Installations and methods for moulding food products with a pressurized air food product ejection system from a mould drum

A moulding installation for moulding food products from a pumpable foodstuff mass, which installation which comprises:

• a frame;
• a mould drum having an outer circumferential drum surface and a longitudinal drum rotation axis, the mould drum being rotatably supported by the frame to revolve about the drum rotation axis, wherein said outer circumferential drum surface comprises multiple mould cavities, each mould cavity having a fill opening for introduction of foodstuff mass into the mould cavity;
• a mould drum drive coupled to the mould drum to drive the mould drum in a rotation direction;
• a mass feed member arranged at a fill position relative to the outer circumferential drum surface, said mass feed member having a chamber with an inlet for foodstuff mass to introduce said foodstuff mass into the chamber and with a mouth facing the drum surface, said mass feed member being configured to transfer foodstuff mass into passing mould cavities of the revolving mould drum when the fill opening of a mould cavity is in communication with the mouth at said fill position, said foodstuff mass forming a food product in said mould cavity;
• a foodstuff mass feed and pressurization system configured to feed foodstuff mass into the chamber of the mass feed member and via said mouth into said mould cavities;
• a pressurized air food product ejection system, wherein the mould drum has air ducts that extend to said cavities and wherein at least a portion of the surface delimiting a mould cavity is air permeable, wherein each of said air ducts is configured to transport pressurized air to one or more of said mould cavities so that said air passes through said air permeable mould cavity surface portion, and wherein said pressurized air food product ejection system further comprises a pressurized air source including a first pressurized air storage tank and a first air pressure regulating valve configured to regulate air pressure in the first pressurized air storage tank, which pressurized air source is operable to feed pressurized air at a regulated ejection air pressure thereof to one or more of said air ducts associated with one or more mould cavities in a product release position thereof so as to facilitate and/or cause ejection of the moulded food product from said one or more mould cavities at said product release position;
• and
• a controller which is linked to said first air pressure regulating valve of said foodstuff mass feed and pressurization system and is configured to input at least one target parameter related to the filling of the mould cavities with said foodstuff mass via said mouth of the mass feed member, said at least one target parameter being one or more of:
• a target fill pressure for the foodstuff mass in the chamber of the mass feed member and/or in the mould cavity to be caused by said foodstuff mass feed and pressurization system;
• and/or
• a target volumetric flow rate for the foodstuff mass into the chamber of the mass feed member and/or into the mould cavity to be caused by said foodstuff mass feed and pressurization system;
• and/or
• a target rotational speed of the mould drum, and
• wherein the controller is configured to automatically control said first air pressure regulating valve and set said ejection air pressure by said pressurized air source on the basis of the inputted target parameter.