Soft Sticky Food Core Coating via Solidifying Carrier Layer
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Solution Overview
Problem
The challenge in commercially manufacturing food products with soft and sticky cores is to prevent the cores from sticking to conveyor belts and maintaining their structural integrity during the coating process.
Innovation Solution
A system using sequentially arranged open conveyor belts with a carrier sheet, such as parchment paper, and a thin base layer of coating material is employed. The soft and sticky food core is extruded onto the solidifying coating layer, which supports the core and allows it to be transferred between conveyors without deformation. The coating material solidifies before transfer, ensuring the core's integrity and enabling it to be coated further on subsequent conveyor belts.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-generated harmful factors
If parchment paper is used to convey sticky food cores, then the cores do not stick to the conveyor, but excess coating material cannot flow through the conveyor during enrobing
Solution Approach 1:
A release agent is applied as an intermediary layer between the parchment paper and the food core, or between the food core and the coating material. This release agent prevents direct adhesion while allowing the coating to flow properly during enrobing, resolving the contradiction between preventing sticking and enabling coating flow.
2Object-generated harmful factors
If a layer of coating material is applied on a solid surface to space the sticky core from the conveyor, then the core does not stick, but the core material will collapse when dispensed if it is soft
Solution Approach 1:
The food core is pre-formed with structural support (such as using a mold or support matrix) before being coated. This preliminary structural reinforcement prevents collapse during dispensing and handling, while still allowing the coating to be applied effectively to prevent sticking.
Solution Approach 2:
A composite structure is created by combining the soft food core with a supporting framework or encapsulating it in a semi-rigid shell before coating. This composite construction provides the necessary structural integrity to prevent collapse while maintaining the soft core's functional properties.
3Object-generated harmful factors
If the core material is soft and sticky, then it is difficult to retain as a coherent body during conveyance between multiple conveyors, but using a solid conveyor surface prevents sticking
Solution Approach 1:
A release agent or protective coating is introduced as an intermediary between the soft sticky core and the conveyor surface. This intermediary layer prevents direct adhesion that would cause the core to stick and deform, while allowing the core to be conveyed smoothly between multiple conveyors while maintaining its coherent structure.
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
This method effectively prevents the soft and sticky food cores from sticking to conveyor belts and maintains their structural integrity throughout the coating process, allowing for continuous production of coated food products.
Implementation Method 1
a thin base layer of coating material is deposited in a liquid state as a sheet or web across the parchment paper. Prior to thin layer solidifying, the soft and sticky food core material is extruded
Data Source
AI summary
A product conveying and coating system includes multiple, sequentially arranged conveyor units, with at least one conveyor unit being an open belt type. A carrier sheet is placed on a first of the conveyor units, a web of coating material in liquid form is deposited on the carrier sheet and spaced ropes of soft and sticky material are deposited on and settle into the web. The carrier sheet, web and ropes are transferred to a second conveyor unit after the coating material of the web solidifies, whereupon the ropes are cut into bar-length pieces. Thereafter, the carrier sheet is removed while the web and pieces are transferred to the open belt conveyor unit and exposed to an enrober. The enrober coats the pieces while melting portions of the web between the pieces in order to form full coated or encapsulated food products with soft and sticky cores.