the fat or oil that is used and is completely automated with PLC and HMI screen.

Other rework systems

As well as liquid rework, CEPI offers a dry biscuit rework system which re-uses the powders on the production line. The system includes loading, grinding and storing with temperature control as well as pneumatic conveyance. Rework systems for bread and similar products such as toasts, loaves and sandwiches are also available, with loading, drying, cooling, grinding and storing with temperature control as well as pneumatic conveyance.

The final product can be fed back into production in place of flour, sold, used for animal feed, or worked again to produce croutons or breadcrumbs.

All CEPI’s rework technologies are fully automated and ensure a high quality end product with no loss of food properties.

Company profile

Cepi designs, manufactures and installs turn-key systems for the storing, conveying and dosing of raw materials, as well as fully integrated automation and technologies to complete all production processes. CEPI is based in the Emilia Romagna region in Italy and operates globally, with offices in Malaysia to coordinate operations in the Asian market. Since 1985, we have built more than 10.000 installations the world over, working with the most important companies from all sectors of food manufacturing.

Our mission is to build specialized installations that manage the entire production from storage to dosing, to develop customized technological solutions to match diverse needs across the planet, preserve food properties and flavour as well as minimize energy and material consumptions.

In CEPI, we consider the installation our product and customization our service. Our technologies evolve to match the individual demands from the manufacturer side, leading to unparalleled technological range. Our automated systems ensure the repeatability and precision of the recipe, protecting the unique flavour of each final product. We bring to the table a global knowledge of materials, environments and makets as well as the continued research that goes into developing around 300 unique systems every year.

International Bakery
August/September 2020

The dosing of raw materials: automatisation and flavor

Fragrance, taste and integrity: an automatized management of dosing processes and raw ingredients not only ensures efficiency but is the best choice for producers who wish to achieve a final product of high quality and unique flavor. Controlling parameters such as temperature, pH, atmosphere is necessary to preserve the properties of the ingredients, and an automatized recipe is accurate and constant, leading to repeatability and high volumes of uniquely tasting food.

Case in point: a key factor in the production of baked products is the temperature of the dough. This requires an automatic dosing system and technologies that reliably manage it. Automatizing the dosing system eliminates human error, ensures precision and constancy in the process, reduces consumptions, powders and pollutions and improves working conditions. Pairing up with a partner that can provide flexibility as well as continuity, customization and all-around expertise, production lines will become more linear and rational while achieving natural, healthy and aromatic products that are pursued by modern markets.

The design of the dosing system needs to fit the needs of each individual process, based on information that goes much further than the purely technical but involves all departments from werehouse to marketing. It should include technologies that can improve the management of the raw materials and avoid intrusive processing, and be managed through personalized operator panels, and software for full traceability and warehouse management.

With 35 years of experience in the handling of raw materials for the food industry including the development of integrated automation systems, CEPI can fully meet each of these needs. Not only does CEPI put flexibility and customization at the center of their work, but all of their technologies are developed factoring the preservation of flavour and ingredient properties. CEPI’s fermentation systems lead to a fragrant, digestible product while standardizing procedures and allowing for full control of all processes, their flour cooling technology allows for the correct and linear management of dough temperature that is essential in bread-making, and cold fat dosing stabilizes temperatures and preserves the organoleptic characteristics of ingredients such as butter. These are only a few examples of how CEPI protects the materials handled by their equipment.

How to design a dosing system

A family-run company with an international outlook, CEPI designs and manufactures turn-key systems for the storage, conveying and metering of raw materials, as well as fully integrated automation and technologies to complete all production processes. They were established in 1985 and are based in the Emilia Romagna region in Italy.

CEPI prioritizes flexibility, research, and the ability to provide a specialised product to each customer. They build around 300 customised installations every year, focusing on the specificity and diversity of each installation and adapting or developing technologies according to their needs. This approach results in constant research and innovation leading to unparalleled technological range. Similarly, every project is built around the development of close relationship with the customer through an ongoing conversation that involves all aspects of the project from analysis, to engineering and control, manufacture, installation and service.

Bulk-handling is not just about silos. Designing a dosing system is a complex process that requires a close analysis of the customer’s processes. With repeatability, traceability and precision in mind, detailed information is needed about raw materials and consumptions, building evaluation, humidity and temperature effect and cross contamination, as well as other concerns such as sustainability. The customer’s experience during this process is rarely discussed but for a project to be successful, the ability to fully involve them before and during planning is fundamental.

What is the role of the customer? What is the best way for them to gather the information needed to develop the best automation system? Firstly, we must remember that the bulk-handling system isn’t marginal. While roughly the planning involves three main stages (ingredient analysis, the study of where to install the equipment and connection with production), there is a crucial preliminary phase that fully illustrates how the automation of the dosing must be connected with all company’s activities: not only production and technical, but warehouse, purchasing and marketing.

Why the marketing team? Because a projection of future productions should always be kept in mind to design a system that can be easily adapted or expanded in the future. This information is easily available within the company but the customer is not often encouraged to use it in the context of their bulk-handling system. CEPI does it.

This vision extends to all the planning. The three stages mentioned above are not happening in a linear way one after the other but are interdependent. Because of rich food technology expertise, CEPI will of course ask all relevant technical questions regarding the materials, recipes and batches. But the customer needs to be fully accompanied and supported through their analysis of the ingredients by someone who not only knows their properties, but understands how to manage all kinds of related concerns, for example in relation to the way they are received (bulk, bags, barrel, IBCs and so on.) It will help not only to match them with the most suitable dosing process, but to identify critical ingredients, technological advantages and saving opportunities. The building evaluation and connection with production need the same kind of overall view of the entire production, even small processes. When planning a new line, not only all the elements (bulk-handling system, mixer, packaging) must be taken in consideration and planned in parallel, but all future opportunities should be kept in mind.

CEPI is known for this kind of elastic thinking, and it is also one of the reasons it innovates so much: the will to fully understanding the process and to then support it with a system that matches it translates to a pretty much constant evolution of the technology and expansion of the range.

Technologies: some examples

As well as building a customized automatic dosing system, CEPI offers fully automated technologies designed to preserve the quality of the ingredients.

