EP-4739128-A1 - A METHOD FOR CONTROLLING AN ICE CREAM HARDENING TUNNEL, AN ICE CREAM HARDENING TUNNEL AND AN ICE CREAM PRODUCTION LINE

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for controlling an ice cream hardening tunnel comprising setting adjustable tunnel parameters for a hardening tunnel, and upstream the hardening tunnel providing a plurality of ice cream items of a specified ice cream item type, conveying the ice cream items through the hardening tunnel by a hardening tunnel conveyor, and downstream and/or inside the hardening tunnel continuously measuring a core temperature of the ice cream items inside or outside downstream the hardening tunnel, and continuously adjusting the adjustable tunnel parameters on the basis of the measured core temperature.

Inventors

• MEYER, Søren Christoph

Assignees

• Gram Equipment A/S

Dates

Publication Date

20260513

Application Date

20240705

Claims (20)

1. 1. A method for controlling an ice cream hardening tunnel (HT) comprising: setting adjustable tunnel parameters (ATP) for a hardening tunnel, upstream said hardening tunnel providing a plurality of ice cream items (ICI) of a specified ice cream item type, (ICIT) conveying said ice cream items through said hardening tunnel by a hardening tunnel conveyor (HTC) on a transportation surface, downstream and/or inside said hardening tunnel continuously measuring a core temperature of said ice cream items inside or outside downstream said hardening tunnel, and continuously adjusting said adjustable tunnel parameters (ATP) on the basis of said measured core temperature.
2. 2. A method for controlling an ice cream hardening tunnel according to claim 1, wherein said tunnel parameters are continuously adjusted based on said measured core temperature of said ice cream items, to provide core temperatures of said ice cream items within a core temperature interval related to said ice cream item type or according to other core-temperature based targets.
3. 3. A method for controlling an ice cream hardening tunnel according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein providing a plurality of ice cream items of a specified ice cream item type is provided sequentially.
4. 4. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein an alarm is activated when said measured core temperature of said ice cream type exceeds one of the two core temperature interval limits.
5. 5. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said core temperature interval is predefined according to said ice cream item type.
6. 6. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said core temperature interval is predefined according to a coating for said ice cream item.
7. 7. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said core temperature interval is predefined according to said ice cream item type and wherein a second ice cream item type has a second predefined temperature interval associated to said second ice cream item type.
8. 8. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said adjusting of said adjustable tunnel parameters is performed during an initial time period Tinit of a hardening of an ice cream item type which is different from a previously hardened ice cream item type.
9. 9. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said step of setting up said hardening tunnel is done while ice cream items are being conveyed through said hardening tunnel.
10. 10. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said step of setting up said hardening tunnel is done with ice cream item dummies.
11. 11. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said setting up said hardening tunnel parameters comprises a changing in ice cream item type.
12. 12. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said ice cream item type is anyone of the following ice cream item on a stick, ice cream item without a stick, ice cream item in a container, ice cream item in a waffle, ice cream item in a cone, ice cream item with coating, ice cream item without coating, ice cream item made of ice cream, ice cream item made of sorbet, ice cream item made of water, ice cream item which is vegan, ice cream item is a bite, ice cream item is a cake, and / or any combination thereof.
13. 13. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said measured core temperatures of the ice cream items are are derived from measures of surface temperature of said ice cream item.
14. 14. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said measured core temperatures of the ice cream items are derived from measures of surface temperature of said ice cream item and wherein said measures are measured by nontouch measurements, such as infrared measurement of the ice cream item surface.
15. 15. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said measured core temperatures of the ice cream items are derived from measures of surface temperature of said ice cream item and wherein said measures are measured by touch measurements, such as by a sensor touching the ice cream item surface.
16. 16. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said measured core temperatures of the ice cream items are derived from measures of surface temperature of said ice cream item and wherein said measures are measured by invasive measurements, such as by a temperature probe inserted into the ice cream item.
17. 17. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said measuring a core temp of said ice cream item is measured by inserting a probe into an ice cream item in a continuously given interval.
18. 18. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said adjustable tunnel parameters may further include anyone of the following: tunnel temperature, airflow (speed of fan(s)), conveyor speed, humidity, air-balancing, number of ice cream items, defrosting of evaporators, defrost of tunnel, rate of upstream effective infeed of ice cream items and/or any combination thereof.
19. 19. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said method comprises measuring an adhesion and adjusting continuously said tunnel parameters based on said adhesion.
20. 20. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said method of measuring said adhesion is continuously measuring said adhesion.

