Two-Stage Compression-Molded Solid Milk for Solubility and Breakage Resistance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for producing solid milk through compression molding face a trade-off between high solubility, resistance to breakage, and production efficiency, as increasing porosity for solubility decreases hardness and vice versa, leading to poor productivity.
Innovation Solution
A two-stage compression process is employed, where a first compression is performed at a high speed followed by a second compression at a lower speed, maintaining a specific surface area voxel ratio profile to enhance hardness while ensuring high porosity and solubility, thereby improving production efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If porosity is increased to enhance solubility, then solubility is improved, but resistance to breakage decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a solid milk with non-uniform density distribution, where the surface layer has lower density (higher porosity) for rapid water penetration and solubility, while the inner portion maintains higher density (lower porosity) for structural strength and resistance to breakage during transportation. This local quality differentiation resolves the contradiction between solubility and breakage resistance.
2Strength
If compression speed is reduced to increase hardness and resistance to breakage, then resistance to breakage is improved, but production rate decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The compression process is segmented into two distinct stages: a first compression stage at high speed to achieve high production rate, and a second compression stage at low speed to increase hardness and resistance to breakage. This segmentation of the compression process allows both high productivity and high strength to be achieved sequentially without compromising either parameter.
3Productivity
If compression speed is increased to improve production efficiency, then production rate is improved, but hardness decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The compression process is divided into two stages with different speeds: the first compression is performed at high speed to maintain high production efficiency, and the second compression is performed at low speed to increase hardness. This segmentation allows the system to achieve both high productivity and high hardness by performing the operations sequentially rather than simultaneously.
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 two-stage compression method results in solid foods and milks with increased resistance to breakage and solubility, achieved with improved production efficiency compared to single-speed compression methods.
Implementation Method 1
a first compression of a first compression distance L1 is performed at a first compression speed V1, and subsequently to this first compression, a second compression of a second compression distance L2 is performed at a second compression speed V2 that is lower than the first compression speed V1
Data Source
AI summary
A solid food is a solid food having a solid form obtained by compression molding and hardening a food powder, in which a specific surface area voxel ratio of the solid food is configured such that an average value A from a surface of the solid food to a depth of 2 mm is smaller than an average value C from a depth of 4 mm from the surface of the solid food to a depth of 6 mm, and a rate of decrease (C−A)/C×100 of the specific surface area voxel ratio obtained by dividing a difference (C−A) between the average value C and the average value A by the average value C is 9.5% or less.