All storing solutions can be equipped with a fluidization system that allows for chronological extraction with FIFO logic, greatly enhancing the traceability process. The flour oxygenation operated by the fluidised bed leads to a crucial improvement in the quality of the flour, with a faster but natural maturation that improves the flour’s rheological properties without using additives. Fluidised flour is much better for breadmaking, with better responses to all treatments from dough preparation to fermentation. The dough is more elastic and easier to work. It absorbs water more easily and keeps gas in more easily during leavening. Bread made from well oxygenated flour is softer thanks to a more alveolar product, and more digestible as oxygenation allows for longer leavening.

Also essential in bread-making and similar processes is a correct and linear management of the dough temperature. Seasonal changes cause considerable variations to the temperatures of work areas and raw materials, impacting leavening times and creating unevenness in the finished product. CEPI offers a centralized cooling system for a gradual and automatic reaching of set temperature, based on the direct exchange of pre-cooled air through a fluidized bed. With constant temperature of flour in the mix the final product is constant all year round. Cooling agents not only add unnecessary costs to your process but lead to instant decreases and unstable temperatures through time. The progressive cooling of the CEPI system guarantees stability, precision and homogeneity in the dough.

Meeting the highest standards of precision and repeatability with a perfect control of physical parameters, CEPI’s fermentation technology produce healthy, natural and aromatic products with long shelf life such as rye, wheat and multigrain breads. The technology spans from fermenters, to yeast melters and bread re-work dissolvers for liquid sponge, rye and wheat sourdough while saving space, manpower, additives and yeast. It allows full process automation, and full interconnection with the storing and dosing systems of other bulk materials and liquids.

Cold fat dosing stabilizes temperatures and preserves the organoleptic characteristics of ingredients such as butter. Metering in paste form achieves a product that is easier to amalgamate with the dough, and is especially suitable for the production of biscuits, cakes and other confectionery. It also ensures time saving, higher hygiene in the storage and production rooms and accurate metering due to absence of air in the pipe.

The vertical blender is a system for the production of premix that can be used across a wide range of food sectors (Bakery, Confectionery, Ice cream, Pasta and Cereals only to name a few). It is fast, accurate and clean, creating a homogeneous mix of powders even for quantities lower than 1%, in the span of a few minutes. It can dose in the mixer in a single solution or by loss of weight in small batches. The blender is fully automated and optimizes mixing and production times, as the blend is already homogenous before reaching the mixer.

Integrated automation

CEPI provides a turn-key system that includes the automation. Hardware and software design is done completely in-house, offering production management through touch panels and software for full traceability and warehouse management.

CEPI’s touch panels can be fully customized and are developed across multiple platforms including Siemens, Rockwell and Codesys. They handle recipe creation and management, ingredient and hopper parametrization, synoptic overview with real time status and maintenance of utilities with manual command, loading of silos and other stations, and any other functions like washing and climatization.

Integrated software Cepi Tracking System provides complete traceability including control and digitalization of all ingredient movements, lot control with barcode system and warehouse management, greatly enhancing food safety and the optimal management of related alarms. Receiving and visualizing data from the touch panels managing the production, Cepi Tracking System creates a history of storing and recipe production operations, providing production analysis with statistics of ingredient consumption, batch report with deviation analysis, stock visualisation and dynamic graphics illustrating product, recipe or lot trends.

Each automation system is the result of a decades-long history of synergic development alongside the mechanical side. With a team of 24 designers and programmers working on automation and software design, CEPI provides technical and human continuity through the development of a project that can become highly specific and complex.

CEPI is ready for the fourth industrial revolution: the system is interconnected and can exchange information. Their solutions provide full horizontal and vertical integration, managing dialogue and data among our devices and those of other partners operating in the lines, after the dosing and before the raw ingredients management. All their data can be easily integrated with global ERP to achive organization-wide traceability. They can generate important information for not only for the production departments and management, but for departments such as Quality Control (lot usage information for each raw material) and Purchases (schedule of raw material purchase, spare part purchase).

International Bakery
April/May 2020

The benefits of fermented products in bakery

Why are consumers attracted to products that have been fermented? Conscious consumers seek fermented products (from all kinds of bread, to pizza, brioches, focaccia, with gluten or gluten-free), regarding them as high quality products in many ways. The defining factor in the last two decades has been the rediscovery of sourdough, and the development of technologies that make artisan quality possible on an industrial level. Not only are products fermented with such processes seen as more natural and authentic, they are tastier and more fragrant and meet consumers’ need for whole and healthy food. Fermented products intercept the trends that have had the most impact in modern food markets: the search for authenticity, the demand for a product with benefits beyond nutrition, and a taste that can satisfy palettes that are becoming more and more refined.

Is there a shift on consumer focus where they are more attentive to their health and wellbeing?

Health and wellness are currently among the most powerful drivers in any market, and attitudes toward food are shifting to integrate the ability of any given meal to improve physical and mental health. The industries for such products – naturally healthy food, functional food, enriched foods – have experienced some of the fastest growth globally in the last few years.

Modern health-conscious markets pursue advantages such as reducing the risk of diseases but also aiding with energy and stimulation, mental clarity, fitness, anti-aging, stress and sleep. With functional food they are achieved through the addition of compounds such as vitamins, proteins and fibres. With fermented products, customers are looking for food manufactured through processes that preserve and enhance the natural properties of its ingredients. Fermented foods are very easy to digest, and achieve a long-shelf without preservatives.

Are consumers still interested in artisan products?

There is major interest in artisan products. In fact, artisan products are sought after as much as healthy ones – often overlapping with each other in perception and coming together as two of the most defining factors shaping current food culture. Media coverage and the content coming from popular chefs reflect this, with an emphasis on movements such as slow food, zero kilometer, the recovery of traditional food and food making processes, and the push towards supporting small businesses creating such food.

All the trends we are seeing – focus on health, artisanship, authenticity, as well as environmental consciousness and ethical concerns of various kinds – are interconnected, showing a sharp move away from the fast eating culture of the Eighties, where speed was demanded so as not to interfere with activities that were considered more important.

Now, consumers want to eat well. As well as eating food that grants flavour and health, that means eating in a way that makes them feel more connected to territories and histories. For industrial food production, the challenge is how to match this quality with the volumes and standardised processing required by their manufacturer.

