Dough handling device

Dough handling device, comprising:

• a dough sheeting stage,
• for delivering a dough sheet with a predetermined thickness, wherein the predetermined thickness is a maximum of 40 mm, wherein the dough sheeting stage is configured for delivering a dough sheet with thickness and/or density that has a fluctuation of less than 10%, the dough handling device further comprising:
• a controllable dough stretching or condensing stage, for locally stretching or condensing the dough sheet, comprising:
• a first stretching or condensing conveyor belt with a controllable speed, configured for receiving, directly or indirectly, the dough sheet from the dough sheeting stage and transporting said dough sheet in a direction of conveyance, from upstream to downstream;
• a second stretching or condensing conveyor belt with a controllable speed for transporting the dough sheet in said direction of conveyance,
• extending in line with the first stretching or condensing conveyor belt, wherein
• an upstream end of the second stretching or condensing conveyor belt is adjacent to the downstream end of the first stretching or condensing conveyor belt, for taking over dough from the first stretching or condensing conveyor belt to the second stretching or condensing conveyor belt at a stretch-or-condense location, wherein the first and the second stretching or condensing conveyor belt each comprise:
• a mutually adjacent gripping area for gripping the dough sheet such that at least in a part of the gripping area the sheet does not slip with respect to the respective stretching or condensing conveyor belt, which gripping area extends from a first location upstream the downstream end of the first stretching or condensing conveyor belt to a second location downstream the upstream end of the second stretching or condensing conveyor belt,
• the stretch-or-condense location which is at the take-over between the first and the second stretching or condensing conveyor belts;
• wherein
• the dough handling device is configured for not cutting the dough within the gripping area, by comprising a gripping area free of cutting means;
• a controller, for controlling the speed of the first stretching or condensing conveyor belt and/or the second stretching or condensing conveyor belt and/or the relative speed of the first stretching or condensing conveyor belt and the second stretching or condensing conveyor belt and therewith to locally alter the density and/or thickness of the dough sheet at the take-over between the first and the second stretching or condensing conveyor belts.