Projects

1) The first electronic pasteurizer for ice cream and popsicle mix - patented
The pasteurization of milk products used for making ice cream and popsicles involves heating the mixture to 85oC and cool it until 4oC abruptly.
This was our first step towards the automation of processes, which culminated in a dedicated electronic board that controlled every step of pasteurization.
The machines on the market used only conventional electrical systems, relays with inter-locked electro mechanical and magnetic switches. The operation of a pasteurizer had the characteristic sound of "switching" each time the electrical resistance was linked to the arrival of the temperature control to 85oC.
Besides the on-board electronics, which included actions for possible faults detected, the power drives began to be made by solid state relays, without any noise.

2) The first ice cream machine with temperature control - patented
Machines for production of ice cream monitored the electrical current of the motor that activated the beat of ice cream. Thus, to achieve a certain amount, which represented a certain consistency of the mix that was being beaten, hung up the equipment.
Our research focused on a new system based on the temperature of ice cream and no longer in power the electric motor. It is success today.

3) Control system for producing soft ice cream - patented
Soft ice cream machines (like McDonald's) were operated in a fully manual, which led to a series of problems. The most common was the operator forgets to turn off the beater and ice cream reaches the curb, causing the next customer wait 15 minutes for the system to return to work.
Most of the machines produced today does not fully resolved the problems involved in the production of soft ice cream, so that the mixed systems still use manual / automatic. The staff at McDonald's, for example, these machines operate only after a long and detailed training.
We searched for four years a system able to understand and act to be subjected to a variety of problems involving the production of soft ice cream.
Our equipment is one of the only market to work uninterrupted, acting in a correct way to fix any flaws, so the operator does not notice what is happening.
In addition, equipment was the first market to have a counting system of ice cream produced and password to use.

4) Filling machine for cones, cups and bowls of ice cream - patented
Considered the highlight of automation developed in Finamac, this filler during the three years involved in research that culminated in a series of countless benefits. We produce a prototype first electro mechanic to understand step by step how the process should work filling of ice cream.
The second step was to investigate how the machines were made in the main manufacturers. The third and most important step was to emphasize the points where light detected obsolescence, and then we left for cutting-edge solutions. The result was a machine with 1 / 3 the weight, half the size and 40% less in price, that works intelligently and automatically. Any resemblance to a spaceship is purely coincidental ...

5) Control system for pasteurizing plant

6) Control system for continuous production of ice cream

7) Monobloc structure - patented

1) Traditional Mold - Wall thickness

In traditional molds made of stainless steel AISI 304, we studied the performance difference between plate thickness of 0.5 mm and 0.8 mm, most commonly used by mold makers in Brazil and abroad.
The theoretical modeling was based on using pure water inside the mold, taking into account only the total heat to be removed, without simulating the dynamic effects of exchange and phase change. Experiments were conducted under various conditions using only water inside the molds.
There is a 20% difference in freezing time between one and another of thick stainless steel plate used. The thickness of 0.5 mm was more rapid and more applicable to molds for use in machines of smaller capacity. Since the thickness of 0.8 mm can only be used in refrigeration systems more powerful.
The thickness of 0.5 mm was found to be unsuitable for immersion in baths of calcium chloride and sodium chloride, due to low durability, while the thickness of 0.8 mm can be used with sodium chloride only. Calcium chloride to the steel 304 is also inadequate.

2) immersion in glycol
We investigated the use of nontoxic propylene glycol instead of alcohol, commonly used as an intermediary fluid to freeze popsicles in small scale equipment.
From previous research (item 1), we conclude that the molds with plate thickness of 0.5 mm only resist alcohol and should not be used with sodium chloride or calcium. But alcohol has the great disadvantage of being flammable.
The nontoxic propylene glycol, mixed with water in correct proportion, proved quite effective in freezing popsicles without being flammable. Its major disadvantage is cost.
In this study we obtained mainly the theoretical and practical knowledge of the main characteristics that a fluid for this purpose must have. Throughout the research project presented in this proposal PIPE comment on some experiments and conclusions reached in this research. Basically, this is a freeze system by shaking the fluid, plus the speed of this movement, its thermal conductivity as a function of its viscosity at each temperature has vital importance for the outcome.

3) Alcohol agitation system - patented
Machines producing ice cream using a traditional centrifugal pump to move the alcohol from the molds. Normally the direction of traffic going from one side to the other tank where are the templates, and alcohol cooler out of the evaporator in contact with the first mold on one side, and will lose temperature as it moves to the opposite side of the tank. This means that the popsicle molds never freeze evenly.
To resolve this problem, we investigate new ways of circulating the refrigerant and concluded that the centrifugal pump is not a good solution because the flow rate drops considerably with increasing its viscosity. Moreover, with the evaporation of alcohol during the operation, the fluid becomes increasingly more viscous and the movement becomes almost nonexistent, delaying much of the freeze popsicles.
The result of this research was to develop a propeller stirrer for alcohol that moves upwards on all templates at once, or instead of alcohol moving from one place to another tank, he moves from bottom to the surface. The performance gain, even after the evaporation of much of the alcohol, is impressive.

4) Evaporator with balls - patented
As a complement to previous research, we realized that the amount of alcohol contained in the tank could be reduced, which would further increase the efficiency of agitation and earnings of thermal inertia.
Since the evaporator was made from copper pipe immersed in the same tank of molds, a considerable quantity of alcohol was used only to cover the evaporator (commonly called serpentine).
We studied an evaporator that occupy less than 1 / 3 the volume of which was being used. To do this, insert aluminum spheres within a small portion of all copper and the result of the new evaporator was fantastic.

5) tank in fiberglass - patented
Following the two previous studies, we noticed that the heat loss of the refrigerant was not something to despise. The smaller the amount of the fluid, the greater this effect.
Then searched the alternative use of alternative materials to stainless steel, normally used in such tanks.
The solution cast in fiberglass proved to be the most suitable for accommodating the evaporator and the best ways in prefabricated fittings. The biggest problem was finding the appropriate materials to support the alcohol, for which we had support from BASF and other manufacturers of resins. The first tests were problematic because the interior of the tank "popped" bubbles formed and after two or three months of use.
The result was the use of a special blanket, a special resin to the exterior of the tank and a special resin into the tank. With all this, the final price of the tank was still less than half the stainless steel tank.
Over time, several other machine manufacturers have adopted this same solution (fiberglass), but most of them gave up because he could not get rid of problems with blisters.

6) Aeration of popsicle - patented
The race for the shortest time to produce a popsicle always existed between the machine manufacturers. Besides working on research for new solutions refrigerants, new coolers, new ways and new systems of agitation, and new refrigeration systems, this race "against time" took us to the composition of ice cream when we realize that the aeration of the mixture milk could substantially reduce its production time.
The conclusion of this research was to develop a propeller to mix the ingredients of ice cream, which is still marketed by our company in a product simple and low cost calling MIXER 15. Strictly speaking, the mixer 15 is just a kind of "blender", but that contains a helix specifically designed to incorporate air into the mix.