Could you explain how the fermentation process has developed from making artisan products to producing more standardised industrial production?

Historically, one way to ferment bread was by adding water and fruit sugars to flour to make the sourdough, and this such product was then added to the dough as yeast. For the longest time this was the domain of artisan manufacturing, as it was a highly empirical method relying on the style and method of each individual producer, without an exact knowledge of the bacteria in the sourdough. This was too unstable a process from an industrial perspective as the recipe was difficult to repeat and generally reliant on a single person controlling very changeable parameters.

Leavening the bread through the brewer’s yeast became the industry standard as production was faster and high-performing. However, the final product saw a loss in fragrance and taste, as well as being harder to digest. Progression in science led to the identification of the bacteria and micro-organisms found in the sourdough, causing the market to shift. A large number of strains have now been recognised – such as Lactobacillus sanfranciscensis, a famous San Francisco lactic acid bacteria used in three million tons of sourdough goods every year. This knowledge supplied the industry with the strains of micro-organisms needed to create an easily repeatable recipe. With the evolution of the technology controlling physical parameters such as times, temperatures and pH, sourdough making finally became possible on an industrial scale.

Given the demand, the investment was immediate and implementation wide-ranging and transversal. Large volumes of production can now be automated and managed by non-specialised operators for all the diverse fermentation processes – the black rye bread common in the Northern and Eastern parts of Europe relies on a more acid dough, while the white bread from the South based on soft wheat flour or semolina has a less acid note but a wider bouquet. As well as this, the longevity of products fermented with sourdough meets the need of modern food distribution – making it possible to achieve a large spatial and temporal distance between production and consumption points.

Right now, sourdough fermented bread represents the meeting point of the artisan feel and the production standards the food industry is pursuing at full speed.

How has that process developed due to meeting demand?

As mentioned, to intercept consumer interest in high quality products, manufacturers need technologies that can combine natural processing and competitiveness. All sourdough fermented products have a high quality claim that can help manufacturers expand the market of any sort of bread, including loaves and slices.

Cepi’s fermentation technology has been developed to achieve this goal – with a deep knowledge of the materials involved and of all aspects of the process, Cepi offers solutions that add a tangible value to the production in terms of both quality of product and rationalisation of resources. Meeting the highest standards of precision and repeatability with a perfect control of physical parameters, our technology fully preserves the characteristics of the ingredients. They produce healthy, natural and aromatic products with long shelf life such as rye, wheat and multigrain breads, while saving space, manpower, additives and yeast.

As with all of the company’s technologies, the Cepi systems are highly flexible and versatile, spanning from fermenters, to yeast melters and bread re-work dissolvers for liquid sponge, rye and wheat sourdough. Diversified and optimised for the needs of each specific plant, they can stand-alone or be easily integrated in the production process, allowing for bread making through both direct method and indirect two steps method depending on the need of the manufacturer.

The design meets the highest standards of hygienic production and is equipped with CIP washing systems, made in stainless steel and comes with an environment analysis to prevent pollution from bacteria and fungi. With a highly precise, automatised large volume production, not only are consumptions hugely reduced but so is human error as only a recipe and touch panel are required.

What are the general benefits and health benefits to a fermented product?

Sourdough fermented bread has a longer shelf life than brewer’s yeast bread. This is because it’s more acidic and therefore less prone to develop degenerative micro-organisms and moulds, with sourdough delaying starch retrogradation and the staling of bread.

As mentioned, fermented bread is easy to digest as leavening is longer: starches are metabolised and broken by the micro-organisms in the dough, making it easier for the body to process them. Sourdough fermentation eliminates the use of additives and improvers such as enzymes to break the starch and to aid flour tightness during the process.

Sourdough can be gluten free, based in flours such as rice flours, and fermentation technology can be applied in both traditional and non-traditional sectors, adding any further health benefits as desired to the final product.

Can you see a rise of these types of products in the future?

Sourdough fermentation in industrial production has steadily increased since the Nineties and the trend is only growing. We think that as consumers become more and more conscious and innovation progresses, it will go from being an added value to the industry standard. Not only have the number of fermentation systems we build radically increased, they are also being used in the manufacturing of a growing range of products – including mass market goods such as sliced bread and products in the healthy foods sector.

International Confectionery
April 2020

Fluidization and flexibility for bread manufacturers

CEPI is introducing TREVIBOX to our portfolio of storing solutions for macro ingredients. Through the integrated work of our engineering and food technology teams, Trevibox blends CEPI’s existing Trevira fabric silo and Silbox fluidized silo into a single solution that delivers the advantages of both.

Established in 1985 and based in the Emilia Romagna region in Italy, CEPI designs and manufactures turn-key systems for the storage, conveying and metering of raw materials, as well as fully integrated automation and technologies to complete all production processes. A family-run company with an international outlook, CEPI has centered research and flexibility since inception, striving to provide installations that handle all stages of production and to develop solutions to match the most disparate needs of materials and processes. Pursuing a vision to give each project the individualized care it deserves, CEPI develops hundreds of unique configurations each year for all sectors of food manufacturing – a welcome challenge that has resulted in an unparallelled range of options and continuous innovation of technology.

Bakery manufacturers working with CEPI have access to a wide variety of indoor and outdoor solutions for the macro storing of flour and other powders, in stainless steel or fabric and suitable for all production volumes. Trevibox comes from a desire to further expand our customers’ options while matching the demand for a structurally flexible solution that allows fluidization and FIFO management.

CEPI’s historical fabric silo utilizes patented antistatic Trevira fabric. As well as reducing costs, fabric solutions are more customizable than steel or alluminium solutions, and the antistatic properties in the Trevira fabric prevent the formation of static electricity, ensuring production safety. The bag creates a great balance between environment and product, letting the product breathe and achieving a faster and easier balance between outside temperature and product temperature. The bag is a wide exchange surface ad with storing in climatized environment the temperature of the product follows more speedily.

The Trevibox model includes all these features and adds new advantages. The addition of a fluidized bed allows for chronological extraction through a FIFO logic, which greatly enhances the traceability process. The flour oxygenation operated by the fluidized bed leads to a crucial improvement in the quality of the flour, with a faster but natural maturation that improves the flour’s rheological properties without using additives. Fluidized flour is much better for breadmaking, with better responses to all treatments from dough preparation to fermentation. The dough is more elastic and easier to work. It absorbs water more easily and keeps gas in more easily during leavening. Bread made from well oxygenated flour is softer thanks to a more alveolar product, and more digestible as oxygenation allows for longer leavening.

