Abstract: A system for optimizing a cleaning process of a food processing machine having at least one sensor and a computing device having at least one processor and a non-transitory computer-readable medium that is communicatively coupled to the food processing machine and a data store and computer-executable instructions stored thereon including executing instructions by the at least one processor to cause the computing device to perform actions including: receiving, by the computing device, data from the at least one sensor; processing, by the computing device, the data from the at least one sensor; and displaying, by the computing device, processed sensor data as a first metric relating to at least one cleaning step of a selected cleaning session of the food processing machine compared to an average first metric of the at least one cleaning step of a plurality of past cleaning sessions of the food processing machine.

Abstract: A sensing system (110) positioned relative to the conveyor belt (34) to sense the physical configuration of the belt side links (44) and (46) as well as the inclination or tilt of the side links.

Abstract: A bidirectional flow system for a cooking oven in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure includes an oven chamber having a first cooking zone in fluid communication with a second cooking zone, the oven chamber having at least a floor, a ceiling, and a mezzanine for dividing the first and second cooking zones; a gas circulation system for supplying gaseous cooking medium initially to either of the first or second cooking zone; and a return assembly for receiving returned gaseous cooking medium, wherein the return assembly includes a plurality of louvers movable between a first position and second position to receive returned gaseous cooking medium from the other of the first or second cooking zone. Systems and methods for adjusting cooking zones in an oven are also provided.

Abstract: A method of cooking in a continuous cooking oven system generally includes transporting food products on a continuous, pervious conveyor through a helical path within a cooking chamber, directing a substantially vertical flow of a heated gaseous cooking medium into either a top end or a bottom end of the helical stack and through the plurality of superimposed tiers, and selectively reversing the substantially vertical flow of heated gaseous cooking medium on a user defined interval.

Abstract: A cooking system having adjustable oven cooking zones generally includes a spiral stack disposed within a cooking oven chamber, the spiral stack including a plurality of tiers, and a circulation system for delivering gaseous cooking medium to the spiral stack in the cooking oven chamber. The system further includes a mezzanine assembly including an inner mezzanine and an outer mezzanine, wherein the position of the inner mezzanine is movable relative to the position of the outer mezzanine. Methods for adjusting cooking zones in an oven, and systems and methods for bidirectional flow systems for cooking ovens, are also provided.

Abstract: A method of cooking in a continuous cooking oven system generally includes transporting food products on a continuous, pervious conveyor through a helical path within a cooking chamber, directing a substantially vertical flow of a heated gaseous cooking medium into either a top end or a bottom end of the helical stack and through the plurality of superimposed tiers, and selectively reversing the substantially vertical flow of heated gaseous cooking medium on a user defined interval.

Abstract: A chain link for a conveyor chain included in a sup-porting installation, comprising an upper flange (17) and a lower flange (18), a first connecting element (21) and a second connecting element (22). The first and second connecting elements (21, 22) are arranged so that the chain link is laterally pivotable relative to a second and a third chain link. The connecting elements (21, 22) are arranged at a distance (D) from each other in a lon-gitudinal direction (P1) along which the chain link and also the second and the third chain link are arranged, the lower flange being connected to the upper flange and arranged at a distance therefrom seen in a direction per-pendicular to both the longitudinal direction (P1) and a transverse direction (P2) of the chain link.