Continuous Mini Corndog Production Line for Battered Frank Products
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Solution Overview
Problem
The traditional process for producing battered frank products like mini corndogs involves multiple production steps and cannot be efficiently carried out on a single, continuous-flow production line, due to the difficulty in replicating the texture and shape of these products using existing commercial food processing equipment.
Innovation Solution
A continuous process for producing fully cooked, cured, and battered frank products on a single production line, involving steps such as mixing raw frank meat with curing agents and water, portioning and shaping, battering, par frying, and full cooking, all carried out in a continuous manner.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If traditional multi-step production process is used for battered frank products, then the desired texture and shape can be achieved, but the production efficiency is low and multiple separate equipment are needed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple separate production steps (mixing, portioning, shaping, battering, par-frying, and full cooking) into a single continuous production line where all operations are performed sequentially in one integrated system, eliminating the need for multiple separate equipment and manual transfer between stations
Solution Approach 2:
The production process operates continuously with meat mixture being constantly fed through the system, portioned and shaped on a continuous basis, battered without interruption, and cooked in sequence through par-frying and full cooking zones, maintaining uninterrupted production flow throughout the entire line
2Manufacturing precision
If commercial food processing equipment for continuous-flow production is used, then production efficiency improves, but the texture and shape of battered frank products cannot be replicated
Solution Approach 1:
The continuous production line is divided into distinct functional zones (mixing section, portioning and shaping section, battering section, par-frying section, and full cooking section), with each zone performing a specific operation to ensure proper texture and shape development at each stage while maintaining continuous flow
Solution Approach 2:
The meat mixture is portioned and shaped into frank product forms before battering and cooking, establishing the desired texture and shape early in the process when the material is still pliable, ensuring proper product formation before subsequent cooking steps alter the physical properties
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 process streamlines the production of battered frank products, allowing them to be efficiently made on a single production line while maintaining the desired texture, shape, and quality, including crispiness that remains even after freezing and reheating.
Implementation Method 1
par frying the raw, battered, portioned and shaped frank meat pieces to set the batter on the pieces
Implementation Method 2
fully cooking the par fried, battered, portioned and shaped frank meat pieces
Data Source
AI summary
A process for continuously producing a plurality of fully cooked, cured and battered frank products such as mini corndogs on a single production line is provided. The process comprises fully cooking the frank products after they have been battered.