Description

A METHOD FOR CONTROLLING AN ICE CREAM HARDENING TUNNEL, AN ICE CREAM HARDENING TUNNEL AND AN ICE CREAM PRODUCTION LINE Field of the invention [0001] The present invention relates to a method for controlling an ice cream hardening tunnel an ice cream hardening tunnel and an ice cream production line. Background of the invention [0002] Ice cream items manufacturing in an industrial scale is a mature technical art, and ice cream manufacturing lines have been available for decades. Ice cream state of the art manufacturing lines have developed significantly over the many last years meeting requirement from the users in terms of design, taste, price, texture, etc. [0003] An example of such state of the art system is disclosed in EP 2 934 168 Bl dealing in particular with how to control what may be referred to as an ice cream hardening tunnel. An ice cream hardening tunnel may in short be described as a tunnel continuously cooling ice cream items fed to the hardening tunnel upstream while the ice cream items are transported through the ice cream hardening tunnel. The basic functioning of the ice cream hardening tunnel is to harden ice cream items which has been produced having ice cream temperatures warm enough to be able to manufacture and form the items at least partly. The hardening is obtained by reducing the temperature of the ice cream, enough to harden the ice cream to have a stable form to coat, pack and store the produced item in a reliable way and obtaining a robust manufacturing process. [0004] A challenge of the disclosed hardening tunnel is that it is difficult to control and the result of this is e.g., an unnecessarily high energy consumption depending highly on the human control. In order to assist this difficult controlling of the disclosed hardening tunnel the system of EP 2 934 168 Bl measure the surface temperature of the ice cream items and the lifting torque. A challenge with the suggested control approach is that the operating of the hardening tunnel and the entire ice cream manufacturing line is difficult and that defective products may very likely be the result of this type of operation thereby not only risking lower yield but more importantly leading to challenges and quality issues further downstream the ice cream manufacturing line. Summary of the invention [0005] The invention relates to a method for controlling an ice cream hardening tunnel (HT) comprising: setting adjustable tunnel parameters for a hardening tunnel, upstream said hardening tunnel providing a plurality of ice cream items (ICI) of a specified ice cream item type, conveying said ice cream items through said hardening tunnel by a hardening tunnel conveyor on a transportation surface, downstream and/or inside said hardening tunnel continuously measuring a core temperature of said ice cream items inside or outside downstream said hardening tunnel, and continuously adjusting said adjustable tunnel parameters on the basis of said measured core temperature. [0006] The hardening tunnel may be understood as a freezing tunnel for producing ice cream products. The hardening tunnel freezes down the ice cream items manufactured at a somewhat higher temperature to ensure the right hardening and core temperature of the ice cream items. The hardening tunnel could typically comprise a conveyor with a length in the size ratio of 100, 500, or 1000 meters. [0007] The term hardening tunnel could be understood as a tunnel in a production line for e.g., ice cream products. A hardening tunnel could also be understood as a freezing tunnel, a cooling tunnel, or an ice cream tunnel. The hardening tunnel could be used to lower the temperature of the ice cream items in the production line and thereby harden the ice cream items. A hardening tunnel could typically comprise a long conveyor for the ice cream items used for transporting the ice cream items through the hardening tunnel. In the hardening tunnel there could also be elements for regulating the temperature and thereby freeze the ice cream products. The hardening tunnel could further comprise apparatus and devices for controlling, regulating, and guiding the airflow inside the hardening tunnel to optimize the hardening process of the ice cream items. The hardening tunnel could typically comprise an air-balancing system to keep the freezing inside the hardening tunnel and the warmer air outside the hardening tunnel. The air-balancing could be fans or air blowers which could generate a pressure inside the hardening tunnel to keep the freezing air inside. Especially at the inlet and outlet of the conveyor, the hardening tunnel could use the air-balancing system to prevent the warmer air compared to the freezing air in the hardening tunnel to get into the hardening tunnel. In the same aspect the air-balancing system in the hardening tunnel could also prevent the freezing air to get out of the hardening tunnel by the air-balancing system. [0008] The term tunnel parameters are to be understood