The Trevibox model also comes with a higher capacity in all metering processes, including metering by pressure, and provides multiple extraction without bridges.

Alongside the Trevibox or other storing solutions, bread-makers and other operators of the bakery sector will be able to rely on CEPI for the management of every other step of their production. The flexibility of CEPI’s technology extends to all storing and metering processes, including storing and high volume precision metering of complex micro ingredients with fixed or mobile scale, storing of sugar in controlled humidity environment and mills for crystal sugar, as well as systems for the preparation, storage and metering of invert sugar. Installations are fully automated with all operations managed by touch panels and software providing full traceability. They can be equipped, among others, with progressive flour cooling systems, highly versatile fermentation systems, liquid tanks, cold fat metering, centralized systems for the production of salt solution, CIP washing for a complete hygienization of tanks and pipes and scrap rework systems.

International Confectionery
February 2020

Trevibox: a Trevira antistatic fabric silo with a fluidised bed

A new launch in the storing solutions for macro ingredients range, the Trevibox blends Cepi’s existing Trevira fabric silo and Silbox metal fluidised silo into a single solution. The addition of a fluidised bed allows for chronological extraction with FIFO logic, which greatly enhances the traceability process. Trevibox has higher metering capacity in all processes including metering by pressure, and provides multiple extraction without bridges. The flour oxygenation operated by the fluidised bed leads to a crucial improvement in the quality of the flour, with a faster but natural maturation that improves the flour’s rheological properties without using additives. Fluidised flour is much better for breadmaking, with better responses to all treatments from dough preparation to fermentation. The dough is more elastic and easier to work. It absorbs water more easily and keeps gas in more easily during leavening. Bread made from well oxygenated flour is softer thanks to a more alveolar product, and more digestible as oxygenation allows for longer leavening.

Solutions in patented antistatic Trevira fabric offer many advantages: as well as reducing costs, they are more customisable than steel or aluminium solutions, and the antistatic properties in the Trevira fabric prevent the formation of static electricity, ensuring production safety. Trevira fabric also creates a greater balance between environment and product, letting the product breathe and achieving a faster and easier balance between outside temperature and product temperature.
The wide exchange surface ensures that in case of storing in a climatised environment the temperature of the product follows that of the environment more speedily.

The Trevibox model includes all these features and adds the advantages of Silbox. The addition of a fluidised bed allows for chronological extraction with FIFO logic, which greatly enhances the traceability process. Trevibox has higher metering capacity in all processes including metering by pressure, and provides multiple extraction without bridges. The flour oxygenation operated by the fluidised bed leads to a crucial improvement in the quality of the flour, with a faster but natural maturation that improves the flour’s rheological properties without using additives. Fluidised flour is much better for breadmaking, with better responses to all treatments from dough preparation to fermentation. The dough is more elastic and easier to work. It absorbs water more easily and keeps gas in more easily during leavening. Bread made from well oxygenated flour is softer thanks to a more alveolar product, and more digestible as oxygenation allows for longer leavening.

Thanks to Cepi’s patented equipotentiality technology, the Trevibox complies with ATEX regulations, which consists of two EU directives describing what equipment and work space is allowed in an environment with an explosive atmosphere. The Trevibox comes with advanced safety systems to guard against both overpressure and underpressure. This allows weight control in real time, integrated automation and full traceability.

International Confectionery
January 2020

www.alimentando.info/tech4food

Functional ingredients: precision in micro dosing

Consumer interest in food with benefits beyond nutrition continues to increase, making the functional food industry one of those experiencing the fastest growth globally in the last years. Health and wellness are currently among the most powerful drivers in any market, and attitudes toward food are shifting to integrate the ability of any given meal to improve physical and mental health. Alongside naturally healthy foods, it’s functional, enriched and enhanced foods that are getting the most attention during this paradigm shift – through the addition of biologically active components, virtually any kind of food from snacks to bread and pasta can become an asset, reducing the risk of diseases but also aiding with hydration, energy and stimulation, mental clarity, fitness, anti-aging, stress and sleep, and plenty of other advantages sought by modern health conscious markets.

Food, beverage and supplement sectors are focusing their research on the development of functional products ranging from snacks such as bars with added vitamins, proteins and fibers, to nutrient-dense and low-sugar fruit and nuts munchies, fermented foods with probiotic benefits, performance and energy drinks, sports nutrition such as protein bars and powders beverages, meal replacements and dietary supplements. This is the era of sweets manufactured using stevia rather than sugar, integrated with vitamines, collagene and probiotics; functional bread with fibers and tocopherol and protein-rich pasta.

At this stage, it is crucial for food manufacturers to partner with suppliers whose technology can match their innovation and provide the precision required by functional products. CEPI is a direct manufacturer of bulk-handling systems with a vision prioritizing research, flexibility and continuity. Installations are turn-key and completely automated and customized, built to match the individual needs of each project and manage all operations from the loading of ingredients in the silos to the dosing of recipes on multiple lines. As such, and through vaste food technology expertise and an impressive portfolio of solutions targeted at strategic functions like safe storing, accurate micro dosing and fully integrated automation and traceability systems, CEPI is uniquely positioned to meet the demands of the functional food market.

Safe storing and accurate micro dosing

Constantly innovated, highly flexible and capable of handling a wide range of challenging materials, Trimix is CEPI’s solution for the storing and accurate dosing of micro ingredients. In functional food installations, it’s the ideal option for both the storing and the metering of the food compounds capable of adding further benefits to the final product, spanning from vitamins, to minerals, fibers, proteins, collagenes, omega 3 and omega 6, fatty acids, nootropics, amino acids, and biologically active substances such as antioxidants and probiotics. Trimix can store premix in its units, or create a premix from separate ingredients to be later dosed in the dough.

