High volume branding system

A high volume branding system for branding baked goods comprising:

• a branding conveyor for receiving the baked goods and conveying the pans downstream along the conveyor;
• a branding press being configured to travel downstream along the branding conveyor in a first direction and upstream in a second direction;
• the branding press configured to align a branding press head with the baked goods located on the branding conveyor while the baked goods are moving downstream along the branding conveyor;
• the branding press each includes a branding press head and a branding plate that is heated and lowered with the branding press head onto the baked goods while the branding press is moving downstream along the conveyor to brand indicia onto the baked goods;
• wherein when the indicia is branded onto the baked goods, the branding press heads and branding plates are raised and the shuttle is moved in the second direction to align the branding press heads and branding plates with another number of unbranded baked goods on the branding conveyor.

A high volume branding system for branding baked goods comprising:

• a metering conveyor for receiving the baked goods and conveying the pans downstream;
• a branding conveyor downstream from the metering conveyor, the branding conveyor configured to receive the pans from the metering conveyor and conveying the pans downstream;
• a plurality of branding presses, each having a branding press head, the branding presses being configured to travel downstream along the branding conveyor in a first direction and upstream against the direction of the branding conveyor in a second direction;
• the branding presses are configured to align the branding press heads with a corresponding number of the baked goods located on the branding conveyor while the pans are moving downstream along the branding conveyor;
• the branding press heads are configured to be lowered onto the baked goods while the branding presses are moving downstream in sync with the baked goods along the branding conveyor to apply indicia onto the baked goods;
• wherein when the indicia is branded onto the baked goods, the branding press heads are raised off of the baked goods and the branding presses are moved in the second direction to align the branding press heads with another number of baked goods on the branding conveyor.