Frito-lay North America, Inc.

Recot Inc.

Urschel Laboratories Incorporated

Other

Frito-lay Trading Compnay Gmbh

David Ray Warren

Rick Wendell Bajema

Michael Scot Jacko

Daniel Wade King

Wilfred Marcellien Bourg, Jr

V N Mohan Rao

Ajay Rajeshwar Bhaskar

Annette Stiers Jones

Sonchai Lange

Richard Decena Ornelaz

Scott Fagan

Kevin C Cogan

Lewis Conrad Keller

Kevin Matthew Trick

Ahmed Nadim Khan

Garrett Fox

Julian Romanczukiewicz

Brian David Schroeder

Sheila Wright-Henry

Kerwin Bradley

Wilfred Marcellien Bourg

Shelia Wright-Henry

A system and method for calibrating a dynamic digital imaging system for the detection of defects in a moving product stream. The system has an elevated platform above a conveying unit for receiving a reference color tile. The elevated platform allows for the passage of products to be inspected on the below conveying unit surface such that calibration and re-calibration processes during image capturing may be accomplished on a continuous basis without interruption of the product stream.

Calibration of a dynamic digital imaging system for detecting defects in production stream

A method for scoring and controlling the quality of dynamic food products transitioning in the processing steps is performed using image analysis. An image of a plurality of moving food products on a conveyor system is captured by on-line vision equipment and image analysis is performed on the image via an algorithm that determines the percentage of pixels having varying intensities of colors and applies predetermined preferences to predict consumer dissatisfaction. The entire group of food products of one or more images is given an overall appearance score and each individual food product is also scored such that each may be ranked from least to more acceptable. The ranked food products can then be ejected in the order of worst to better rank to increase the overall quality score of the entire group.

Method for scoring and controlling quality of food products in a dynamic production line

A blade gap setting device for a potato chip cutting head, the device comprising an elongate body having an upper surface and a lower surface, at least one mounting for a depth micrometer having a displaceable spindle, the mounting extending from the upper surface to the lower surface to permit a depth micrometer to be mounted to the upper surface with a free end of the displaceable spindle being exposed at the lower surface, a first lower reference surface and a second front reference surface, at least the second front reference surface being located forwardly of the at least one mounting.

Blade gap setting for potato chip cutting head

A cutting apparatus having an annular-shaped cutting head and an impeller assembly coaxially mounted for rotation within the cutting head to deliver food products radially outward toward the cutting head. The cutting head has at least one knife extending radially inward toward the impeller assembly. The knife has a cutting edge at a radially innermost extremity and a radially outer face that defines a trajectory plane for slices removed from the products by the cutting edge. The knife is clamped to the cutting head with a clamping feature that provides clearance for slices when traveling the trajectory plane of the knife.

Apparatus for cutting food product

A cutting apparatus having an annular-shaped cutting head and an impeller assembly coaxially mounted for rotation within the cutting head to deliver food products radially outward toward the cutting head. The cutting head has at least one knife extending radially inward toward the impeller assembly. The impeller assembly is equipped with paddles, each having a radially outer extremity adjacent the impeller assembly, a radially inner extremity, and a face therebetween facing the rotational direction of the impeller assembly. According to preferred aspects of the invention, removable posts radially extend from the radially outer extremity of each paddle, and/or the face of each paddle has grooves transverse to a radial of the impeller assembly.

In the process of producing corn-based pellets, preconditioner steam and water addition, as well as extruder water or screw configuration and RPM, can be manipulated to precisely control the cook level, gelatinization, and moisture level of the meal during processing, and level of defects despite minor variation in the characteristics of the corn flour. Specifically, the preconditioner added steam-to-water ratio can be manipulated to effect cook, hydration, and partial gelatinization of the meal. In the extruder, lower extruder rotational speeds increase the residence time and increases cook. With the increase in residence time the volume of bed pack in the extruder increases. This can be reversed by adding water directly into the extruder, thereby decreasing the viscosity of the meal in the extruder. Product bulk density is changed by increasing and decreasing cook of the meal.

Process for expanded pellet production

In the process of producing masa based expandable pellets, preconditioner steam and water addition, as well as extruder water and RPM, can be manipulated to precisely control the cook level, gelatinization, and moisture level of the meal during processing, and level of defects despite minor variation in the characteristics of the masa flour. Specifically, the preconditioner added steam-to-water ratio can be manipulated to effect cook, hydration, and partial gelatinization of the meal. In the extruder, lower extruder rotational speeds increase the residence time and increases cook. With the increase in residence time the volume of bed pack in the extruder increases. This can be reversed by adding water directly into the extruder, thereby decreasing the viscosity of the meal in the extruder. Product bulk density is changed by increasing and decreasing cook of the meal.

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Plano, TX, United States of America

David Ray Warren