Originally published by Baking & Snack - Aug 18, 2026
Andres Lopez didn’t expect to join the baking industry when he began his career as an engineer, but he’s glad he did.
“I’ve always loved food and grew up surrounded by restaurants, kitchens and supermarkets, so stepping into the industry behind the products I’ve always enjoyed felt natural,” he said. “Being part of the process that creates the foods I’ve loved since childhood is what ultimately drew me into baking.”
Lopez graduated from California State University Northridge with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering. He began as an engineer but transitioned into a hybrid technical sales role where he found his passion for working directly with customers. Today he serves as Handtmann’s business development manager for bakery, guiding the growth of the bakery division while helping bakers modernize their operations.
“I’m proud of the projects where I’ve helped teams transition from manual or semi‑automatic methods to more efficient, consistent automated systems,” Lopez said. “Seeing customers improving accuracy, reducing waste and expanding their product lines because of solutions I helped guide is incredibly rewarding.”
Some of the leading advancements in technology that Lopez is introducing to bakeries include precision dough handling, adaptive dough scaling and real-time process control.
“Systems are getting much better at moving dough gently, maintaining consistent weights and adjusting automatically as dough conditions change via smarter sensors, cleaner designs and more flexible equipment,” he explained.
As bakers struggle with a lack of labor, rising operating costs and more, these systems have only become more critical.
“Many bakeries are addressing these issues through smarter automation, better process control and equipment that reduces manual handling,” Lopez said. “There’s also a strong push toward cleaner, more efficient designs that cut waste and simplify sanitation. Altogether, these improvements help bakeries stay productive, control costs and keep quality steady even with tighter resources.”
Here, Lopez highlights advancements in precision dough handling and dividing, sharing how bakers are enhancing product quality, consistency and line flexibility with these technologies.
Precise handling keeps dough structure, weight and texture consistent, which matters more than ever as consumers expect “artisan” quality delivered at scale. Today’s products increasingly rely on functional ingredients, which are significantly more expensive than traditional components. The ability to precisely control ingredient weights helps prevent waste, reducing giveaway and delivering substantial cost savings for bakeries. Evolving consumer trends, such as the demand for clean label formulations, also shift the dynamic of product development. In many cases, the product’s requirements now drive the technology, rather than the technology dictating the product as it often did in the past.
Dough shifts with temperature, hydration and fermentation, and those changes can cause batch-to-batch inconsistencies, weight drift or misshapen pieces that slow production and hurt quality. Dough variability and equipment limitations don’t just affect accuracy, they directly impact a bakery’s ability to deliver consistent, high‑quality products. When scaling precision slips, even slightly, those inconsistencies compound as production continues. What starts as a minor deviation can quickly escalate into excessive waste, reduced throughput or full line stoppages that become increasingly expensive with every minute lost. For premium and artisan products, the challenge is even greater. Achieving tight accuracy while preserving handcrafted quality is a delicate balance, and any compromise shows up immediately in the final product. A misshapen loaf, uneven crumb or off‑texture isn’t just a defect — it’s a direct hit to a brand’s reputation. In the high‑end market, consumers expect perfection, and one poor visual impression can undo years of brand trust.
Low‑stress dough handling, like the vane cell technology that Handtmann uses, and servo‑controlled components now guide dough gently and preserve its structure, quality and accuracy far better than many older mechanical dividers. Vane cell technology gives bakeries a powerful edge by combining gentle dough handling with exceptional scaling accuracy. This unique capability not only protects dough structure and quality but also expands the range of dough types that can be processed consistently. Because the system is inherently more tolerant of normal batch‑to‑batch variation, bakeries gain far greater control over their process without sacrificing product integrity. Traditional systems are often engineered around a single product, making changeovers slow, restrictive and costly. In contrast, Handtmann’s modular design delivers multi‑functionality by integrating a wide range of attachments to handle doughs, batters and fillings. This flexibility empowers bakeries to meet diverse production needs, innovate faster and adapt to market demands without compromising efficiency or quality.
This gentler approach protects dough structure and therefore the final crumb and volume, boosts line efficiency, and gives bakers confidence to run premium doughs without compromising quality. A gentler handling system is essential for protecting the quality and authenticity of artisanal products. In the past, formulations were often engineered around the limitations of the equipment. But with today’s clean label expectations, consumers are no longer willing to accept products loaded with conditioners designed to compensate for aggressive processing. By using a gentle dough‑handling technology like the vane cell system, bakeries can process cleaner, simpler doughs without overworking them. This not only preserves structure and flavor but also reduces the need for chemical conditioning agents. The result is a powerful opportunity for bakers: the ability to scale and automate production while still delivering products that look and feel genuinely artisan, which is exactly what modern consumers are seeking.