The current Trimix model is the result of a decades-long experience in the management of powdered microingredients. Able to dose micro quantities through a high-precision scale with by weight metering, and paired with the range and full integration of our automation systems, it has provided our installations with the highest levels of repeatability, precision and traceability. CEPI’s approach is holistic and aims to cover and provide continuity through all manufacturing operations, with touch panels and traceability software being designed internally and tailored to the specificity of each mechanical installation.

Trimix is a broad spectrum metering station for micro ingredients. It consists of modular and extendible hermetic units for powdered and granular ingredients, with fixed or mobile scale. Trimix has an easy-to-clean design with air blade system to clean the bearings, and comes with technologies to prevent leakage in the surrounding environment and leftovers within the storing units or scale. It is fitted with ground or table scale for manual metering of minor ingredient, weighed trolley, dust exhauster, integrated homogenizer and level sensors. Loading can be manual or pneumatic, with direct suction of the product from the sacks.

Recent innovations have made it possible to combine Trimix with hoppers of all sizes, achieving higher speed, volume and flexibility. It can handle an ever wider range of materials, including challenging ones such as lecithins and fibers. With higher capacity, increased agitator and a wider discharge passage, it is suitable for continous dosing in big production lines, without clogging or the formation of bridges even for hydroscopic ingredients such as crystal sugar.

Other than in Trimix, storing of bioactive food compounds can happen in medium volume solutions, including a variety of minisilos and dump stations. All machinery is compliant with ATEX legislation, designed to match the needs of the ingredients they handle and built in appropriate materials. Conveying and metering operations are handled by completely mechanical systems such as feed screws and agitators, which don’t stress the ingredients and aid in preserving the physical and chemical properties of the ingredients and their nutritional value. As with other productions that require high precision in dosing such as baby food and medical food, quality control is provided to ensure compliance with all relevant legislation.

Automation and traceability

CEPI’s installations are fully automated, with weight control in real time on all silos and hoppers, process management through personalized operator panels, and software for full traceability and warehouse management.

Each system is the result of a decades-long history synergic development alongside the mechanical system. With a team of 24 designers and programmers working on automation and software design, CEPI provides technical and human continuity through the development of a project that can become highly specific and complex. CEPI’s solutions provide full horizontal and vertical integration, managing dialogue and data among our devices and those of other partners operating in the lines, after the dosing and before the raw ingredients management. All our data can be easily integrated with global ERP to achive organization-wide traceability.

With a view of the installation as a living organism, service accompanies all its developments through each expansion and change, and includes installation, start-up, helpdesk, monitoring and assistance on site.

Production management through touch panel handles recipe creation and management, ingredient and hopper parametrization, overview for monitoring and maintenance of utilities with manual command, loading of silos and other stations such as mills, and other functions like washing and climatization. CEPI’s touch panels are developed across multiple platforms including Siemens, Rockwell and Codesys.

Integrated software CEPI TRACKING SYSTEM provides complete traceability including control and digitalization of all ingredient movements, lot control with barcode system and warehouse management, greatly enhancing food safety and the optimal management of related alarms. Receiving and visualizing data from the touch panels managing the production, CEPI TRACKING SYSTEM creates a history of storing and recipe production operations, batch reports and consumption reports with dynamic graphics illustrating product, recipe or lot trends.

Other

CEPI is a family-run company with an international outlook, based in Italy and operating globally, with offices in Malaysia to coordinate operations in the Asian market. In the past 35 years, it has worked with companies from all sectors of food manufacturing, and has developed an unparalleled range of technologies through efforts to meet the special needs of each installation and provide full cover of its process.

Multiple indoor and outdoor options are available for macro storing, in stainless steel or antistatic fabric. Extraction is automated and can be single or multiple, with vibrating cone and fluidization for accurate FIFO management. Silos can be equipped with insulation, climatization and dehumidification systems, and loaded directly from truck or from other silos or from dumping stations. Sifting systems ensure food security. For the handling of flour, centralized cooling system are available for a gradual reaching of set temperature that can be as low as 10°C. Dosing can be continuous or batch, positive, by loss of weight, by volume or by weight, in modular hoppers for powders and electronic scale-controlled tanks for liquids. Other applications include versatile and diverse fermentation systems, mills for crystal sugar, invert sugar technology, centralized systems for the production, storing and metering of salt solution, fat and liquid tanks, cold metering of fats, melters, emulsifiers and CIP washing system for a complete hygienization of tanks and pipes.

Tech4Food
October 2019

Flour cooling: lower temperature and high stability

Correct and linear management of the dough temperature is essential in bread-making and similar processes. Seasonal changes cause considerable variations to the temperatures of work areas and raw materials, impacting leavening times and creating unevenness in the finished product. CEPI offers a centralized cooling system for a gradual and automatic reaching of set temperature, based on the direct exchange of pre-cooled air through a fluidized bed. With an increased exchange capacity and a bigger air flux, it has been perfected to automatically and independently take the flour to the temperature required for further processing. Flour can go as low as 12 °C with a difference between entry and exit temperature up to 20 °C, making it a highly rational and accurate system that eliminates or radically reduces the need for cooling agents such as cooled water or ice, and the constant manual intervention they require.

Cooling agents not only add unnecessary costs to your process but lead to instant decreases and unstable temperatures through time. The progressive cooling of the CEPI system guarantees higher stability and precision, and homogeneity in the dough with thermal exchange acting directly on every flour particle. CEPI cooling system leads to standardization of production and finished product while diminished costs and reduction of human error.

Like all our technologies, it is highly versatile with various options for dimension and thermal capacity. It is a modular system based on the specific cooling needs and consumption rates of each installation, and is designed to ensure full hygiene and safety and in compliance with all relevant international standards including ATEX legislation. CEPI cooling system is fully integrated with the storing, conveying and metering installation and provided with weighing in real time, integrated automation and full traceability.

Confectionery Production
September 2019

www.confectioneryproduction.com

Dosing gelling agents with microingredient station

The thickeners and gelling agents that give structure to products such as ice cream, candies, pudding and jelly require an extremely accurate dosage as they are dosed in micro quantities and the slightest deviation can lead to dramatic technological changes in the food.

To avoid a shapeless product or an overly thick one, the agents should be dosed in a station such as CEPI’s Trimix, which is designed to ensure high precision and reliability in metering and comes paired with integrated automation system for production control, weighing control in real time and full traceability.

