Confectionery Mass Tempering Quality Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for testing and tempering confectionery masses, such as chocolate, struggle to consistently achieve high-quality tempering, leading to variations in product quality like crisp break, shelf life, and appearance.
Innovation Solution
A method involving continuous extraction of samples from the confectionery mass during tempering, with a computer system calculating the area above or below the temper curve to regulate the tempering process, ensuring consistent energy input for crystallization and solidification.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional tempering testing methods are used with temper curve slope evaluation, then tempering quality can be assessed, but consistent high-quality tempering cannot be achieved across different batches and recipe variations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the measurement parameter from temper curve slope (temper index) to the area between the temper curve and a reference line. This parameter transformation provides more reliable and consistent quality assessment across different batches and recipe variations, resolving the contradiction between reliability and measurement precision.
2Measurement precision
If the tempering process is adjusted to achieve equal temper index values, then the measured temper index is consistent, but product quality characteristics like crisp break, shelf life, and appearance vary
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transforms the evaluation parameter from temper curve slope to the area between the temper curve and reference line. This parameter change reveals the true relationship between tempering process and product quality, ensuring that consistent area values correspond to consistent product characteristics across different batches and recipe variations.
3Ease of manufacture
If conventional tempering control methods are used, then tempering can be performed, but reliable quality control across different production conditions cannot be maintained
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback control system where the area between the temper curve and reference line is measured and used to adjust the tempering process. This feedback mechanism ensures reliable quality control across different production conditions while maintaining ease of manufacture through automated control.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the control parameter from temper index (slope) to area measurement. This parameter transformation provides a more reliable basis for quality control that works consistently across different production conditions, recipe variations, and tempering adjustments.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach provides reliable, comparable values for different batches, ensuring high-quality tempering and consistent product characteristics, such as optimal shelf life and resistance to blooming.
Implementation Method 1
the fat phase must be capable of crystallizing into stable crystal types, such as the βV-crystals developing in genuine cocoa butter
Implementation Method 2
a method for testing and continuous tempering of a liquid, fat-containing, crystallizable confectionery mass, whereby a sample of the mass is extracted from the liquid mass before being tempered, further being cooled, crystallized and solidified
Data Source
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AI summary
Method, apparatus (1) and computer program for testing a liquid, fat-containing, crystallizable confectionery mass. A sample (6) of the mass is extracted, further being cooled, crystallized and solidified, simultaneously providing a temper curve (9). At least part of the size of the area above (9a) or below (9b) the temper curve (9) is calculated, and the actual size of the area calculated is applied as representing the actual energy amount required to cool, crystallize and solidify the particular mass sample (6). The apparatus is a tempermeter (1) comprising a casing (2) having a cooling unit (3) at the top (4) carrying a cup (5) with the mass sample (6). The tempermeter (1) also has a computer unit (7) with a computer program adapted to calculate and provide a temper curve (9) and calculate the size of the area above (9a) or below (9b) the temper curve (9). Hereby is obtained, that the area values (9a or 9b) are directly appliable when comparing different batches of confectionery mass and are directly transferable to the setting and control of a production line control parameters, such as in the cooling control of a tempering apparatus.