Method and system for processing an extruded food material
AssigneesMarel Limited, Marel Further Processing B.V.
InventorsKenneth Bruce Arnote, Jr., Travis Michael Coblentz, Mattheus Catharina Willems, Johannes Martinus Meulendijks
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Abstract
A food-processing system having a metering pump for filling a casing with food material, a linker for forming links in the filled casing and depositing a linked strand on a conveyor, and a plurality of servo motors arranged to drive each of a plurality of driven components of the processing system. The food-processing system being implemented according to a two-step ramp-up method that enables increased control of a first end and a second end of the linked strand using a first speed, and enables faster processing of the linked strand between the ends at a second speed higher than the first speed.
Claims12
A method for processing an elongated strand of food material, comprising:
- synchronously initiating a first ramp-up of a metering pump, a linker, and a conveyor to a first speed using a metering pump servo, a linker servo, and a conveyor servo, respectively;
- maintaining the first speed of the metering pump and the linker for a first time period;
- synchronously initiating a second ramp-up of the metering pump and the linker from the first speed to a second speed higher than the first speed using the metering pump servo and the linker servo;
- and
- maintaining the second speed of the metering pump and the linker for a second time period,
- wherein maintaining the first speed of the metering pump and the linker during the first time period includes:
- the metering pump forming a filled casing strand by extruding food material into a casing material;
- the linker forming links in the filled casing strand;
- the linker depositing a first link of a linked strand on the conveyor;
- and
- maintaining said first speed from engaging a stuffing tube with the casing material until a first end of the linked strand is discharged to the conveyor and laid thereon.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.