Industrial-scale baking has relied on fossil fuels for decades.The Danish tunnel oven manufacturer SENIUS Equipment is leading a green revolution by introducing electric ovens to the industry. At the heart of this change is ABB’s DCT880 Thyristor power controller, bringing sustainability and efficiency to the forefront.
The sheer scale of ovens spanning over 80 meters underscores the complexity of industrial baking. Unlike their domestic counterparts, tunnel ovens demand precise heat distribution and maximum production efficiency to meet the demands of mass production.
However, the environmental impact of traditional fossil fuel-powered baking has become less acceptable due to increased environmental awareness. Recognizing the need for change, SENIUS Equipment has embarked on a mission to make the baking industry greener through using renewable energy.
SENIUS Equipment's transition to electric ovens marks a significant departure from conventional baking practices. By harnessing the power of electricity, these innovative ovens offer numerous advantages over their fossil fuel counterparts, including reduced carbon emissions and enhanced control over temperature and baking consistency.
"The DCT880 Thyristor Power Controller is used for controlling electric ovens. It offers various control methods that enable precise temperature control for your oven”, explains Sales Engineer Mads Bisgaard Bonderup from ABB. And he adds:
It is highly user-friendly, featuring documentation and a control interface similar to our variable-speed drives, making the user experience easy and intuitive. It adapts to production needs with diverse control methods, like our variable speed drives, making the user experience easy and intuitive. It adapts seamlessly to production needs with diverse control methods enhancing flexibility. Additionally, the power optimizer feature helps to reduce energy consumption by optimizing the load of multiple devices in parallel operation, reducing overall system cost.”
“We became aware of the advantages of the ABB thyristor power controller when we started developing our new electric tunnel ovens. We have clients all around the world and our standard heating component comes in three sizes. It’s imperative that our suppliers can manage all those requirements that follow a client base like ours,” says Thomas Sehested, Partner at SENIUS Equipment
Constantly Focusing on Quality
Besides being able to cater to the different electrical currents around the world, quality components are hugely important to SENIUS:
“ABB products are interesting to us partly because of the broad range and high quality of the products. ABB is present worldwide, ensuring quick access to spare parts locally, a critical aspect for our customers.”
Furthermore, the integration of ABB’s DCT880 Thyristor power controller into SENIUS Equipment’s electric ovens serves as a major enabler of this green revolution. Engineered to optimize power distribution and ensure precise temperature management, this advanced controller empowers bakeries to achieve unparalleled levels of efficiency.
"We feel that we have a good and close collaboration with ABB regarding the products we use. It is really important for us to have direct access to expert knowledge, so we are able to assist our customers as quickly as possible," says Sehested.
"For SENIUS, it makes sense to utilize our DCT880, as the high precision provided by the thyristor ensures that when SENIUS's ovens are baking, the products they produce are uniform every time. In addition it is also more environmentally friendly due to less energy waste, which also sends a strong sustainability signal for SENIUS as a company.”
The adoption of electric ovens is a strategic move for future-proofing operations. As regulations and customers preferences shift towards less energy intensive products, embracing green technologies gives baking companies a competitive edge and contributes to a greener future.
