Rotary Molding System Air Removal and Ejection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing food patty molding machines face issues with excess shrinkage or distortion during cooking, inconsistent filling, air entrapment leading to non-uniform products, and inefficient ejection processes, which affect the quality and uniformity of molded food products.
Innovation Solution
A rotary molding system with a feed pump, pump accumulator, and air discharge region to ensure consistent filling and air removal, along with a knock-out mechanism for efficient ejection, and a heating system to prevent product buildup, while allowing for interchangeable parts and smart tagging for correct component usage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If the mold cavity is filled under high pressure to ensure complete and consistent filling, then the filling completeness is improved, but air entrapment increases leading to non-uniform products
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies vacuum pressure to the mold cavity before filling to remove air, and then fills the cavity with food product. This preliminary air removal action prevents air entrapment that would otherwise occur during high-pressure filling, allowing complete and consistent filling without trapping air bubbles that cause non-uniform products.
Solution Approach 2:
The molding process uses periodic pressure changes - first applying vacuum to remove air, then switching to positive pressure for filling, and finally applying fixing pressure to consolidate the product. These periodic pressure variations enable complete filling while systematically removing air at the appropriate stage, preventing air entrapment issues.
2Manufacturing precision
If air is removed from the mold cavity prior to filling to prevent air entrapment, then product uniformity is improved, but the process complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system combines the air removal function and the filling function into a single integrated mold cavity structure. The vacuum port and fill port are both located on the same mold cavity, allowing the cavity to serve dual purposes - first as a vacuum chamber for air removal, then as a receiving chamber for filling. This merging eliminates the need for separate air removal and filling apparatus, reducing overall system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The mold cavity is designed with multi-functionality - it serves as both the vacuum chamber for air removal and the filling chamber for receiving food product. The same cavity structure performs multiple operations in sequence, eliminating the need for separate dedicated components for each function, thereby simplifying the overall device while maintaining product uniformity.
3Productivity
If a rotary die with porous bottom walls is used to assist product removal with air flow, then the ejection efficiency is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts the air ejection function from the mold cavity structure by providing a separate air source that delivers pressurized air to the cavity bottom. Instead of relying on the cavity structure itself to provide ejection assistance, the air delivery mechanism is taken out as a separate functional component, allowing the cavity to focus on its primary molding function while still achieving efficient product removal through the dedicated air delivery system.
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 achieves consistent and uniform molding of food products with reduced shrinkage and distortion, efficient filling and ejection, and improved maintenance and versatility, maintaining high-volume production speeds.
Implementation Method 1
A pump accumulator disposed between the pump and the feed inlet to regulate the pressure and/or volume of the food mass in the feed pathway.
Implementation Method 2
The mold cavities are subjected to a vacuum force to remove air in the mold cavity prior to the mold cavity reaching the fill station.
Implementation Method 3
a heating system to prevent product buildup
Data Source
AI summary
A rotary molding system for molding food products, mold cavities formed when a mold shell rotates mold shapes disposed along the mold shell into a fill position between a fill plate and a wear plate. Molded food products are removed from mold cavities using knock-out cups, the use of air pressure, or the use of a vacuum source disposed below the mold cavity, without the need to slow the rotation of the mold shell. Knock-out cups may be used with a heating system to reduce accumulation of unwanted materials on the knock-out cups. The rotary molding system can also be used to form products with contoured surfaces. A smart tagging system can be used to ensure that compatible sets of mold shells and knock out cups are being used. A vacuum region may be disposed upstream of the fill position to remove air within the mold cavity prior to filling.