Mar 29 2005
Industrial baking tins made of DuPont™ Thermx® high temperature polyester are gaining acceptance across Europe as a viable alternative to their metal counterparts. Bakers cite multiple benefits including: no requirement for coating of the tin; potential energy savings through shorter or reduced heating times; no possibility of corrosion over time; and overall weight reduction of the tins, facilitating handling. Specialist bakeware moulders UBW, based in Brecht, Belgium, developed and produce Thermx® PCT baking tins.
In order to extend its lifetime, a metal tin is often coated – a process which requires the tin to be taken out of service. Plastic tins made with Thermx® PCT can withstand 6-10,000 baking cycles without any further requirement for coating or greasing. In addition, when used in certain ovens, the plastic tins can lead to a reduction of cooking time – reductions of approximately ten percent on a 45 minute baking cycle have been observed during tests with optimized oven-temperature profiles – or up to a ten percent reduction in oven temperatures. All of which means reduced energy consumption, mainly due to the fact that the plastic absorbs less heat than metal.
"Thirty billion kilos of bread are baked in Europe every year, 10 billion of which are in industrial baking tins. The seven million tins used in industry represent a considerable market opportunity Thermx® PCT," said Ernst Poppe, European development leader of the industrial food processing applications program, DuPont Engineering Polymers.
DuPont™ Thermx® PCT is a high-temperature polyester and a recent addition to the DuPont portfolio of high performance polymers. Among the attributes and features that make it particularly suitable to the baking industry, are the material's added heat resistance and dimensional stability.
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