Dough Line Sensor-Controlled Flour Sifter for Sticking Prevention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing dough processing lines face issues with dough sticking to conveyors and rolls, often requiring excessive flour application to prevent sticking, which leads to inefficiencies and waste, especially at the beginning of new dough sheets.
Innovation Solution
A dough line equipped with sensors to detect the beginning of a dough piece and controllable flour sifters that apply a higher amount of flour only temporarily and where necessary, reducing flour usage and ensuring consistent application.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If flour is continuously applied to prevent sticking, then sticking problems are solved, but flour waste increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies a higher amount of flour in advance only at the beginning of a new dough sheet where sticking problems occur, rather than continuously applying flour throughout the entire dough sheet. This preliminary action prevents sticking at the critical moment while avoiding unnecessary flour application on subsequent portions of the dough sheet.
Solution Approach 2:
The flour application operates periodically based on sensor detection of new dough sheet beginnings, switching between high-flour mode (when dough is detected) and low-flour mode (when no dough is detected). This periodic action aligns flour application with actual need, eliminating continuous waste.
2Reliability
If excessive flour is applied to prevent sticking, then sticking problems are solved, but dough composition consistency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies different amounts of flour to different portions of the dough sheet - a higher amount at the beginning where sticking occurs and a lower amount on the rest of the sheet. This local differentiation ensures sticking prevention exactly where needed while maintaining consistent dough composition in the final product.
Solution Approach 2:
Extra flour is applied preliminarily only at the start of the dough sheet where sticking problems occur, allowing the dough to gain sufficient flour for non-sticking properties before entering the processing line, while avoiding excessive flour accumulation that would affect final dough composition.
3Reliability
If flour is applied continuously on conveyor, then sticking is prevented, but flour usage efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses a sensor to detect the presence of dough on the conveyor and provides feedback to the controller, which adjusts flour application accordingly. When dough is detected, high-flour mode is activated; when no dough is detected, low-flour mode is activated. This feedback mechanism ensures flour is applied only when necessary, maximizing usage efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The flour application rate is made dynamic rather than static, automatically adjusting between high and low amounts based on real-time detection of dough presence. This dynamic adjustment ensures optimal flour usage efficiency by matching application rate to actual processing needs.
Data Source
AI summary
The present specification relates to a dough line for processing dough, specifically sheeted dough, having a conveyor, for conveying the dough, a sensor, for detecting the beginning of a dough piece at a detection point in the dough line, a controllable flour sifter, arranged above the conveyor, for depositing flour on the conveyor or on dough on the conveyor, a controller, for controlling the amount of flour deposited by the flour sifter based on the sensor signal, wherein the controller is configured for disabling the flour sifter when there is no dough piece on or to be placed on the conveyor at the location of the flour sifter, enabling the flour sifter to deposit a first amount of flour per amount of displacement of the conveyor when there is a dough piece on or to be placed on the conveyor at the location of the flour sifter.