Fish Processing Freeze Drum Pressure Roller
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fish processing machines with freeze drums face issues in maintaining a strong ice-connection between the fish fillet and the freeze drum, especially when feeding with the thick head end, leading to white frost formation and reduced contact efficiency during processes like pin bone removal.
Innovation Solution
A fish processing machine equipped with a pressure roller at the feeding area that forces the fillet against the rotating freeze drum using adjustable pneumatic actuators, ensuring immediate and stable contact by preventing lift-off and optimizing ice-connection through a soft, flexible pressure roller with a smooth silicon shell and foam rubber core.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the fish fillet is fed on to the freeze drum with the thick head end first, then the processing efficiency for pin bone removal is improved, but the contact between the fillet and freeze drum is insufficient leading to white frost formation and reduced ice-connection strength
Solution Approach 1:
A pressure roller is introduced as an intermediary device between the conveyor belt and the freeze drum. This pressure roller applies localized force to push the fish fillet against the freeze drum surface, ensuring adequate contact pressure and preventing white frost formation, thereby resolving the contradiction between processing efficiency and ice-connection strength
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the physical parameter of contact pressure by introducing a pressure roller that can apply variable force to the fillet. This parameter change ensures that even when feeding with the thick head end first, sufficient contact pressure is maintained to prevent white frost and ensure strong ice-connection
2Ease of operation
If the fish fillet is lifted from the freeze drum before fix-freezing, then the processing flexibility is improved, but white frost forms on the freeze drum reducing the ice-connection strength
Solution Approach 1:
The pressure roller applies preliminary counteracting force to prevent the fillet from lifting off the freeze drum surface before fix-freezing occurs. This preliminary anti-action counteracts the lifting tendency and maintains continuous contact, preventing white frost formation while allowing processing flexibility
3Reliability
If a pressure roller is introduced to force the fillet against the freeze drum, then the ice-connection strength is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The pressure roller is actuated using pneumatic or hydraulic actuators, which provide adjustable and controllable force application. This allows the system to achieve reliable ice-connection through controlled pressure application while keeping the actuation mechanism relatively simple and easily adjustable
Solution Approach 2:
The pressure roller uses a flexible shell design that can conform to the freeze drum surface and distribute pressure evenly. This flexible design simplifies the overall structure compared to rigid pressing mechanisms while maintaining effective contact pressure for strong ice-connection
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 establishes a strong and stable ice-connection between the fish fillet and the freeze drum, preventing white frost and ensuring efficient processing by maintaining consistent contact, even with fillets of varying thickness and stiffness.
Implementation Method 1
the freeze drum... is arranged to be able to receive a fish fillet... while the freeze drum is rotating... and where the freeze drum, by means of fix-freezing, is arranged to be able to hold the fish fillet in a fixed position
Implementation Method 2
a pressure roller, arranged to force the fillet against the freeze drum shell, is arranged at the feeding area
Implementation Method 3
to achieve a strong ice-connection between them... by means of fix-freezing, is arranged to be able to hold the fish fillet in a fixed position
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
A fish processing machine comprising a freeze drum where the freeze drum is designed to be able to receive a fish fillet being fed on to the freeze drum at a feeding area while the freeze drum rotates about its own rotational axis, and where the freeze drum by fixedly freezing is arranged to hold the fish fillet in a fixed position relative to the freeze drum, and where a pressure roller arranged to force the fish fillet against the freeze drum shell is arranged at the feeding area.