MUNICH — Rondo celebrated its 75^th anniversary at iba 2023, held Oct. 22-26 in Munich. Founded in 1948 by Gustav A. Seewer under the name Konstruktions-Werkstaette Burgdorf as a two-man mechanical design business. Rondo is now a manufacturer of bakery equipment for both artisan and industrial production, with 450 employees worldwide. 

While Rondo may have gotten its start with automated equipment for artisan bakeries like sheeters, the acquisition of the Italian bakery equipment manufacturer Doge in 2000 took Rondo beyond the artisan bakery into the industrial sector. Rondo’s Chief Executive Officer, Peter Studer, said the major difference between automation for artisan and industrial is simply a matter of capacity. The principles of automation are the same. Doge’s custom approach to equipment was also new to Rondo.

“Each industrial line is designed and engineered to order,” he said. “This was a new approach to Rondo, but it gave us the ability to move into the industrial market.” 

Looking at the global shortage of skilled bakery workers, Mr. Studer said the need for automation is greater than ever. Baking companies at iba 2023 were looking for automated solutions that would maintain quality and consistency while reducing the reliance on skilled bakers. 

“Everything must be easy-to-use and easy-to-clean,” he said. 

To assist bakers with the labor shortage, Rondo launched equipment at iba and showcased its Dough-how mentality: the idea that an equipment supplier should not just be an expert in equipment but also in baking. 

“Bakers need people who also understand dough and baking, not just a machine expert,” Mr. Studer said. “Rondo doesn’t simply sell the equipment, but we come back after the sale to support the customer.” 

In addition, Rondo introduced two new pieces of equipment at iba 2023: the Croissomat 4.0 and the Smart Bread Line. The Croissomat 4.0 was designed to help artisan bakers incorporate automation while still maintaining a high-quality finished product with a reliable piece of equipment. The machine features are individually adjustable servo motors, integrated calibrator for uniform, slack dough bands, customizable triangle sizes for flexible production, a bypass table that can be attached and removed without tools. The machine is also designed to be easy to use for today’s workforce. 

The Smart Bread Line is the latest addition to the company’s automated bread lines for industrial production. The line can process up to 1,000 kg of dough per hour, for example rounded dough pieces from 80 g up to 1 kg. Featuring a modular design, the Smart Bread Line allows for the production of a wide range of products including cut, stamped, moulded, rounded and gluten-free. While the equipment can process high-hydration and pre-fermented doughs without impact to the dough structure, it also features the RondoBot for round and oval moulding.

“We hope that the coming chapters in the company’s journey will center around growth in the industrial sector,” Mr. Studer said. “For our developments, this means even greater automation, digitalization and closeness to our customers. I am confident that we can achieve this with our highly qualified employees.”