Tortiauto
Joshua Mark Garcia, Anthony Joseph Martinez, Melvin Yang, Kfir Bar, Mario Alfredo Miranda
School of Engineering
Faculty Supervisor: George Anwar
The proposed automatic tortilla machine is designed to assist small food businesses and food trucks by streamlining the tortilla-making process. This all-in-one unit integrates mixing, kneading, extruding, and cutting to improve efficiency and reduce labor dependency. The system features a 10-quart mixing bowl capable of holding up to 2.25 kg of raw ingredients. After kneading for 5 minutes, a D.C. linear actuator lifts the kneading attachment, allowing the dough to rest for 10 minutes. A worm gear then rotates the mixing bowl 180° to transfer the dough into an extruder, which uses another linear actuator to push it through a 1-inch diameter hole. A single blade cuts the dough into pucks at a rate of 6 per second, which are then transported via a silicone conveyor belt at 0.5 m/s to the Betamax Combo for pressing and cooking. This machine addresses labor shortages and rising costs in the food industry, where small businesses often struggle to produce fresh products in-house. With the cost of dining out and groceries steadily increasing, restaurant owners must find ways to add value for customers. By automating tortilla production, this system enhances productivity, maintains food quality, and provides an efficient solution for small-scale food operations.