Real‑time sensors, continuous speed control and adaptive scaling have made portioning far more accurate, even as dough characteristics change throughout the day. Beyond its gentle dough handling, the vane cell system is fundamentally volumetric technology. Each cell has a precisely defined volume, which is why Handtmann equipment consistently achieves portioning accuracy within 1% or as tight as 1 gram of target. For multi‑lane production, Handtmann extends this precision even further with lane‑to‑lane control, ensuring every lane delivers the same high level of accuracy critical for high‑speed, high‑value operations. Another innovation is Handtmann’s inline smart scale. It automatically checks every portion and rejects anything outside the baker’s defined tolerance. When enough deviations occur, the system initiates a continuous feedback loop that autocorrects the divider back to target in real time. All of this happens without stopping the line, giving bakeries unprecedented control, consistency and efficiency. It’s a powerful combination: precision, automation and uninterrupted production working together to protect product quality and reduce waste.
Increased precision reduces giveaway, minimizes premium ingredient waste and delivers a more uniform product that strengthens brand quality. The bakery sector has long benefited from relatively low ingredient costs, but that reality has changed. With the rising demand for functional ingredients and clean label formulations, bakers now face shrinking margins and increasing pressure to produce more complex products on equipment that was never designed for them. Many operations are caught between maintaining product quality and controlling costs, with very little room for error. In this environment, precision isn’t optional, it’s the foundation of cost control. The tighter the accuracy, the more predictable the margins, especially for today’s high‑value, ingredient‑sensitive products. When that precision is paired with Handtmann’s modular, scalable solutions, bakeries gain the flexibility to run high‑volume production with confidence. The result is a system that adapts to modern product demands, protects profitability and delivers consistent performance day after day.
Handtmann systems are designed to pivot with ease, using modular parts and broad processing ranges so they can handle a range of dough types and then pivot to depositing batters and fillings or even forming cookies and bars by swapping modular components. Flexibility has become essential to a bakery’s success. In the past, manufacturers often hired full engineering teams to design production lines custom‑built around a single product. That model is no longer practical or affordable. Today’s bakeries need modular, adaptable systems that can handle far more than one or two high‑volume items, especially as most operations produce a wide range of goods from rolls and cookies to breads and cakes. Many of the fastest‑growing bakeries are homegrown businesses without the budget for large engineering departments. They’re looking for equipment that is simple to operate, easy to reconfigure and capable of performing multiple functions without complexity or downtime. Imagine one system that can divide dough, deposit batter and form cookies — all with the same core platform. That level of versatility is exactly what Handtmann delivers. With a modular design built for multi‑functionality, Handtmann gives bakeries the freedom to innovate, expand and adapt without investing in separate machines for every product.
A popular and growing dough ball producer transitioning from a semi‑automatic setup found that inconsistent weights and frequent manual corrections were limiting both quality and throughput. After moving to a fully automated dough ball solution with integrated weight control, they stabilized accuracy, reduced rework and unlocked enough efficiency to boost volume and take on new customers without expanding their labor force. This baker also had quite a cult following and their sauce was very popular. The newfound efficiency freed up a lot of time that used to be for manual weighing and rounding, they are now also depositing their homemade sauce in jars for individual retail sale. All with the same Handtmann core solution.
The next wave will bring smarter, self‑adjusting systems that read dough behavior automatically, giving bakers higher yields, steadier quality and more room to innovate. The future baker demands flexibility, control and real‑time visibility across their entire production process. As automation advances, it’s easy to imagine AI‑driven systems that continuously monitor, adjust and optimize fully autonomous bakeries. But even with these technological leaps, one truth remains: Dough is alive, and working with it is as much an art as it is a science. Clean label, good‑for‑you products only amplify this challenge. They require gentle handling, minimal additives, and precise control — conditions that traditional automation often struggles to meet. The real test for future technology is not simply automating production; it’s doing so while preserving the artisan look, texture and quality that consumers expect. Scaling clean label products without sacrificing authenticity is where the next generation of bakery innovation must excel.
This article was accompanied by a video interview hosted by Baking & Snack @ bakingbusiness.com
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