Heiden, Finn

Confectionery food production apparatus (1) comprising a first straight line (2) depositing confectionery mass in cavities (4) in an underlying row of continuously moving confectionery moulds (5). The moulds (5) are supported and guided at their opposite sides (6, 7) by the insides (8, 9) of elongated track profiles (10, 11), which are also carrying a respective endless chain (12,13). The chains (12, 13) are stretched between a plurality of sprocket wheels (16), arranged at the line (2), and are each driven by at least one sprocket wheel and a motor (18). The chains (12, 13) are each carrying a plurality of inwardly extending pins (12P, 13P) engaging with recesses (5R) in the neighboring sides (6, 7) of the moulds (5). The line (2) comprises at least a mass depositor unit (22) and a cooling section (21).The apparatus (1) comprises a further secondary, straight line (3) comprising the same as above and arranged in parallel to the first line (2). The first and secondary straight lines (2, 3) are interconnected via two cross-conveyors (34, 35) adapted to carry the confectionery moulds (5) forth and back between the two lines (2, 3). At the points of engagement with the cross-conveyors (34, 35), the first and secondary lines (2, 3) comprise lifting-lowering devices (26, 27, 30, 31), which are adapted to lift up a passing mould (5) from the particular straight line (2, 3) and onto a cross-conveyor (34, 35). The devices may also lower a mould (5) from the cross-conveyor (34, 35) and into a free opening in-between the moulds (5) in the particular straight line (2, 3).

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Food production line apparatus (1) for continuous depositing of a confectionery mass (21) such as chocolate mass, nougat mass, caramel mass, peanut butter mass, jam mass, creme mass, fondant mass, or confectionery mass with inclusions such as nut bits on an underlying support (2), belt (3) or into moulds (4). The mass depositor (12) has a horizontally extending, plate-shaped mass distribution block (15) with nozzles (31) arranged at the bottom (32). Each nozzle (31) is connected to a mass chamber (16, 17) via a respective channel (33). Each nozzle (31) has an upper conical channel part (37) extending from an inlet opening (35) and narrowing in towards a central waist part (38), and a lower conical channel part (39) expanding towards an outlet opening (36) at the bottom of the nozzle (31). Surprisingly, the mass makes no "threads" or "tails" between the nozzles and the deposited mass any longer.

Process, apparatus and computer program for controlling continuous tempering of a fat-containing, crystallizable mass, such as chocolate mass, nougat mass or creme mass. The mass is being pumped continuously through a pre-cooling stage (4) in which it is cooled to a mass pre-cooling temperature above the crystal-creation temperature of the particular mass. Thereafter, the mass is pumped through a crystallization cooling stage (6) in which the mass is cooled so that crystals are created in the mass thereby having a mass outlet temperature.When a set-point value for the mass outlet temperature is entered at the touch-screen of a HMI-unit (11), the crystallization amount to be achieved is adjusted as a crystal control value on a scale on the touch-screen of the HMI-unit (11), the HMI-unit (11) is calculating and transmitting a set-point value for the water temperature of the crystallization cooling stage (6), where after the HMI-unit (11) continuedly repeats; receiving from a mass outlet temperature PID-sensor (7) an outlet temperature value reflecting the actual mass outlet temperature, calculating deviation of the actual outlet temperature value from the set-point value for the mass outlet temperature, and is calculating and transmitting a set-point value for the water temperature of the pre-cooling stage (4). Hereby is provided a process, apparatus and computer program which is able to attain and provide the correct settings of a continuous tempering process in a production such as a chocolate production in a fast and uncomplicated manner. It means that alterations of few important production parameters can be done by a person which is unskilled in the complicated theory of chocolate behavior during tempering. An ordered adjustment given in by the personnel at a simple scale of numbers will then automatically be taken over by the process to achieve the desired result without further efforts.

Zusammenfassung wird geladen …

Zusammenfassung wird geladen …

Zusammenfassung wird geladen …

Zusammenfassung wird geladen …

Zusammenfassung wird geladen …

Apparatus (1) for determining crystallization solidification curves of chocolate mass and other fat masses adapted to be arranged onto an opening (21) in a supply conduit (3) for tempered chocolate mass from a tempering apparatus. The apparatus (1) is comprising an outer housing part (22) arranged at the outer periphery (23) of the supply conduit (3) and an inner housing part (24) having a channel (26) and a measurement chamber (36) therein extending in through the opening (21) in radial direction towards the center of the conduit (3). A temperature sensor (28) is arranged in the piston (27) and measures the temperature of the mass sample (44) when the inner housing is cooled and the sample is solidifying in the chamber (36). A plurality of openings (39) are arranged around the inner housing part (24) for flow of chocolate mass between the conduit (3) and the measurement chamber (36) in the channel (26). After the temperature measurement is concluded, the inner housing part (24) is heated and the solidified sample (44) in the measurement chamber (36) is melted and being exposed by the piston (27) through the plurality of openings (39) into the mass flowing in the conduit (3). Especially surprising is it, that the measurement chamber can be maintained fully in the flow of chocolate in the conduit as the sample is being cooled and temperature measured. Then the inventive solution provides the unique advantage that the sample can be heated in the same position and disposed directly out into flow of chocolate in the conduit, only by the return travel of the piston.