Dough Sheeter Electric Motors

A dough sheeter thins dough by passing it again and again between two rollers until it reaches the required thickness. Its electric motor has two jobs: it turns the rollers and it drives the reversing belts that carry the dough to them. Maker data sheets list 0.37–0.55 kW for bench models and 0.6–1.8 kW for floor-standing bakery machines; on an industrial laminating line the sum of many drives can reach 27 kW. This page explains which motor works where on bakery, filo and laminating machines, and which part can be covered by a standard three-phase motor.

DRG Motor is a manufacturer, supplier and seller of electric motors. We do not sell the sheeter itself, its rollers, belts, gearboxes or inverters; servo drives and control boards of electronic machines are not in our range either. What we supply are the points where the machine uses a standard IEC-frame three-phase induction motor. Models are listed on Buy Electric Motors Online.

What does the motor move on a dough sheeter?

A classic machine has two parallel rollers in the middle, a folding table on each side and an endless belt on each table. The baker puts the dough on one belt; the belt pushes it into the roller gap, the dough gets thinner and passes onto the opposite belt. The direction is reversed and the pass repeated, with the gap closed a little more each time.

Roller drive

The rollers usually turn together from one motor through belts and gears. The squeezing force comes from the rollers; stiff, lean or cold dough raises the torque needed. Roller gap is set by motor on electronic machines and by lever on simple ones; one catalogue gives 0.2–45 mm, another 0.2–65 mm.

Reversing belts and change of direction

The belts change direction on every pass. On a simple machine this is done with a lever or foot pedal acting on contactors that reverse the motor; on a three-phase motor swapping two phases is enough. See our forward-reverse wiring article for the contactor layout. Frequent reversing warms the motor, so correct control matters as much as rating.

Bakery, filo and laminating machines compared

They share a name, but the three groups differ as far as the motor is concerned. Getting this right decides from the start what replaces the old motor.

Bench and floor bakery sheeters

Bench models serve small workshops and most run on a single-phase supply. Floor models usually take 400 V three-phase. The fourth maker’s 600 mm machine has two speeds: at low speed the infeed belt runs at 11.5 and the outfeed at 21.4 m/min; at high speed 24.4 and 42.7 m/min. Machine power is given as 0.6–1.1 kW depending on speed; the data sheet does not say whether the two speeds come from a stepped drive or a two-speed motor. That has to be read from the motor plate.

Filo and baklava pastry sheeters

Filo machines roll dough very thin, with long rollers and wide tables. The third maker’s two- and three-roller horizontal machines run on a 0.55 kW single-phase motor. On filo automats some makers move the roller up and down with a servo; a servo axis is outside our range, and we cover only the main drive when it is a standard motor.

Industrial laminating line

On croissant and puff pastry lines the dough band flows without a break: feeding, fat lamination, multi-roller stations and belts follow one another. The seventh maker’s 600 mm line has 27 kW in total. That is the sum of dozens of drives, not one motor. Each station has its own plate; which motors on the line are standard IEC and which are servo or special geared units has to be checked one by one.

How many kW is a dough sheeter motor? Catalogue values

A) Sheeter ratings as printed by their makers:

For this group of machines, depending on model and belt width, a single machine draws roughly 0.37–1.8 kW, while a laminating line totals 27 kW. On electronic machines the figure is a “rated power”, not the plate rating of a single motor.

B) Where DRG fits: three-phase machine motors of 0.37–1.5 kW are met by our 4-pole models in frames 71, 80 and 90. Single-phase bench motors, servo and integrated-drive units on electronic machines and special units of laminating lines are outside our range. Where a laminating line uses IEC-frame belt and roller motors, each is chosen separately against its plate values.

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Worked example: roller speed and speed range

The fifth maker’s catalogue gives a 99 mm roller and 10–130 cm/s sheeting speed. From these we can work out the roller speed needed and the ratio obtained with the 1,420 rpm DRG-802-4; the fourth maker’s belt speeds are added alongside:

The outcome is clear: a 13-fold speed span cannot be had from a fixed pulley or gearbox. Machines that need a wide range therefore use either an inverter or a machine-specific electronic drive. Our standard motor can run on an inverter; at very low frequency its own fan slows down, so long periods at low speed call for attention to cooling. The outfeed belt running about 1.86 times faster than the infeed simply follows from the thinning: when thickness halves, the belt has to speed up to carry the same dough. Try ratios with our gearbox output speed tool.

Motor position, single-phase and items outside our range

On a dough sheeter the motor sits in the closed drive compartment under the roller housing. Flour and dough must not fall into it; the motor belongs outside the product-contact zone, separated by a cover. Tables and belts are wiped with a damp cloth; no pressure jet is aimed at the drive compartment. If a wet, heavily washed area calls for a motor with a stainless housing, that product is not in our range; please ask us.

Single-phase machines

Most bench machines come with a single-phase motor. We do not offer single-phase motors. Where the building has three phases, moving to a three-phase motor means changing the machine’s switch and panel too, and a qualified electrician should do it. Our three-phase and single-phase motors article explains the details.

Brake and safety

Stopping the motor when the guard grid is lifted is the machine’s safety circuit; data sheets state that the motor stops if the grid is raised. A brake motor is not in our range; where fast stopping is wanted it is handled by the machine’s own brake or control arrangement.

DRG motors for dough sheeters

Our 4-pole models for roller and belt drives (current at 400 V):

For a sheeter, the small end of our range is what counts: aluminium bodies start at 0.25 kW (up to 11 kW), cast iron runs from 0.55 to 355 kW, every unit three-phase IEC, IP55, in 2, 4 or 6 poles. When a sheeter motor fails, read its plate first: kW, rpm, voltage with star or delta link, shaft size and key, feet or flange, and how the roller pulley or gear is fixed. We check those readings against the sheeter manual with you, and without them no replacement is called a match.

B5 dimensions for small flange motors

B5 values of the small frames that bolt to a gearbox or machine body, mm:

On a flange fit, D, E and spigot diameter N must match exactly. Feet, centre height and bolt holes are drawn on our technical drawings page.

Live price table

Prices of our models in dough sheeter ratings come live from the shop:

DRG MOTOR motors are guaranteed against material and manufacturing defects for 2 years from the delivery date (warranty certificate).

Motors in this power range

• DRG-801-4 – 0.55 kW – 1400 rpm – 80 cast iron
• DRG-802-4 – 0.75 kW – 1420 rpm – 80 cast iron
• DRG-90S-4 – 1.1 kW – 1445 rpm – 90S cast iron
• DRG-90L-4 – 1.5 kW – 1445 rpm – 90L cast iron

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Browse the products, ask for a quote: compare motors for your sheeter on Buy Electric Motors Online. A WhatsApp photo of the plate plus the roller-side pulley is a good start; on +90 (542) 666 11 11 just tell us how wide the belts are and whether the sheeter is bench or floor type.

Frequently asked questions

Can a larger motor be fitted to a dough sheeter?

Roller bearings, gears and belt must carry the new torque; the machine maker’s data shows this. Panel and protection change with the new rating too.

Why does a dough sheeter motor run hot?

Frequent reversing, cold and stiff dough, a slack belt and flour dust collected in the drive compartment are the usual causes.

What does a dough sheeter motor price depend on?

Rating, pole count and frame type; the table above shows the current figure.

More help: +90 (542) 666 11 11 · info@drgmotor.com · our contact page.