Abstract: A production system for measuring product thickness in tortilla and tortilla chip production includes a production line, including a cooker/grinder, a sheeter/cutter, and a conveyor belt; and a displacement measurement unit, including a processor, non-transitory memory, an input/output component, a laser sensor for measuring vertical displacement of the conveyor belt and objects thereon, a laser controller, and a displacement calculator. Also disclosed is a method for thickness measurement, including capturing samples, calculating a vertical displacement probability density function, and calculating average product thickness.

Abstract: A heat controlled oven system includes a plurality of oven levels, including an oven belt and gas burners; a gas flow network, including a gas supply line, a variable flow control valve, and on/off flow control valves; and a heat control unit, including a processor, a non-transitory memory, and input/output component, a heat modeler, a heat manager, a feedback controller, and a valve controller, such that the heat control unit is configured to calculate an estimated heat demand to adjust to a temperature set point, based on a heat model of the at least one oven level, and further calculates an optimized heat demand using a control loop feedback algorithm. Also disclosed is a method of heat calculation for an oven, including defining a heat model, calculating and optimizing the estimated heat demand, calculating and setting a variable valve position for the gas burners.

Abstract: A production system for measuring product thickness in tortilla and tortilla chip production includes a production line, including a cooker/grinder, a sheeter/cutter, and a conveyor belt; and a displacement measurement unit, including a processor, non-transitory memory, an input/output component, a laser sensor for measuring vertical displacement of the conveyor belt and objects thereon, a laser controller, and a displacement calculator. Also disclosed is a method for thickness measurement, including capturing samples, calculating a vertical displacement probability density function, and calculating average product thickness.

Abstract: A production system for moisture and texture detection and control in tortilla and tortilla chip production includes a production line, including a cooker/grinder, a sheeter/cutter, an oven, an equalizer, a fryer, and a cooler/packaging machine; and a production control unit, including a processor, non-transitory memory, an input/output component, a moisture controller, a temperature controller, a belt speed controller, a masa moisture sensor, a chip moisture sensor, laser sensors for measuring surface texture of baked and fried chips, a laser controller, a texture classifier, a feedback controller. Also disclosed is a method for production control, including controlling moisture content, measuring masa moisture, controlling oven, measuring baked surfaces, measuring fried surfaces, classifying baked surfaces, classifying fried surfaces, optimizing oven temperature, optimizing oven belt speed, storing and characterizing historical records.