What to Look for in a Bakery Pan Cleaning System
Keeping baking pans clean isn’t just about sanitation—it’s about product consistency, food safety compliance, and maximizing the life of your equipment. For commercial and industrial bakeries, a reliable pan cleaning system is an essential part of maintaining an efficient, high-throughput operation.
Crumbs, seeds, burnt-on residue, and excess flour can build up quickly during high-volume runs. Left unaddressed, these contaminants lead to damaged product, rejected batches, or even line shutdowns. Choosing the right pan cleaning system ensures you stay ahead of these issues while reducing manual labor and maintaining production speeds.
So, what should you look for in a bakery pan cleaning system? Here are the key features and specifications to consider—along with how LeMatic’s Dry Bun Pan Cleaner checks all the right boxes.
1. Effective Debris Removal at High Speeds
Your pan cleaner needs to keep up with the speed of your line. Many industrial bakeries run conveyors at speeds of 80–100 feet per minute. The cleaning system must match that pace without compromising cleaning performance.
LeMatic’s Dry Bun Pan Cleaner is designed specifically for this environment, with a maximum conveyor speed of 100 ft./min. Its two-stage brushing action aggressively loosens debris from the top and sides of each pan, making it ideal for cleaning flour, seeds, burnt crumbs, and other stubborn residue.
For bakeries that demand consistent output at high volume, this kind of speed and effectiveness is non-negotiable.
2. Dual-Action Cleaning Technology
The best pan cleaning systems combine mechanical brushing with air-based vacuum systems to ensure no debris is left behind. Look for equipment that integrates multiple cleaning stages for a thorough, reliable process.
LeMatic’s system includes a counter-balanced air/vacuum head that works in tandem with the brushes to pull away loosened particles. A regenerative blower and debris collection system are built in, helping to capture waste and keep your line clean with minimal mess or residue.
This dual-action setup not only improves hygiene but also reduces the need for manual cleanup downstream.
3. Flexibility in Installation and Layout
Every bakery is different, and your pan cleaner should fit seamlessly into your existing setup. Whether you need to install the system inline, on a level floor, or at an incline, flexibility in mounting and configuration is essential.
The LeMatic Dry Bun Pan Cleaner offers a modular design that can mount directly onto your existing conveyor, or it can be installed with an optional floor-standing support structure, either level or inclined. This flexibility allows it to adapt to your bakery’s footprint without requiring major structural changes.
In addition, custom conveyor designs, including flighted conveyors for aluminum pans, are available for unique applications.
4. Ease of Maintenance and Operation
One of the top reasons bakeries delay pan cleaner upgrades is concern over complexity. A good system should be straightforward to operate, maintain, and service—especially in facilities with multiple shifts and fast-paced demands.
LeMatic emphasizes straightforward operation and ease of maintenance in its pan cleaning design. The system includes a gear motor–driven power lift, which eliminates the need for compressed air lines and cylinder replacements, reducing long-term maintenance costs and avoiding common failure points.
Simple electrical controls, with 208–230–460 Volt compatibility and 24VDC control voltage, make it easy to integrate into your existing control systems.
5. Customizable Sizes and Configurations
No one-size-fits-all approach works when it comes to pan cleaning. Different pan sizes, conveyor widths, and brush requirements call for multiple configuration options.
LeMatic offers several models of the Dry Bun Pan Cleaner (BM100303 through BM100309), with brush widths ranging from 24″ to 40″ and cabinet widths from 34″ to 50″. This allows the system to handle a wide variety of pan types and sizes while maintaining optimal brush-to-pan contact for effective cleaning.
Available widths include:
- BM100303 – 22″ belt / 24″ brush
- BM100305 – 26″ belt / 30″ brush
- BM100307 – 36″ belt / 38″ brush
- BM100309 – 40″ belt / 40″ brush
This range of options ensures you can choose a system that aligns precisely with your pans and production requirements.
6. Compliance and Durability
Any equipment installed in a food production environment must meet strict safety, sanitation, and electrical standards. When evaluating a pan cleaning system, look for models that offer options for UL, CUL/CSA, and CE compliance.
LeMatic also offers metric sizing, washdown construction, and variable-speed brushes to suit a variety of regulatory and operating conditions.
Built with the heavy-duty materials required for continuous, high-volume use, LeMatic’s pan cleaner is a long-term investment for bakeries seeking to maintain strict food safety standards while minimizing downtime and replacement costs.
Final Thoughts
An effective pan cleaning system is more than a maintenance tool—it’s a critical component of your production line’s efficiency and reliability. By keeping your pans clean, you reduce contamination risk, extend equipment life, and deliver a consistent product your customers can count on.
LeMatic’s Dry Bun Pan Cleaner offers the speed, versatility, and durability needed to support today’s fast-paced baking environments. Whether you’re installing a new line or upgrading an existing one, it delivers a flexible, high-performance solution backed by decades of experience in industrial bakery automation.
Ready to improve your pan cleaning process? Contact LeMatic to discuss the right configuration for your bakery.
