US-20260123636-A1 - APPARATUS AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING LASAGNA PASTA STRIPS

Abstract

An apparatus and method are provided for manufacturing multiple lasagna pasta strips having rippled edges using an automated extrusion system. An extruder mixes and kneads dough and feeds it into a distribution manifold having multiple chambers, each equipped with an independently actuated valve and corresponding die inserts. The dies form lasagna strips with rippled longitudinal edges as the dough is extruded. Downstream sensors measure extrusion rate and droop distance while a vision system observes the ripple geometry. A control module including may include an AI processor configured to analyze sensor and image data to evaluate ripple amplitude, wavelength, and uniformity and automatically adjusts extrusion rate, chamber pressure, and valve position to maintain consistent shape quality. The AI module may be further configured to record historical production data and adaptively refines baseline operating parameters for subsequent runs, enabling uniform, high-throughput production of rippled-edge lasagna suitable for automated tray assembly lines.

Inventors

• Leonard Joseph DeFrancisci
• Joseph Lawrence DeFrancisci
• John Steven Alberga
• Lakshmi Narasimhon Athinarayana Venkatanarasimhan

Assignees

• DEFRANCISCI MACHINE COMPANY LLC

Dates

Publication Date

20260507

Application Date

20251103

Claims (20)

1. 1 . An apparatus for manufacturing lasagna pasta strips having a rippled edge, comprising: an extruder configured to mix water and semolina flour to form a dough and to knead the dough using an extrusion screw or auger; a distribution manifold coupled to the extruder and comprising a plurality of chambers arranged in parallel; a die body attached to the distribution manifold, the die body comprising a plurality of die inserts each aligned with a corresponding chamber, each die insert having an orifice configured to form a lasagna pasta strip having rippled longitudinal edges; a valve coupled to each chamber and configured to regulate flow of the dough entering the respective chamber; and a control module in communication with the valves and one or more sensors positioned downstream of the die body, the control module being configured to adjust the valves to maintain substantially uniform extrusion rates for the lasagna pasta strips.
2. 2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein each valve is driven by a servo or stepper motor to independently regulate pressure and flow rate through the corresponding chamber.
3. 3 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein each die insert includes outer edge regions shaped to allow the dough to pass at a higher velocity than through a central portion of the die, thereby forming the rippled edge.
4. 4 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the sensors measure a droop distance of each lasagna pasta strip between the die body and a conveyor using a laser, radar, or optical displacement device.
5. 5 . The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the control module adjusts the valve positions based on the measured droop distance to synchronize extrusion speed among the plurality of lasagna pasta strips.
6. 6 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a vision system positioned to capture images of the rippled edges of the lasagna pasta strips and transmit image data to the control module.
7. 7 . The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the control module comprises an artificial-intelligence (AI) processor trained to evaluate ripple amplitude, wavelength, and uniformity from the image data and to modify extrusion rate, valve position, or chamber pressure to maintain a desired ripple quality.
8. 8 . The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the AI processor records process parameters from prior production runs and computes averaged baseline valve settings for initializing subsequent runs.
9. 9 . The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the AI processor refines the baseline parameters using real-time feedback from the sensors during startup to achieve steady-state operation in reduced time.
10. 10 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a conveyor positioned beneath the die body to receive the lasagna pasta strips in parallel lanes and to transport the strips to a downstream processing station selected from a cooker, blancher, or robotic tray-loading assembly.
11. 11 . A method of manufacturing lasagna pasta strips having a rippled edge, comprising: mixing water and semolina flour in an extruder to form a dough; kneading the dough with an extrusion screw or auger and forcing the dough into a distribution manifold having a plurality of chambers; regulating flow of the dough into each chamber using independently actuated valves; pressurizing the dough through a plurality of die inserts attached to the manifold to form multiple lasagna pasta strips having rippled edges; and monitoring extrusion rate and ripple quality using sensors and a vision system and adjusting at least one valve based on feedback to maintain a desired ripple profile.
12. 12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein monitoring extrusion rate comprises measuring a catenary droop distance of each lasagna pasta strip between the die outlet and a conveyor.
13. 13 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the vision system captures image data of the rippled edges and the image data are analyzed by an AI control module trained to determine ripple amplitude, wavelength, and uniformity.
14. 14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the AI control module correlates droop-distance data with ripple geometry and adjusts extrusion pressure or screw speed to maintain consistent ripple formation.
15. 15 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising storing valve and sensor data from prior runs and computing averaged baseline parameters for a subsequent run.
16. 16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the AI control module refines the averaged baseline parameters using real-time sensor feedback to minimize startup stabilization time.