Trimix is suitable for both volumetric and by weight dosages. It consists of modular and extendible hermetic units for a completely automated metering of powdered and granular micro ingredients, and is able to handle challenging materials such as milk powder, cocoa powder, salt, and of course gelling agents like fibers such as cellulose, pectins and natural gums such as guar. Trimix is completely hygienic with dust exhausting system acting directly during the discharge of each unit to prevent powder leakage in the surrounding environment, and the pneumatic conveyance removing leftovers within the storing units or scale during the dosage towards the lines. Scale can be mobile or fixed: the TME model with fixed scale allows ultra fast discharge and more batches with exceptionally accurate metering, and is ideal for high production volumes.

Solutions such as Trimix and TME are perfect for the production of confectionery such as snacks, cookies, pastries, cakes, chocolate, candies, drinks but also bakery such as bread, pizza, short and long pasta. With micro dosages a reliable automation system is especially critical, and CEPI offers full integration with touch panels and traceability software. Touch panels handle production and recipe control, parametrization of ingredients and hoppers and maintenance, while software provides full traceability and warehouse management including storing and recipe data history, batch report, consumption report with dynamic graphics, lot control and digitalization of all ingredient movements with barcode system.

International Bakery
September 2019

CEPI: heart of technology for a whole and healthy food

We will equip you with technologies suitable for all processes and wheather conditions to preserve the integrity and taste of your materials as well as ensuring the highest standards of hygiene and food safety. With an R&D team aggregating engineering, manufacturing and food technology expertise we will be able to assist in the development of your recipe and support your own innovation. CEPI provides hygienic storing in controlled humidity environment for skimmed and full fat cocoa powder, managing fat percentages higher than 12% in cooled pneumatic conveyance systems. For fats, cold metering in paste form achieves a product that is easier to amalgamate with the dough and ensures time saving, higher hygiene in the storage and production rooms and accurate metering due to absence of air in the pipe.

Established in Italy in 1985, CEPI is a leading Italian producer of storing, conveying and metering systems for the food industry, as well as fully integrated automation and technologies to complete all processes. This september, we are excited to launch our new logo and website, and share the essence of CEPI’s history that they are meant to convey: an evolution through continuity, weaving experience and invention together to drive at the heart of technology, where power and flexibility meet.

CEPI is a family-run company with an international outlook that has centered research and adaptability since inception. Born from the encounter between an engineer’s vision and a manufacturer, it has grown into an idea factory that puts technology squarely at the center of our work, striving to develop specialized, diversified solutions to match the most disparate needs of materials and processes. Our holistic approach looks at the installation as our product rather than any of its parts, and extends to the breadth of services we provide, assisting at each stage of the project from product and process analysis, hygiene and safety management, engineering and control, manufacture, logistics, installation, commissioning, service and project managment overseeing all workflow. All our equipment is compliant with international standards including ATEX legislation and manufactured in a channeled system. Silos are made completely without seams with advanced key-hole technique to reduce the risk of contamination to zero.

With decades of experience working with the most important companies in the food industry, we offer full vertical integration that makes food processing as efficient as can be. Unbroken lines smoothly carry minor, micro and macro ingredients from storage silos to metering stations, with operations managed by operator panels and software providing full traceability and warehouse management. Along the way, the needs of any powders, granulates or liquids are met through equipment such as fermenting tanks, yeast melters, sugar mills, sugar inverters, bread re-work dissolvers, brine production, flour cooling, bread and biscuits scrap re-work systems. We built many installations optimized for whole ingredients and processes, and we can equip you with many technologies to preserve the integrity and taste of your materials as well as ensuring the highest standards of hygiene and food safety. With an R&D team aggregating engineering, manufacturing and food technology expertise we will be able to assist in the development of your recipe and support your own innovation.

To keep bread and similar products such as pizza as natural as can be, fermentation is a must as it leads to a healthy and aromatic products while optimizing resources and collapsing costs. It saves space, manpower, additives and yeast while fully preserving the characteristics of the raw materials, making the dough suppler and removing the need for improvers. Fermented bread smells and tastes better and is easier to digest, has a longer shelf life which removes the need for preservatives.

CEPI’s fermentation technology is diversified, with multiple solutions such as fermenters, yeast melters and bread re-work dissolvers for liquid sponge, rye and wheat sourdough. With a profound understanding of the materials involved and of all aspects of the process, we provide highly versatile systems that can stand-alone or be easily integrated in the production process. Temperature control and aeration keep ingredients vital both during preparation and while stored. Design is easy to clean and CIP washing system is completely automated.

CEPI is active worldwide with a large network of partners in the five continents, and offices in Malaysia to coordinate our activities in the Asian market. We bring to the table a global knowledge of materials, environments, and markets as well as the continued research that goes into developing around 300 unique systems every year. With the focus on customization that pervades all aspects of our work, we dedicate each project the level of individualized care it deserves.

International Confectionery
September 2019

CEPI: heart of technology for the sweetest chocolate

Born in 1985 from the encounter between an engineer’s vision and a manufacturer, it has grown into an idea factory that puts technology squarely at the center of our work, striving to develop specialized, diversified solutions to match the most disparate needs of materials and processes. This september, we are excited to launch our new logo and website, and share the essence of CEPI’s history that they are meant to convey: an evolution through continuity, weaving experience and invention together to drive at the heart of technology, where power and flexibility meet..

CEPI is a leading Italian producer of storing, conveying and metering systems for the food industry, as well as fully integrated automation and technologies to complete all processes. A family-run company with an international outlook, CEPI has centered research and adaptability since inception. Born in 1985 from the encounter between an engineer’s vision and a manufacturer, it has grown into an idea factory that puts technology squarely at the center of our work, striving to develop specialized, diversified solutions to match the most disparate needs of materials and processes. This september, we are excited to launch our new logo and website, and share the essence of CEPI’s history that they are meant to convey: an evolution through continuity, weaving experience and invention together to drive at the heart of technology, where power and flexibility meet.

With decades of experience working with the most important companies in the food industry, we offer full vertical integration that makes food processing as efficient as can be. We built many installations optimized for bakery, confectionery, pasta, dairy, premix, baby and functional food productions, as well as all types of cocoa. We will equip you with technologies suitable for all processes and wheather conditions to preserve the integrity and taste of your materials as well as ensuring the highest standards of hygiene and food safety. With an R&D team aggregating engineering, manufacturing and food technology expertise we will be able to assist in the development of your recipe and support your own innovation.

