Pizza sauce shower head depositor alternatives

How does a shower head depositor work on a pizza line?

A photo eye detects the base and signals the pump when to deposit. The sauce then leaves through an insert, the shower head itself. The number of holes, the hole spacing and the hole diameter are chosen for that sauce. The pattern on the base depends on that insert, and on air pressure, sauce viscosity, temperature and deposit weight.

Where does a shower head reach its limit?

The hole pattern has one shape, and it does not change from one base to the next. Pizza bases are never perfectly in position or perfectly in shape, so the pattern and the base do not fully match.

Off-centre or rotated bases: The photo eye tells the pump when to deposit. The holes stay where they are, so a base lying to one side gets a bare edge on one side and sauce over the edge on the other.
Bases that vary: On a smaller or less round base, sauce lands past the edge. On a larger base, the free rim is wider than you want.
Another shape or size: A different pattern asks for a different insert and new settings.
Sauce off the base: What misses the base lands on the belt. You lose that sauce, and the belt has to be cleaned.

How does FoodJet solve this on a pizza line?

Vision measures the position, shape and orientation of each base. The industrial PC turns that into a drop map for that one base, and each nozzle deposits on demand.

No alignment needed: A base may arrive off-centre or rotated. The deposit goes to where the base actually is.
A free rim you set: The sauce follows the measured outline of each base, up to the free rim you set in the recipe.
A pattern in software: A full layer, a ring or another shape is a recipe upload rather than a mechanical change-over.
No sauce on the wrong base: A base that is too large, too small or too oval gets no sauce, which prevents problems further down the line. A gap in the line gets no sauce either: no product, no deposit.
Sauce on the base, not on the belt: Each nozzle opens only above a base, so the sauce you pay for ends up on your pizza. You buy less sauce, and your line needs less cleaning.
Smooth or chunky: The depositing head is matched to your sauce, so larger pieces pass through without blocking.

Pizza sauce depositor

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Shower head and FoodJet depositor compared

	Shower head	FoodJet depositor
Where the pattern comes from	The holes in the insert	The recipe, per base
Off-centre or rotated base	The pattern stays in place	The deposit follows the base
Base that varies in size or shape	Same pattern on each base	Pattern follows the measured outline
Free rim	Set by the insert	Set in the recipe
Sauce on the belt	Beside every off-centre or smaller base	Only an occasional drop
New pattern or size	Different insert and settings	Recipe upload
Base too large, too small or too oval	Still gets the pattern	No sauce
Cleaning	Insert comes out and is cleaned	Rinse program, no dismantling

What are the alternatives to a shower head on a pizza line?

Waterfall: A continuous layer of sauce across the belt. Full coverage, but also sauce on the belt and no free rim.
Spot or piston depositor: A set volume in a set shape and position. A base that lies differently gets sauce on the edge or beside it.
Vision-guided nozzles: The deposit is calculated for each base. This is what a FoodJet depositor does.

All depositing alternatives

Frequently asked questions about shower head alternatives

Replacing a pizza sauce applicator or shower head?

Vision measures the position, shape and orientation of each base. The deposit goes to where the base actually is. The sauce follows the measured outline of each base, up to the free rim you set in the recipe. A new pattern or size is a recipe upload instead of a different insert.

Can a shower head follow an irregular pizza base?

No. You can choose an insert for a shape, but each base on the belt then gets that same pattern. With vision-guided depositing the pattern follows the measured outline of each individual base.

Do pizza bases have to be aligned on a FoodJet depositor?

No. Vision recognises where every base sits and the nozzles deposit there, also when bases arrive off-centre or rotated.

What happens to a pizza base that is out of spec?

It gets no sauce. A base that is too large, too small or too oval passes without a deposit, and so does a gap in the line. That prevents problems further down the line.

Can a FoodJet depositor run chunky pizza sauce?

Yes. The nozzle and dosing are matched to your sauce and to any inclusions. Tell us the sauce and we match the depositing head to it.

How long does it take to clean a FoodJet depositor?

In most cases around thirty minutes, without dismantling the machine. Read more about hygiene and cleaning.

Do I have to replace my pizza line?

No. FoodJet specialises in the depositing step. The depositor adapts to your line, and the rest of your line stays in place. You can work out your capacity with four numbers.

Test it with your own sauce and bases

Tell us which shower head setup you run today and on which pizzas. We will show you what changes on your line.

Request a trial

Every FoodJet system is configured and quoted to fit your line and your requirements.

Request a trial

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