RICHMOND, VA.— The U.S. Patent Office issued AMF Bakery Systems a patent for its Pan Cleaner System and method that improves washing speed and quality.

By incorporating a supply, inverting and cleaning system into one continuous line, the device allows pans to be received, transported, cleaned and released in one cycle. This continuous sequence decreases the risk of breakage, loss and improper pan flow while increasing operational efficiency.

"The pan cleaner uses gravity to its advantage, releasing crumbs or bread loaves left in pans,” said Bobby Martin, executive product manager, AMF. “The automatic product reject conveyor is particularly beneficial when a run of under proofed products occurs. In this unlikely situation, the bread pan cleaner will remove the loaves from the pans in a continuous motion. Loaves are then conveyed to an outside recuperation bin to eliminate potential jams within the enclosed bins, as seen in other conventional pan cleaners when a surge of products occurs.”

AMF is an integrated baking systems supplier. The Pan Cleaner System joins the company’s lineup of pan and product handling systems, which includes pan coolers, depanners and pan stackers and unstackers.