Ice-Coated Tray Conveyor for Hygienic Meat Cutting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods of processing meat, fish, or poultry require manual cutting of bulk products on trays, leading to scratched surfaces that are difficult to sanitize, especially when manually sanitized, resulting in biofilm formation and contamination.
Innovation Solution
A tray conveyor system with a track featuring electromagnetic drive coils and a permanent magnet array on the trays, which propels the trays along the track using an electromagnetic flux wave, and includes an ice coating on the trays to isolate products and prevent contamination, with an ice refinisher to remove and reapply the ice coating.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If manual cutting of bulk product on trays is used, then cutting capability is achieved, but tray surface becomes scratched and difficult to sanitize
Solution Approach 1:
An ice coating is applied as an intermediary layer between the cutting tools and the tray surface. This ice layer absorbs the mechanical impact and scratching that would otherwise damage the tray, while remaining easily removable and replaceable to maintain sanitization standards.
Solution Approach 2:
The ice coating is treated as a disposable protective layer that can be easily removed and reapplied. Rather than attempting to maintain and sanitize a permanently scratched tray surface, the system uses inexpensive, easily replaceable ice coatings to protect the underlying tray.
2Reliability
If ice coating is applied to protect tray surface, then sanitization ease is improved, but additional processing steps are required
Solution Approach 1:
The ice coating system is designed to be self-renewing through the ice refinisher, which automatically removes spent ice and applies fresh ice coatings without requiring manual intervention. This automation reduces the perceived complexity by making the process self-sustaining.
Solution Approach 2:
The system discards spent ice coatings and recovers the underlying tray surface, which remains protected and undamaged. The ice layer is continuously discarded and replaced rather than attempting to restore or maintain the tray surface itself.
3Productivity
If electromagnetic drive system is used, then tray conveying is achieved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The traditional mechanical conveyor system with physical contact between moving parts is replaced with an electromagnetic drive system. This substitution eliminates mechanical wear and friction while providing precise control of tray movement through magnetic fields generated by electromagnetic coils.
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 system efficiently processes products while maintaining tray hygiene by isolating products with an ice coating, reducing contamination risks, and allowing for easy sanitization of the trays, thereby improving processing efficiency and hygiene.
Implementation Method 1
a track having an array of electromagnetic drive coils extending along the length of the track and a coil driver driving the drive coils to produce an electromagnetic flux wave that travels along the length of the track
Implementation Method 2
A permanent magnet array between the top and the bottom produces a magnetic field that interacts with the traveling electromagnetic flux wave to produce a force that propels the tray along the track
Implementation Method 3
A permanent magnet array between the top and the bottom produces a magnetic field that interacts with the traveling electromagnetic flux wave to produce a force that propels the tray along the track
Implementation Method 4
An ice coating covers at least the top of the tray. Products sit atop the ice coating on the top when the products are undergoing the process
Implementation Method 5
a freezer producing an ice cover and a cover applicator on the conveying path depositing the ice cover on the top of the tray to form the ice coating
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~5
Figure 6~8
AI summary
A tray conveyor comprising ice-coated magnetic trays driven by a linear-motor stator along a rail track. The ice coating is applied to the trays to provide a product-bearing ice surface. After the product is processed and transferred off the tray, the top layer of the contaminated ice coating is removed and the tray with the remaining ice coating reused.