Industrial prodn. of food items cut by laser beam - partic. biscuits and buns from continuous sheet of cooked material

摘要

Prior to cutting, mechanical means are pref. employed to reduce the thickness of the product locally by indenting along predetermined cutting lines. The sheet is pref. formed in a continuous length of constant thickness which is reduced at the cutting lines as the sheet moves forward, e.g. beneath an indenting roller. The product may be a bakery item which passes as a continuous length thro. a heating tunnel such as a continuous oven. The laser is pref. a CO2 laser which moves automatically in a repetitive pattern enlarged from a follower working to a predetermined plan of the cutting lines. The follow pref. comprises an optical viewwing head controlling a motor drive to the laser head. Cut portions are pref. conveyed to a wrapping station. Used in mfr. of small food items on an industrial scale e.g. wafers, biscuits, buns, nougat bars, sticks of chewing gum. Process is less costly in both capital investment and operating labour than product forming by moulding. Compared with product forming by mechanical cutting, the laser produces no cutting waste and dust, and does not risk contamination of the cut product. Reduces spore growth on cut faces.