CEPI provides hygienic storing in controlled humidity environment for skimmed and full fat cocoa powder, managing fat percentages higher than 12% in cooled pneumatic conveyance systems. Silos can be equipped with insulation, climatization and dehumidification systems and multiple automated extraction with accurate FIFO management, as well as sifting systems of variable size and capacity to ensure food security.

For fats, cold metering in paste form achieves a product that is easier to amalgamate with the dough and ensures time saving, higher hygiene in the storage and production rooms and accurate metering due to absence of air in the pipe. For micro ingredients such as sugar, spices, colouring agents and other additives our Trimix and TME stations are designed to ensure the highest precision and reliability in metering and are able to handle challenging materials such as any cocoa powder. They provide extraction without bridges and no powder leakage in the surrounding environment. Hoppers can be mobile or fixed for ultra fast discharge, which is ideal for high production volumes. Complete your installation with a mill for crystal sugar which will enable you to create in complete independence a product that is always fresh and controlled, and suitable to the particle size and quantity requirements of each production.

All machinery and components are suitable to abrasive products, compliant with international standards including ATEX legislation and made in channeled system. Silos are completely without seams to reduce the risk of contamination to zero and can be loaded from truck, or from other silos, or from bag and big bag dumping stations with lump breaker. For liquid sugars, tanks come with CIP washing system for for a complete hygienization of container and pipes.

CEPI offers accurate micro and macro metering and weight control in real time of all silos and dosing stations. All operations are managed by fully integrated touch panels for production control, loading, washing, climatization and maintenance of utilities and software providing full traceability.

Our holistic approach looks at the installation as our product rather than any of its parts, and extends to the breadth of services we provide, assisting at each stage of the project from product and process analysis, hygiene and safety management, engineering and control, manufacture, logistics, installation, commissioning, service and project managment overseeing all workflow. CEPI is active worldwide with a large network of partners in the five continents, and offices in Malaysia to coordinate our activities in the Asian market. We bring to the table a global knowledge of materials, environments, and markets as well as the continued research that goes into developing around 300 unique systems every year. With the focus on customization that pervades all aspects of our work, we dedicate each project the level of individualized care it deserves.

International Confectionery
June 2019

International Bakery
June 2019

International Bakery June 2019

CEPI has developed thousands of installations for all types of breads and is best placed to provide solutions that will match the needs of your materials and ensure continuity through all operations in your process. Storing and dosing systems for all kinds of flours are accompanied by all necessary technologies to complete and optimize your process: various fermentation technologies, a microingredients managing system for the automatic dosing for additives, spices and chemicals, centralized systems for the cooling of flour, salt solution in place of dosing salt directly into the dough and the system to rework your production scraps. Safe and hygienic storing is provided for any powders including wheat, rye and buckwheat flour, rice flour, rice flour, integral flour, semolina, and materials such as quinoa, teff, amaranth, powdered milk and fibers which are frequently involved in gluten free and bio productions…

With over three decades of experience in designing and building bulk-handling systems for the food industry, CEPI has developed thousands of installations for all types of breads and is best placed to provide solutions that will match the needs of your materials and ensure continuity through all operations in your process. Storing and dosing systems for all kinds of flours are accompanied by all necessary technologies to complete and optimize your process: various fermentation technologies, a microingredients managing system for the automatic dosing for additives, spices and chemicals, centralized systems for the cooling of flour, salt solution in place of dosing salt directly into the dough and the system to rework your production scraps.

Safe and hygienic storing is provided for any powders including wheat, rye and buckwheat flour, rice flour, rice flour, integral flour, semolina, and materials such as quinoa, teff, amaranth, powdered milk and fibers which are frequently involved in gluten free and bio productions. Silos can be indoor and outdoor, in stainless steel or patented antistatic fabric, modular and extendable and suitable for all production volumes. They can be optimized with fluidization, chronological and inclined extraction, and technologies such as anti-condensation, climatization, insulation and drying ensuring that the integrity of the materials is preserved in all environments and weather conditions. Dedicated stainless steel is used for aggressive materials such as salt and certain raising agents.

For the progressive cooling of flour, we offer centralized and highly flexible solutions with various options for dimension and thermal capacity. Based on the direct exchange of pre-cooled air injected in the silo through a fluidized bed, our system reaches the set temperature gradually, ensuring high precision and a constant temperature of flour in the mix, with constant product all year round. It is a vastly superior system compared to technologies that employ ice, water or gas to achieve istant temperature decreases that create big differences in the temperature of the dough through time. With no exchanger on the conveying lines there will be no clogging in the pipes and no loss of time and resources to pure and restore the lines.

Dosing lines for powders and liquids are fully automated, with weight control in real time on all silos and hoppers, production management through operator panels, full traceability, analysis of production history and warehouse management. Metering can be continuous or batch, positive, by loss of weight, by volume or by weight. Trimix is our tool for the metering of powdered and granular minor ingredients such as salt, improvers, aromas, starch, and other additives commonly used in bio and gluten free baking such as xanthan gum, lecithin, psyllium and cellulose. Trimix is geared towards high precision and reliability for both volumetric and by weight dosages, providing accurate batch metering for all production volumes. It can be fitted with fixed or mobile scale and is completely hygienic, with technologies to prevent leakage in the surrounding environment and leftovers within the storing units or scale.

If you choose to employ salt solution in place of salt, we offer centralized systems for its production, storing and metering. Salt solution allows the water to go below zero without freezing, and is therefore ideal when a cold dough is needed to prevent eccessive heating during later processes such as fermentation. Salt solution also makes it easier to to amalgamate the salt in the dough.

We have multiple fermentation tools, such as fermenters, yeast melters and bread re-work dissolvers for liquid sponge, rye and wheat sourdough. They are highly versatile systems that can stand-alone or be easily integrated in the production process, and will fully preserve the characteristics of the raw materials to produce healthy, natural and aromatic bread while saving space, manpower and materials. Tanks are double jacketed or insulated, in several sizes, provided with integrated healing and cooling units as well as temperature and PH control. Agitator with wall and floor scraper, with adjusted speed to gently work raw materials into the tank, upstream mixing for a more homogeneous dough and quick water absorption, CIP washing, inclined extraction and easy to clean design.

