System And Method For Manufacturing Fatty Acid Based Material Products With An Injection Molding Process

Abstract

A system manufactures molded fatty acid based material products by forming a fatty acid based material paste and injecting the paste into a mold having internal cavities. The system includes a controller that regulates heat generated by a movable member in the barrel of an injection molding machine and a cooling jacket on the exterior of the barrel to enable nearly melted fatty acid material and nearly solid melted fatty acid material to mix within the barrel to form a paste that is ejected into a mold to form the products. The paste enables the products to form a skin that is less susceptible to shrinkage during cooling so the product is formed without voids that cause breakage or mar aesthetic appearances of the product.

1 . A system for manufacturing molded food products comprising:
 a volumetric container having a wall that encloses a space, the wall having an inlet and an outlet, the inlet being configured to receive fatty acid based material pieces that are solid at room temperature and feed the material pieces into the container;   a cooling member located within the volumetric container that removes heat from the wall;   a heated member located within the volumetric container at a position separated from the wall of the volumetric container, the heated member being configured to heat the fatty acid based material within the volumetric container to a first temperature that is less than a melting temperature of the fatty acid based material to form a paste;   an ejection member configured to force a portion of the fatty acid based material paste from the volumetric container through the outlet of the volumetric container;   a mold having at least two separable shells that form product cavities, the mold being in fluid communication with the outlet of the volumetric container to receive the fatty acid based material paste, the at least two separable shells having gates that are sized to prevent elevation of the fatty acid based material paste above the first temperature, and the at least two separable shells having a temperature that enables the fatty acid based material paste to form a skin upon contact with an internal surface of one of the at least two separable shells; and   a controller coupled to the heated member, the cooling member, and the ejection member, the controller being configured to keep the heated member in a first temperature range that maintains fatty acid based material at the first temperature proximate the heated member, to keep the cooling member in a second temperature range that maintains fatty acid based material at a second temperature proximate the cooling member, and to energize the ejection member to form the fatty acid based material paste proximate the outlet of the volumetric container and eject the portion of the fatty acid based material paste from the volumetric container through the outlet.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1  further comprising:
 a second cooling member proximate the mold, the second cooling member being maintained at a temperature that enables the fatty acid based material paste injected into the mold to form the skin upon contact with the internal surface of at least one shell of the at least two separable shells. 
 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 5  wherein at least one shell of the mold is coupled to a stationary frame, and at least one other shell of the mold is coupled to a movable frame; and the system further comprises:
 a second actuator coupled to the movable frame; and 
 the controller is operatively connected to the second actuator and the controller being further configured to energize the second actuator selectively to move the movable frame and the at least one other shell of the mold into and out of mating with the at least one shell of the mold to enable the at least two shells of the mold to separate and release molded products from the mold. 
 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the movable member is a screw extruder. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the movable member is a ram injector. 
     
     
         6 . A system for manufacturing fatty acid based material comprising:
 an injection molding machine having a barrel with a wall surrounding an internal cavity, the barrel having an outlet;   a cooling jacket mounted on an exterior of the barrel;   a movable member located within the internal cavity of the barrel;   a heater located within the movable member;   an actuator coupled to the movable member; and   a controller coupled to the heater within the movable member, the cooling jacket, and the actuator, the controller being configured to regulate the heater to maintain the movable member within a temperature range in which liquid fatty acid based material proximate the movable member remains in a liquid or near liquid state, to operate the cooling jacket to maintain the wall of the barrel in a temperature range in which fatty acid based material proximate the wall of the barrel remains in a solid or near solid state, and to energize the actuator to cause the movable member to mix the liquid or near liquid fatty acid based material proximate the movable member with the solid or near solid fatty acid based material proximate the wall of the barrel to form a fatty acid based material paste.   
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 6 , the controller being further configured to energize the actuator to move the movable member and eject fatty acid based material paste through the outlet of the barrel. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 6  further comprising:
 a mold having at least two separable shells that form product cavities, the mold being in fluid communication with the outlet of the barrel to receive the fatty acid based material paste, the at least two separable shells having gates that are sized to prevent elevation of the fatty acid based material paste above the first temperature; and 
 a second heat exchanger proximate the mold to maintain the mold at a temperature that enables the fatty acid based material paste injected into the mold to form a skin upon contact with an internal surface of one of the at least two separable shells of the mold. 
 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8  wherein at least one shell of the mold is coupled to a frame of the injection molding machine, and at least one other shell of the mold is coupled to a movable frame; and the system further comprises:
 a second actuator coupled to the movable frame; and 
 the controller being operatively connected to the second actuator and the controller being further configured to energize the second actuator selectively to move the movable frame and the at least one other shell of the mold into and out of mating with the at least one shell of the mold to enable the at least two shells of the mold to separate and release molded products from the mold. 
 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 5  wherein the movable member is a screw extruder. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 5  wherein the movable member is a ram injector.