Elastic Tubular Food Casing with Reactive Hot-Melt Seam
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing tubular food casings face issues with high production costs, limited caliber flexibility, incomplete coatings, and seam weaknesses, particularly under hot water conditions, which lead to failures in modern industrial sausage production.
Innovation Solution
A tubular food casing with a glued longitudinal seam produced using a reactive moisture-hardening polyurethane hot-melt adhesive, providing a permanently elastic and boil-proof seam, combined with a coated sheet-like fiber material that maintains mechanical resilience and smoke permeability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If conventional hot-melt adhesives are used for the longitudinal seam, then the casing can be manufactured with a sealed seam, but the seam strength decreases considerably under hot water conditions leading to bursting failures
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical parameters of the adhesive by using reactive polyurethane hot-melt adhesive instead of conventional hot-melt adhesive. This reactive adhesive undergoes chemical reaction with moisture to form a cross-linked gel structure, fundamentally changing its thermal and mechanical properties to maintain strength under hot water conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite adhesive system where polyurethane hot-melt adhesive forms a gel structure through reaction with moisture. This composite gel structure combines the initial hot-melt bonding capability with the structural integrity of cross-linked polyurethane, providing both sealing and high temperature water resistance.
2Object-generated harmful factors
If acrylate-coated textile skins are used, then the casing achieves permeability to water vapor and gas for smoking, but the coating adhesion is incomplete and the longitudinal seam strength is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the adhesive type from conventional hot-melt to reactive polyurethane hot-melt adhesive, which undergoes chemical transformation upon contact with moisture. This parameter change enables the adhesive to form strong chemical bonds with the textile substrate, achieving complete coating adhesion and high seam strength simultaneously.
3Reliability
If cellulose fibrous casings are produced using viscose or amine oxide process, then a seamless casing can be obtained, but the production cost becomes very expensive
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the casing into two functional parts: an inexpensive textile carrier material providing structural integrity and a thin acrylate coating providing the required permeability and surface properties. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function efficiently while reducing overall production cost compared to seamless cellulose processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite structure combining textile material with acrylate coating. The textile base provides mechanical strength and structural integrity at low cost, while the acrylate layer provides the necessary permeability characteristics. This composite approach achieves reliable casing performance at lower production cost than seamless cellulose processes.
4Adaptability or versatility
If the casing diameter is predetermined by the annular nozzle gap, then the viscose or amine oxide process can produce a seamless casing, but only one caliber can be produced for each nozzle causing conversion downtime for different calibers
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a segmented manufacturing approach where the casing is formed from a flat coated textile material that is later joined into a tube. This segmentation allows the flat material to be produced in standard widths and then configured into different caliber tubes through the longitudinal seam, enabling quick caliber changes without nozzle conversions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces dynamic flexibility to the manufacturing system by using a adaptable joining process for the longitudinal seam. The reactive hot-melt adhesive system can accommodate different tube diameters and material widths, allowing the production line to dynamically switch between calibers by simply changing the flat material width rather than converting fixed nozzle configurations.
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
The solution results in a casing with enhanced seam strength, elasticity, and uniform properties across the circumference, capable of withstanding the demands of modern industrial sausage production without bursting, while maintaining the advantages of textile casings in terms of look and feel.
Implementation Method 1
a reactive moisture-hardening polyurethane hot-melt adhesive
Implementation Method 2
The seam is produced with a reactive hot-melt adhesive
Implementation Method 3
The longitudinal seam should withstand the increased demands of modern industrial sausage production
Implementation Method 4
A tubular food casing with internal reinforcement and a glued longitudinal seam
Data Source
AI summary
Described is a tubular food casing with a bonded, permanently elastic longitudinal seam based on a sheet-like fiber material coated with acrylate, collagen, and/or a protein derivative thereof. The seam is created using a reactive hot-melt adhesive. The adhesive seam is resistant to boiling for extended periods and retains sufficient stability even after boiling. The insert is preferably a textile material, a bonded nonwoven or spunbond nonwoven, a woven, knitted, or non-woven fabric, or a fiber paper. It is coated in its flat state. The coated longitudinal strip is cut into sheets according to the diameter of the casing to be produced and bonded into a tube using a PUR hot-melt adhesive. The food casing is preferably used as an artificial sausage casing or for wrapping cheese or fish.