Method and device for optimising process management and process control in an arrangement for producing farinaceous products
First Claim
1. Method for optimising the control and monitoring of processes for the production of pasta products, in particular for the production of long or short pasta products, in which raw materials are kneaded intensively in a mixer/kneader and the raw pasta product emerging from a screw press in the form of moist and plastic strands of dough is passed through climate zones of a dyer heated differently and/or with different humidities until final drying, and is then cooled and stabilised in shape with a final moisture content lower than 14%, characterised in that automatic, self-controlling and regulating product quality regulation by means of intelligent software technologies and on-line sensors takes place in each of the mixer/kneader, the screw press, at least one climate zone of the dryer and a diffuser between the screw press and dryer to control and monitor at least one of the moisture content and humidity therein, overriding the traditional control system and line controls during the production process of pasta products, such that the process control and monitoring extends over and to all the part-processes and such that models are set up by the statistical and intelligent software technologies between the process parameters and the properties of the product.
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Abstract
The invention relates to a method and a device for optimising process management and process control in an arrangement for producing, especially short and long, farinaceous products. The aim of the invention is to improve dryer regulation and reduce faulty production. To this end, a dryer climate regulator using online sensors (9) and intelligent software technologies is provided.
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Citations
26 Claims
- 1. Method for optimising the control and monitoring of processes for the production of pasta products, in particular for the production of long or short pasta products, in which raw materials are kneaded intensively in a mixer/kneader and the raw pasta product emerging from a screw press in the form of moist and plastic strands of dough is passed through climate zones of a dyer heated differently and/or with different humidities until final drying, and is then cooled and stabilised in shape with a final moisture content lower than 14%, characterised in that automatic, self-controlling and regulating product quality regulation by means of intelligent software technologies and on-line sensors takes place in each of the mixer/kneader, the screw press, at least one climate zone of the dryer and a diffuser between the screw press and dryer to control and monitor at least one of the moisture content and humidity therein, overriding the traditional control system and line controls during the production process of pasta products, such that the process control and monitoring extends over and to all the part-processes and such that models are set up by the statistical and intelligent software technologies between the process parameters and the properties of the product.
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17. A method of optimising the control and monitoring of a process for the production of a pasta product comprising the steps of
establishing a first specification of the product properties for a pasta product; -
establishing process parameters for passing the materials for the pasta product through a mixer/kneader, a screw press, a diffuser, a dryer and a cooler; establishing in an intelligent software technology a first model for the product properties and a second model for the process parameters; intensively kneading raw materials for making the pasta product in the mixer/kneader; passing the kneaded material through the screw press; providing one of an on-line sensor and a virtual sensor in the screw press to monitor the moisture content of the kneaded material therein and delivering a responsive signal in dependence on the moisture content; delivering the kneaded material from the screw press through the diffuser in the form of moist plastic strands of dough into and through climate zones of the dryer having different heat and/or humidity conditions from each other to dry the strands to a final condition; providing one of an on-line sensor and a virtual sensor in each of at least one zone of the dryer and the diffuser to monitor the humidity of the strands in the diffuser and the dryer and delivering a responsive signal in dependence on the humidity content; thereafter cooling and stabilizing the strands to a final moisture content in the cooler; providing one of an on-line sensor and a virtual sensor in the cooler to monitor at least one of the humidity and weight loss of the strands in the cooler and delivering a responsive signal in dependence on the humidity content; automatically determining a deviation in the product properties from said first model in response to said responsive signals from the screw press, dryer and cooler; and automatically adjusting at least one of the process parameters and the humidity of at least one of the screw press, dryer and cooler in response to a determined deviation to obtain a final moisture content lower than 14% in the strands. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. An apparatus for making a pasta product comprising
a metering unit for mixing and metering raw materials for a pasta product; -
a mixer/kneader for receiving and intensively kneading the raw materials from said metering unit; a screw press for receiving the kneaded materials from said mixer/kneader and passing the kneaded materials therefrom in the form of moist plastic strands of dough; at least one of an on-line sensor and a virtual sensor in said screw press to monitor the moisture content of the kneaded material therein and delivering a responsive signal in dependence on the moisture content; a diffuser for passage of the strands of dough therethrough; at least one of an on-line sensor and a virtual sensor in said diffuser to monitor the moisture content of the strands of dough therein and delivering a responsive signal in dependence on the moisture content; a dryer for receiving the strands of dough from said diffusor, said dryer having climate zones having different heat and/or humidity conditions from each other to dry the strands to a final condition; at least one of an on-line sensor and a virtual sensor in at least one zone of said dryer to monitor the humidity of the strands in said dryer and to deliver a responsive signal in dependence on the humidity content; a cooler for cooling and stabilizing the strands from said dryer to a final moisture content; and at least one of an on-line sensor and a virtual sensor in said cooler to monitor at least one of the humidity and weight loss of the strands in said cooler and delivering a responsive signal in dependence on at least one of the humidity and weight loss of the strands therein. - View Dependent Claims (26)
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Specification