Abstract: An apparatus, system, and method for a precision temperature and moisture content control for batch food production using an agitated and jacketed vessel equipped with a multi-stage and balanced vacuum system, an outboard heat exchanger system indirectly heats the vessel and accompanying, weighing, sensing, and controlling devices. A condensate collection and weight system is interlinked with processing control so as to allow a vacuum level within the system to be precisely controlled based on the weighing system to allow moisture removal and prevent overcooking in an automated vacuum cooling process, a vacuum cooking process, or a combination of a vacuum cooling and a vacuum cooking process.

Abstract: An industrial batch production system, including at least one industrial automation device, at least one equipment sensor disposed on and operatively coupled to the industrial automation device to obtain on-line data relating to a batch run, an Internet-enabled local controller in electronic communication with the equipment sensors, a cloud link connecting the Internet-enabled local controller with an Internet-based cloud platform, a central server in the cloud platform configured to receive data from the local controller and running a process historian software program having a time series database, and at least one Internet-enabled device configured to receive manually obtained time-stamped offline data relating to the batch run and to transmit the offline data to the central server independently of the Internet-enabled local controller through a VPN or Ethernet.

Abstract: A system and method for cooking meat and thereafter removing liquefied fat from the cooking vessel, including a horizontally disposed cooking vessel having an interior cooking chamber, a top cover, at least one reversible ribbon agitator in an agitator trough; a plurality of steam injectors disposed in a lower portion of said agitator trough and in fluid communication with said agitator trough; a sensor system having sensors and programmed to detect and differentiate the location and depth of layers of liquified fat, emulsion, and water within said cooking chamber; a plurality of extraction funnels disposed in an overhead portion of said cooking chamber; and an extraction funnel motor and drive system for moving said extraction funnels up and down within said cooking chamber.

Abstract: An industrial batch production system, including at least one industrial automation device, at least one equipment sensor disposed on and operatively coupled to the industrial automation device to obtain on-line data relating to a batch run, an Internet-enabled local controller in electronic communication with the equipment sensors, a cloud link connecting the Internet-enabled local controller with an Internet-based cloud platform, a central server in the cloud platform configured to receive data from the local controller and running a process historian software program having a time series database, and at least one Internet-enabled device configured to receive manually obtained time-stamped offline data relating to the batch run and to transmit the offline data to the central server independently of the Internet-enabled local controller through a VPN or Ethernet.

Abstract: A system and method for cooking meat and thereafter removing liquefied fat from the cooking vessel, including a horizontally disposed cooking vessel having an interior cooking chamber, a top cover, at least one reversible ribbon agitator in an agitator trough; a plurality of steam injectors disposed in a lower portion of said agitator trough and in fluid communication with said agitator trough; a sensor system having sensors and programmed to detect and differentiate the location and depth of layers of liquified fat, emulsion, and water within said cooking chamber; a plurality of extraction funnels disposed in an overhead portion of said cooking chamber; and an extraction funnel motor and drive system for moving said extraction funnels up and down within said cooking chamber.