Work-saving improvements for food-process lines
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Solution Overview
Problem
Food process lines face challenges in efficient washing and maintenance operations, which can lead to downtime and potential contamination from airborne allergens when multiple lines are operated simultaneously, necessitating improved methods for reducing downtime and isolating allergens.
Innovation Solution
Implementing pivot hardware on machines for easier washing and maintenance, mounting on rolling gear for rapid reconfiguration, and housing in climate-controlled tunnels to isolate and contain allergens, along with feedback control systems and robotic washing and maintenance systems for efficient operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of repair
If machines are mounted on fixed installations, then structural stability is maintained, but washing and maintenance operations become time-consuming and labor-intensive
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the dynamics principle by mounting food process line machines on movable platforms with rolling gear instead of fixed installations. This allows the machines to be easily moved on tracks to washing stations and maintenance areas, dramatically reducing the time and labor required for washing and maintenance operations while maintaining operational stability when needed.
2Productivity
If multiple food process lines are operated side by side, then production capacity increases, but airborne allergen contamination between lines becomes a risk
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by enclosing each food process line in its own separate tunnel or enclosure. This physical segmentation prevents airborne allergens from one line from contaminating other lines, allowing multiple process lines to operate simultaneously without cross-contamination risks while maintaining high production capacity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses climate-controlled tunnel environments as intermediary barriers between adjacent food process lines. These enclosed tunnels act as mediators that contain and control the atmospheric conditions for each line independently, preventing airborne allergen transfer while allowing multiple lines to operate in close proximity.
3Adaptability or versatility
If machines are mounted on rolling gear for rapid reconfiguration, then adaptability for different product series is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies universality by designing a standardized rolling gear mounting system with common track infrastructure that can accommodate different types of food process line machines. This universal platform allows rapid reconfiguration for different product series while managing complexity through standardization and modular design.
Data Source
AI summary
Work-saving improvements for food-process lines include (1) mounting alternate machines of a food process line on pivot hardware to speed up washing and maintenance operations, (2) mounting the machines on rolling riding gear in order to speed up the activities of building and re-building food process lines of a different series of machines, or (3) isolate the food process line in its own tunnel and hence its own climate-controlled atmosphere to reduce conflicts with running two food process lines side by side where one food process line is a source of air borne allergens.