Handbook of Farm, Dairy and Food Machinery Engineering

Myer Kutz

• Publisher: Academic Press
• Year: 2013
• eBook ISBN: 9780123858825
• Edition: 2
• Topic: Technology & Engineering
• Subtopic: Food Science
• Index: Technology & Engineering

Handbook of Farm, Dairy and Food Machinery Engineering is the essential reference for engineers who need to understand those aspects of the food industry from farm machinery to food storage facilities to the machinery that processes and packages our foods.The process of getting food from "farm to fork, " as the saying goes, involves more than planting, harvesting, shipping, processing, packaging and distributing—though those are all key components. Effective and efficient food delivery systems are built around processes that maximize the effort while minimizing cost, time, and resource depletion.This comprehensive reference is for engineers who design and build machinery and processing equipment, shipping containers, and packaging and storage equipment. It includes cutting-edge coverage of microwave vacuum application in grain processing, cacao processing, fruit and vegetable processing, ohmic heating of meat, facility design, closures for glass containers, double seaming, and much more.- Provides cross-topic information for translational research and potential application- Focuses on design and controls – written for engineers by engineers – always with practical applications in mind- Includes design of machinery and facilities as well as theoretical basis for determining and predicting behavior of foods as they are handled and processed

Chapter 1

The Food Engineer

Felix H. Barron, Clemson University, SC, USA

1 Nature of Work and Necessary Skills

Food engineering is considered a specialized engineering field. In general, engineers are trained in the application of science principles and mathematics in order to provide economical solutions to technical problems; usually fulfilling social, commercial, or similar needs.

Product design and development are typical activities that an engineer may be asked to perform. The engineer must specify the functional requirements of the product, design, and testing and final evaluation to check for overall efficiency, cost, safety, and reliability if necessary. Overall, these principles may be applied to product design, no matter what the product is, for example a machine, a food, or a chemical.

Engineers may also work in testing, production, or maintenance areas, supervising production in factories, determining the causes of component failure, and testing manufactured products to maintain quality. Costing and scheduling for project completion are other duties typical of an engineer. Some engineers may become managers or salespersons. A background in sales engineering gives an individual the knowledge and experience required to discuss technical aspects and assist in product planning, installation, and use of equipment. A supervising engineer is responsible for major components or entire projects.

Food engineers use computers extensively to produce and analyze products, processes, or plant designs; to simulate and test how a machine or food system operates; and to generate specifications for foods, machinery, or packaging. Food engineers may also use computers to monitor product quality, safety, and to control process efficiency. Food nanotechnology, which involves control or manipulation of a product on the atomic scale, is introducing innovative principles to product and process design.

Seventeen engineering related specialties are covered in the Federal Government’s Standard Occupational Classification system. Food engineering is recognized by professional societies such as the Institute of Food Technologists, the American Society of Agricultural Engineers, and the American Institute of Chemical Engineers.

2 Academic and Industry Preparation

As a specialized professional, the food engineer obtains his/her skills mainly through a university degree or industrial experience. Several universities across the USA offer formal academic training in food engineering. Agricultural engineering departments are a common avenue to specialization in the engineering aspects of food processing; however, it is not uncommon for graduates in food science to pursue the engineering specialization also. In fact, it is a requirement that food science students take a course in the principles of food process engineering; however, food scientists generally lack rigorous training in applied mathematics such as the use of differential equations to solve heat and mass transfer problems, plant design, or simulation of systems.

Internationally, food engineering training may be obtained through colleges of agriculture, chemical engineering departments, or schools of applied sciences. International degrees obtained through engineering programs, which also offer traditional engineering degrees such as chemical or mechanical, likely are the most similar to the typical USA degree, especially with regards to mathematical training. Table 1.1 shows a typical course work program to obtain an engineering degree specializing in food engineering. Tables 1.2 and 1.3 show typical course work in chemical and mechanical engineering, respectively. Comparing the three programs, it can be concluded that the major academic preparation difference lies in the specialized topics or areas of fundamentals of food processing and food microbiology. Other areas such as food chemistry, applied mass and energy balances to foods, or food unit operations can be learned from a general engineering degree such as chemical engineering. A mechanical or electrical engineer requires training in mass balances and unit operations for easier adaptation to the food engineering area.

Table 1.1

A Typical List of Courses for an International B.S. Program in Food Engineering

Table 1.2

Chemical Engineering; a Curriculum (USA) Example

127 total semester hours.

Table 1.3

Mechanical Engineering; a Curriculum (USA) Example

124–126 total semester hours.

Bachelor’s degree programs in engineering typically are designed to last 4 years, but many students find that it takes between 4 and 5 years to complete their studies. In a typical 4-year college curriculum, the first 2 years are spent studying mathematics, basic sciences, introductory engineering, humanities, and social sciences. During the last 2 years, most courses are in engineering, usually with a concentration in one specialty, such as food engineering or biotechnology. Some programs offer a general engineering curriculum; students then specialize on the job or in graduate school.

Some 5-year or even 6-year cooperative plans combine classroom study and practical work, permitting students to gain valuable experience and to finance part of their education.

3 Work Opportunities for a Food Engineer

All 50 US states and the District of Columbia require licensure for engineers who offer their services directly to the public. Engineers who are licensed are called professional engineers (PE). This licensure generally requires a degree from an Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) accredited engineering program, 4 years of relevant work experience, and successful completion of a state examination.

An informal collection of job descriptions for engineers gathered through the years (2009–2011) from various resources including: http://www.engineers.com, http://www.indeed.com, and http://www.foodrecruiters.com reveals some of the necessary skills companies, universities, or government agencies are looking for in a food engineer.

3.1 Job Description Sample 1

A Process Design Engineering Manager has engineering responsibility for root cause analysis and correcting “process issues” within a beverage, pharmaceutical, or food plant. This includes existing plant opportunities and new state of the art solutions to process packaging in a high speed plant. It is important that the candidate can demonstrate, with examples, his/her strength in visualizing complete projects at the conceptual stage.

Specific accou...

Table of contents

• Cover image
• Title page
• Table of Contents
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Preface to the Second Edition
• Preface to the First Edition
• List of Contributors
• Chapter 1. The Food Engineer
• Chapter 2. Food Regulations
• Chapter 3. Food Safety Engineering
• Chapter 4. Farm Machinery Automation for Tillage, Planting Cultivation, and Harvesting
• Chapter 5. Air Seeders for Conservation Tillage Crop Production
• Chapter 6. Grain Harvesting Machinery
• Chapter 7. Grain Storage Systems Design
• Chapter 8. Milking Machines and Milking Parlors
• Chapter 9. Dairy Product Processing Equipment
• Chapter 10. Grain Process Engineering
• Chapter 11. Technology of Processing of Horticultural Crops
• Chapter 12. Food Drying and Evaporation Processing Operations
• Chapter 13. Food Freezing Technology
• Chapter 14. Heat and Mass Transfer in Food Processing
• Chapter 15. Food Rheology
• Chapter 16. Food Extruders
• Chapter 17. Thermal Processing for Food Sterilization and Preservation
• Chapter 18. Artificial Neural Network (ANN) Based Process Modeling
• Chapter 19. Design of Food Process Controls Systems
• Chapter 20. Ohmic Pasteurization of Meat and Meat Products
• Chapter 21. Food Processing Facility Design
• Chapter 22. Sanitary Pump Selection and Use
• Chapter 23. Agricultural Waste Management in Food Processing
• Chapter 24. Food Packaging Machinery
• Chapter 25. Damage Reduction to Food Products During Transportation and Handling
• Index