17. 17 . A lasagna production system comprising: an extrusion apparatus according to claim 1 configured to form multiple lasagna pasta strips having rippled edges; a conveyor positioned to receive the lasagna pasta strips from the extrusion apparatus and transport them to a downstream processing station; and an artificial-intelligence (AI) control module in communication with the extrusion apparatus and the conveyor, the AI control module being configured to synchronize extrusion rate and conveyor speed based on real-time sensor and image feedback to maintain consistent spacing and ripple formation of the lasagna pasta strips.
18. 18 . The system of claim 17 , wherein the AI control module predicts process drift using a trained neural-network model and automatically adjusts at least one of extrusion rate, chamber pressure, or conveyor speed to prevent deviation from a desired ripple profile.
19. 19 . The system of claim 17 , wherein the AI control module compiles quality metrics including ripple amplitude, wavelength, and uniformity and generates maintenance or calibration alerts when performance thresholds are exceeded.
20. 20 . The system of claim 17 , wherein the AI control module stores production data from prior runs and computes optimized baseline parameters for subsequent runs to improve startup stability and product uniformity.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional patent application 63/715,356 filed Nov. 1, 2024, which is hereby incorporated herein in its entirety. FIELD The present invention relates to the field of pasta manufacturing, and, more particularly, to an having a rippled edge. BACKGROUND The production of assembled lasagna entrées in the fresh and frozen ready-meal industry involves multiple sequential operations including dough preparation, sheeting, cutting, layering, filling, and packaging. In conventional production environments, lasagna noodles or pasta sheets are often handled manually during the tray assembly stage, where individual strips are positioned in a food tray and layered with sauces, cheeses, and other ingredients. This manual handling step introduces variability, increases labor cost, possible pathogen contamination from handling, and limits production throughput, particularly in large-scale commercial kitchens and industrial food manufacturing plants. To improve efficiency and increase output, some manufacturers have implemented automated systems configured with multiple parallel production lanes. In such systems, multiple lasagna trays are assembled side-by-side as they advance along a conveyor or indexing line. Each lane corresponds to one lasagna product being assembled in parallel with others. A common approach to supplying noodles to these lanes involves a sheet-forming process in which a sheet former produces a continuous, wide sheet of pasta dough. The sheet is typically created by feeding mixed dough through one or more sets of rollers that progressively compress and stretch the dough to the desired thickness. The wide sheet is then longitudinally cut into multiple narrow strips using rotary knives or slitter assemblies, each strip corresponding to one assembly lane. This configuration enables synchronized movement of all strips, allowing multiple lasagna products to be assembled simultaneously with consistent timing and spacing. While this method of producing multiple strips from a single wide sheet is advantageous for maintaining uniformity and speed, it has a significant limitation as the strips produced are flat along their longitudinal edges. Traditional lasagna noodles, particularly those preferred in consumer markets such as the United States, feature decorative rippled or wavy edges formed during extrusion through a die that imparts the distinctive pattern along the sides of the pasta. These ripples not only provide a recognizable aesthetic but also affect the texture, mouthfeel, and functional behavior of the pasta during cooking. The undulated edge can help retain sauce, improve adhesion between layers, and provide expansion tolerance during boiling or baking. In contrast, sheet-formed noodles lack these structural and aesthetic characteristics. Because they are cut from a flat sheet, they have straight edges that do not expand or interlock in the same way as rippled noodles. As a result, the finished lasagna product can appear less authentic or visually appealing to consumers accustomed to traditional rippled-edge lasagna. Furthermore, the flat edge noodles can lead to less uniform layering or sauce distribution in the assembled tray, affecting both product appearance and eating quality. Attempts to replicate rippled edges in sheet formed lasagna have proven challenging in a high throughput production environment. Techniques such as embossing, crimping, or corrugating the edges of the sheet after cutting often lead to tearing, inconsistent shapes, or loss of synchronization between adjacent strips traveling on a conveyor. Moreover, introducing additional forming or shaping operations downstream of the cutting step can complicate line integration and increase maintenance requirements. Therefore, there exists a need for an improved lasagna production system and method capable of simultaneously forming multiple parallel lasagna strips from a continuous sheet while imparting a consistent rippled or wavy edge to each strip. Such a system should maintain precise control over strip alignment and speed across multiple lanes, integrate seamlessly into existing high-volume tray assembly lines, and preserve the visual and functional attributes of traditional rippled edge lasagna noodles. SUMMARY In view of the foregoing background, it is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a method of manufacturing lasagna pasta strips having a rippled edge. The present invention provides an apparatus for manufacturing multiple lasagna pasta strips having rippled edges in a continuous, automated process. The apparatus includes an extruder configured to mix and knead dough and to deliver the dough under pressure to a distribution manifold having a plurality of chambers arranged in parallel. Each chamber communicates with a die insert mounted on a die body to form individual lasagna strips. A valve associated with each chamber indepe