Interchangeable Moulds for Filled Pasta Shaping
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing automatic machines for making filled pasta face challenges with slow and cumbersome changeovers and cleaning operations, leading to lengthy machine downtimes.
Innovation Solution
A machine with a shaping device featuring interchangeable rollers and moulds for easy product changeovers and maintenance, along with suction and blowing mechanisms for efficient dough handling and filling integration, allowing for rapid production and cleaning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If traditional automatic machines are used for making filled pasta, then production capability is maintained, but changeover time between different products is long and cleaning operations are slow
Solution Approach 1:
The shaping device is divided into separate interchangeable components: moulds that can be detached from the rollers. This segmentation allows the moulds to be quickly removed and replaced without affecting the rollers or other parts of the machine, enabling rapid changeovers between different filled pasta products while maintaining continuous production capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The moulds are designed to be dynamically replaceable - they can be attached to and removed from the rollers during operation or maintenance. This dynamic configuration allows the system to adapt quickly to different product requirements by simply changing the moulds, reducing changeover time while preserving production efficiency.
2Productivity
If traditional automatic machines are used for making filled pasta, then production capability is maintained, but cleaning operations to remove dough residues are lengthy
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the shaping device into separate moulds and rollers, the moulds can be easily detached for cleaning. This allows operators to quickly remove and clean only the moulds where dough residues accumulate, rather than disassembling the entire shaping device, thereby reducing cleaning time while maintaining production capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The moulds can be extracted from the rollers for dedicated cleaning operations. This extraction allows focused cleaning of the critical dough residue areas without affecting the rest of the machine, enabling rapid maintenance and hygiene operations that minimize production downtime.
3Productivity
If traditional automatic machines are used for making filled pasta, then production capability is maintained, but maintenance operations on the shaping device are complex
Solution Approach 1:
The shaping device is segmented into modular components with the moulds as separate, interchangeable units. This segmentation simplifies maintenance operations by allowing technicians to quickly identify, remove, and replace faulty or worn moulds without affecting the rollers or other machine components, thereby reducing maintenance complexity while preserving production capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The interchangeable moulds can be easily discarded when worn or damaged and replaced with new or refurbished ones. This approach simplifies maintenance by avoiding complex repair procedures and allowing quick recovery of production capability through simple component replacement rather than extensive servicing.
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
Facilitates quick changeovers, reduces downtime, and enhances production efficiency by enabling easy cleaning and precise shaping of filled pasta products.
Implementation Method 1
suction and blowing mechanisms for efficient dough handling
Implementation Method 2
suction and blowing mechanisms for efficient dough handling
Data Source
AI summary
A machine for making filled pasta products and which comprises a first feeding device for feeding a first layer of pasta dough and a second feeding device for feeding a second layer of pasta dough; a shaping device for shaping the filled pasta products, located downstream of the first and second feeding devices, with reference to the direction of unrolling the first and second layers of pasta dough; the shaping device includes a first and a second advancing and shaping roller for advancing and shaping the first and the second layer, respectively, each including a respective supporting roller having on its peripheral surface respective moulds for shaping the respective first and second layers of dough and each configured to be assembled to and disassembled from the respective supporting roller.