Finally, we can complete your bread manufacturing installation with a fully automated scrap rework system. Reworking production scraps leads to excellent return on moderate investments, recoverable within a short time period. The process eliminates the need to store scraps and guarantees a high quality end product with no loss of proteins compared with the flour used in the beginning of the process. The final product can be fed back into production in place of flour, sold, used for animal feed, or worked again to produce croutons or bread crumbs.

With our history and our focus on research and customization, we pride ourselves in having innovated all aspects of bulk-handling and in making our adaptability a true resource for our customers. The diversity of our solutions is the result of a continued effort to match each specific need presented to us, and a holistic approach that looks at the installation as our product rather than its parts. This outlook extends to the breadth and depth of the expertise we bring to all steps of our projects: engineering and control, hygiene and safety management, direct manufacture, project management, installation and service as well as a deep process and product analysis that often contributes to our customer’s own innovation by supporting them through the development of their recipe, in ways such as selecting the most suitable yeast for their sourdough or the ideal mix for a gluten free production.

Tech4Food
May – June 2019

Metering of powdered minor ingredients

This system meets your needs for high precision and reliability. There will be no leftovers within the storing units or dosing station and no powder leakage, thanks to the dust exhausting system acting directly during the discharge of each unit.

Tech4Food
March – April 2019

Cepi: the importance of fermentation in bakery

Adding fermentation to food processes is becoming a must for bread or similar products such as pizza. Fermentation increases the shelf life and fragrance of all kinds of bread (rye, wheat and multigrain), making the dough more elastic and reducing – if not removing – the need to use improvers. Fermented bread smells and tastes better and is easier to digest.

Modern Bakery
March 2019

CEPI at Modern Bakery 2019

A more recent innovation is represented by our systems for the preparation, storage and metering of invert sugar. Like indoor silos, invert sugar systems are manufactured entirely in-house, and will enhance the production of any confectionery goods (invert sugar makes baked goods softer and ice cream products creamier, as well as ensuring a longer shelf life and saving raw materials like sugar and water). The horizontal breadth of CEPI’s product mix can be seen in the range of our solutions for the treatment of sugar, which span from hygienic and safe storing, to conveyance and fine metering equipment, to ATEX conform sugar mills with automatic feeding of crystal sugar, tailored to the plant’s capacity and required particle size. Mills come with storage tanks with stirrer to avoid build-up and facilitate discharge, are provided with safety devices such as anti-explosion hatch, filter and level sensors, and are completely hermetic and dust free thanks to the air recycling. Sugar cleaning by means of in-line sifter and magnet detector, installed before the mill’s inlet, guarantees safety and hygiene.

CEPI designs, manufactures and installs turnkey systems for the storage, conveying and metering of raw materials, as well as fully integrated automation and technologies to complete all production processes. Based in Italy, CEPI is a completely independent, family driven company that has developed more than 5000 installations the world over since 1985. With more than three decades of experience working with the most important companies in the food industry, we offer full vertical integration that makes food processing as efficient as can be.

Unbroken lines smoothly carry minor, micro and macro ingredients from storage silos to metering stations, with operations managed by operator panels and software providing full traceability. Along the way, the needs of any powders, granulates or liquids are met through equipment such as fermenting tanks, yeast melters, sugar mills, sugar inverters, bread re-work dissolvers, brine production, flour cooling, bread and biscuits scrap re-work systems.

Flexibility is what sets us apart. We develop around 300 specialized systems every year, mainly for various applications in the food industry, handling each step of the project from process analysis to mechanical and software design, production, installation and finally start-up and service. We have a rich history of innovation in our field and hold multiple patents, as well as certifications of conformity to all relevant standards. We pay great attention to issues relating to hygiene and safety – as in the case of our outdoor silos in stainless steel, which are built in a dedicated tower where they are welded together in such a way that their inner surface is completely smooth to avoid the formation of residue. They are suitable for all powders including abrasive ones, and are equipped with safety devices to prevent overpressure, anti-condensation systems for the control of internal temperature, and insulation according to the stored product or specific weather conditions.

A more recent innovation is represented by our systems for the preparation, storage and metering of invert sugar. Like indoor silos, invert sugar systems are manufactured entirely in-house, and will enhance the production of any confectionery goods (invert sugar makes baked goods softer and ice cream products creamier, as well as ensuring a longer shelf life and saving raw materials like sugar and water). The horizontal breadth of CEPI’s product mix can be seen in the range of our solutions for the treatment of sugar, which span from hygienic and safe storing, to conveyance and fine metering equipment, to ATEX conform sugar mills with automatic feeding of crystal sugar, tailored to the plant’s capacity and required particle size. Mills come with storage tanks with stirrer to avoid build-up and facilitate discharge, are provided with safety devices such as anti-explosion hatch, filter and level sensors, and are completely hermetic and dust free thanks to the air recycling. Sugar cleaning by means of in-line sifter and magnet detector, installed before the mill’s inlet, guarantees safety and hygiene.

CEPI is active worldwide with around 80% of our order book coming from exports. Europe and the Americas are our most consolidated markets, and. Our office in Malaysia has been working steadily with South-East Asian companies, and we are looking to move more deeply in the Far East. We have an important presence in the Russian market, building over 200 projects in around 15 years and working with the biggest companies of the confectionary industry. Our turnover in 2018 was 29 millions euros with a workforce of 130 employees, both showing a growth of more than 20% since 2017. In response to such great result and the raise in demand we have purchased a new lot of land and are planning to double our productive area, currently over 7000 m².

Tech4Food
January – February 2019

Invert sugar technology

The system for the preparation, storage and metering of invert sugar is especially suitable for confectionary goods: invert sugar makes baked goods softer and ice cream products creamier, as well as ensuring a longer shelf life and saving raw materials like sugar and water. The company builds invert sugar systems completely in-house. Cepi’s systems also cover any other needs relating to the treatment of sugar, with hygienic and safe storing, conveyance and fine metering equipment, as well as Atex conform sugar mills with automatic feeding of crystal sugar.

International Confectionery
January 2019