Real-time process control in the food manufacturing industry has advanced thanks to the pioneering research from University College Dublin. The study focuses on characterizing the flow and mixability of non-Newtonian fluids, and the TorqSense transducer from Sensor Technology in Oxon plays a significant role in monitoring constantly changing flow characteristics of materials like tomato ketchup, chocolate, pasta sauce, and chicken tikka massala during the mixing process.
Ireland’s economy has a strong agricultural element, and in recent years, it has become one of Europe’s major processors of ready-made meals and processed ingredients. However, it has been challenging to achieve real-time control due to the non-uniformity of food products that contain particulates, fibers, vegetables, meats, nuts, raisins, biscuits, among others. Hence, real-time process control is vital for the food industry to achieve the ultimate product quality.
PJ Cullen, who leads the research team, acknowledges that a special sensor that can detect changes with sufficient sensitivity, robust enough for regular wash-downs, and industrial abuse is essential without compromising hygiene standards. The team tried various sensors, and TorqSense stood out because of its ability to meet all their requirements.
The research team simulated food processing techniques in several laboratory rigs, with one of the most used being a helical ribbon mixer, similar to those employed by manufacturers in mixing ingredients. The key requirement often is to mix enough to achieve a uniform dish but not to waste time and energy over-mixing. Monitoring the torque on the mixer’s shaft gives the team an idea of when fluid uniformity is achieved.
“This low-cost, easy-to-use, and reliable tool has given us exactly what we needed. It is also very attractive to full-scale process control environments,” sums up PJ.
While the research program has been successful, PJ notes that the only drawback is the numerous washing up required after working closely with different dishes all day.
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