Production flow-rate measurement options for food process lines

A method of determining in a mechanized food-process line a weight pick-up or loss value of a flowrate of food product pieces through various food-process line machines;

• said method comprising the steps of:
• providing a mechanized food-process line that comprises at least five machines in series conveying food product pieces from an upline to downline direction, the five machines in series comprising in the upline to downline direction:
• a first weighing transfer conveyor,
• a first food-process line machine,
• a second weighing transfer conveyor,
• a second food-process line machine, and
• a third weighing transfer conveyor;
• each transfer conveyor comprising an endless conveyor belt having an upper, food-product carrying run and a lower, return run;
• conveying an inflow of food product pieces in a first state of processing on the upper, food-product carrying run of the first weighing transfer conveyor;
• inputting the inflow of food product pieces in the first state of processing into the first food-process line machine;
• performing at least one operation on the food product pieces in the first food-process line machine so as to transform the food product pieces from the first state to a second state;
• conveying an outflow of food product pieces from the first food-process line machine on the upper, food-product carrying run of the second weighing transfer conveyor;
• providing a monitoring machine;
• the first weighing transfer conveyor providing the monitoring machine with a weight-flow flowrate value of the inflow of food product pieces into the first food-processing machine;
• the second weighing transfer conveyor providing the monitoring machine with a weight-flow flowrate value of the outflow of food product pieces out from the first food-processing machine;
• the monitoring machine differencing the value provided by the first weighing transfer conveyor and the value provided by the second weighing transfer conveyor and whereby, with the value provided by the first weighing transfer conveyor, determining the weight pick-up or loss percent of the flowrate of food product pieces through the first food-process line machine;
• the second weighing transfer conveyor inputting the flow of food product pieces thereacross in the second state and inputting the flow into the second food-process line machine;
• performing no less than a single operation on the food product pieces in the second food-process line machine so as to transform the food product pieces from the second state to a third state;
• conveying an outflow of food product pieces from the second food-process line machine on the upper, food-product carrying run of the third weighing transfer conveyor;
• the second weighing transfer conveyor providing the monitoring machine with a weight-flow flowrate value of the inflow of food product pieces into the second food-processing machine;
• the third weighing transfer conveyor providing the monitoring machine with a weight-flow flowrate value of the outflow of food product pieces out from the second food-processing machine;
• the monitoring machine differencing the value provided by the second weighing transfer conveyor and the value provided by the third weighing transfer conveyor and whereby, with the value provided by the second weighing transfer conveyor, determining the weight pick-up or loss percent of the flowrate of food product pieces through the second food-process line machine.

A method of determining in a mechanized food-process line a weight pick-up or loss value of a flowrate of food product pieces transiting across a weighing transfer conveyor;

• said method comprising the steps of:
• providing in series a relatively upline food-process line coating machine and a relatively downline weighing transfer conveyor;
• the weighing transfer conveyor comprising an endless conveyor belt having an upper, food-product carrying run and a lower, return run;
• the upper, food-product carrying run of the weighing transfer conveyor being elongated between spaced nose ends, one being an upline nose end and the other a downline nose end;
• the weighing transfer conveyor being provisioned with spaced dual output-provisions of weight-flow flowrate values, one of the output-provisions of weight-flow flowrate values being proximate the upline nose end of the weighing transfer conveyor and the other of the output-provisions of weight-flow flowrate values being proximate the downline nose end of the weighing transfer conveyor;
• inputting an inflow of food product pieces into the relatively upline food-process line coating machine;
• conveying an outflow of food product pieces from the relatively upline food-process line coating machine on the upper, food-product carrying run of the weighing transfer conveyor;
• providing a monitoring machine;
• the upline provision of the weighing transfer conveyor providing weight-flow flowrate values to the monitoring machine with an upline weight-flow flowrate value of the outflow of food product pieces out from the relatively upline food-processing coating machine;
• the downline provision of the weighing transfer conveyor providing weight-flow flowrate values to the monitoring machine with a downline weight-flow flowrate value of the inflow of food product pieces therepast;
• and
• the monitoring machine differencing the downline value provided by the downline provision of the weighing transfer conveyor and the upline value provided by the upline provision of the weighing transfer conveyor and whereby, with the upline value provided by the upline provision of the weighing transfer conveyor, determining the weight pick-up or loss percent of the flowrate of food product pieces across the weighing transfer conveyor between the upline provision of the weighing transfer conveyor for providing weight-flow flowrate values and the downline provision of the weighing transfer conveyor for providing weight-flow flowrate values.