Portioning system for meat cubes

Requirement

A solution for optimising the process was to be developed for the area of weight-based portioning of meat cubes. The manual filling of the meat pieces into the packaging of the thermoformer no longer met the requirements for the throughput to be achieved, and the accuracy of the filled weights fluctuated too much.

Since raw, unpackaged meat is processed on the entire line, it was necessary to ensure good cleanability and hygienic design in all aspects.

Solution

To meet the customer's requirements, a completely customised system was developed that automatically portions the pieces of meat.

The products are fed in batches from a dicer provided by the customer. An ascending conveyor belt takes the products and ensures that a consistent product flow is generated by means of a distribution unit. This ensures greater accuracy and less fluctuation in weight in the subsequent process.

After the product feed has been optimised, the actual portioning according to target weight takes place on the scales. As soon as the target weight has been reached, the feed stops briefly and the finished portion is transferred to the transfer conveyor. An intelligent algorithm in the software of the operating terminal automatically optimises the parameters with each completed weight determination, thus actively reducing give-away.

In the last step of the process, the individual portions are transferred in cycles into the packaging to be filled. To ensure an optimal product transfer, the conveyor belt for this task is trapezoidal in design and therefore closes directly above the thermoformer.

Since the system is used to process raw and unpackaged meat, it is fully IP69-rated. In addition, a great deal of attention was paid to an open construction according to hygienic design with good accessibility and cleanability. Horizontal surfaces were avoided as far as possible and elements that are particularly subject to hygienic stresses, such as product guides, can be quickly hinged down without tools. Cleaning nozzles are installed throughout the entire system to support the staff in cleaning the portioning system. These provide additional support and allow more efficient and shorter cleaning cycles.

The implementation of the portioning system has led to a significant improvement in both the throughput and the accuracy of the individual portioning.