Full solutions from a single source

ADVANTAGE
new developments in the meat processing industry
May 2007 - Volume 1
”Meat processors can expect to see
an increased effort to provide new
and innovative solutions to their
production challenges from Marel
Food Systems”
Hörður Arnarson, CEO Marel Food Systems
Full solutions from a single source
Enhancing
performance
at Tulip
PAGE 21
Achieving total
yield control
at Gilde
PAGE 17
Dungannon
Meats Group
meating needs
PAGE 11
PAGE 3
High-volume
portioning solution at
Mountain City Meat
PAGE 19
CO N T E N T S
2Expanded operations
benefit customers
3Full solutions from
a single source
4
In good shape
Expanded operations
benefit customers
5New MPS software
– more is better
6Pace Bone Line - new solution
from Marel and Carnitech
7Loads more output at
loads less cost
8IQF pork bangers packed on a
Scanvaegt multihead weigher
9ScanPortioner B55
with Cut n’ Batch
10For a fast and flexible
freezing process
11Dungannon meats group
meating needs
12Marel meat processing
line imitated
13Consistent quality leads
to customer loyalty
14Collaboration based
on trust
15ScanCombinator selfadjusting multihead weigher
16ScanPortioner B36 gets
the go in Spain
Hörður Arnarson, CEO of Marel Food Systems.
The merger of AEW Delford, Carnitech, Marel and Scanvaegt into one group – Marel
Food Systems – with a unified sales and service network offers meat processors new
and innovative solutions to their production challenges
The four companies that make up Marel Food
Systems have provided innovative and advanced
machines and turn-key solutions to all major
meat processors over the last decade. With the
creation of Marel Food Systems the position as
preferred suppliers to the meat industry has been
taken to the next level.
companies. It is not enough to offer one machine;
companies must be able to provide total
solutions,” says Hörður. ”Together, AEW Delford,
Carnitech, Marel and Scanvaegt offer high quality
equipment and turn-key solutions that cover
more of the value chain than they could each
offer before.”
”Meat processors are continually looking for ways
to improve their products,” says Hörður Arnarson,
CEO of Marel Food Systems. ”In bringing together
four innovative companies we have created a
strong player that can meet the demands of
our customers with sound, dynamic product
development and cost efficiency through
economies of scale.”
Dedicated to innovation
17 Total yield control
18High quality pork processing
19Mountain City Meat & Marel
collaborate
20New Scanvaegt RoboBatcher
21High-speed outlet elevators
enhancing performance
22 Portion & Pack Combo
23Service is a collaborative
partnership
24Scan AB chooses
Marel flowline solution
Covering all aspects of processing
The product range has expanded and covers every
need in the fish processing industry from deboning,
trimming and grading through to further processing
of hot and cold ready-made products.
“It is necessary to offer an extensive product mix
to meet the needs of high-tech food processing
Innovation has been the driving force behind the
success of each brand, a strategy which Marel
Food Systems continues to pursue.
”We have been committed to vigorous product
development in order to meet our customers’
demands,” says Hörður. ”Meat processors can
expect to see an increased effort to provide
new and innovative solutions to their production
challenges. The strength of Marel Food Systems
lies in the capability to respond quickly to
emerging needs and provide a strong global
service network.”
Full solutions
from a single source
Companies in the food industry are on the lookout for solutions
designed from the outset to be highly effective, integrated
systems.
To reap the full benefits of these, an increasing number of plant
operators are moving toward systems sourced from either one
single supplier or a very limited number of experts.
The partnership between AEW Delford, Carnitech, Marel and
Scanvaegt has created exactly this kind of high-impact singlesource supplier of processing solutions for the food industry.
Companies that wish to build a new processing facility, or refurbish an existing production hall or line, want to work with one
supplier that can deliver the entire system,
rather than having the trouble of cobbling
together machinery from several different
suppliers.
“We see more and more companies
wanting to deal with one single supplier,
who is responsible for the development
and execution of a turnkey project,”
says International Business Manager at
Scanvaegt, John Steffensen, and continues
“Having just one single supplier, provides
our customers with clear-cut advantages.
Firstly, it minimises any potential for error in
the interface between equipment. Secondly,
it paves the way for a better, safer total
solution and more reliable installation of the
processing line.”
the form of new ideas that arise as a result of
expert discussions.
Marel’s Meat Division Manager, Siggi Olafsson
points out. “The close partnership between
the four companies also means that we
pool our R&D resources. This means we can
develop even more advanced processing
equipment that will result in big-time benefits
for our customers’ productivity.”
Meeting all processing needs
Poultry, meat and fish processing experts
from AEW Delford, Carnitech, Marel and
Scanvaegt are often called upon to provide
specialist consultancy services throughout
the food processing industry.
Combining expertise in
every food segment
Marel Food Systems has a comprehensive
portfolio of equipment and solutions that
are fully capable of meeting the entire
spectrum of requirements for portioning
and traceability in food processing facilities.
These include:
Food processing companies normally look
for integrated solutions on a case-by-case or
product-by-product basis.
Sometimes, however, this involves using
multiple suppliers because each can provide
them with indispensable expertise in a
particular field. In such cases, expert suppliers whose capabilities are already well
integrated can provide additional benefits in
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Graders and batchers
Multihead weighers
Portioning machines
Labelling systems
Traceability systems
Quality inspection systems
Flow lines
Robot solutions
In good shape
Both products and employees are in good shape at Danish Crown’s plant in Horsens. The new clipping unit for packed
pork neck fillets enhances quality as well as ergonomics.
Export to foreign markets often puts special
demands on finished products, and pork neck
fillets from Danish Crown are no exception.
In order to meet the requirements of foreign
customers regarding the shape of packed
products, the new generation of Carnitech’s
clipping machine has been introduced into
the Danish Crown group’s pork division for
cutting and deboning in Horsens, Denmark.
Improvement of tightening function
“The focal point in this project has been the
all important tightening function which in
the old generation needed improvement.
Customers who filed complaints that the
packings took on an oval rather than a
“We have beyond doubt achieved
what we wanted. We now have
a fine cylindrical shape and we
experience the spin-off benefit
of improved ergonomics”
Production engineer, Kim Revsbæk
Danish Crown’s pork division in Horsens is the world’s
most advanced abattoir
cylindrical shape forced us to address this
particular problem, so we had everything to
gain by engaging ourselves in a development
project with Carnitech,” says production
engineer at Danish Crown, Kim Revsbæk.
He continues: ”As for quality enhancement,
we have beyond doubt achieved what we
wanted. We now have this fine cylindrical
shape which is in rising demand on foreign
1500 neck fillets an hour
markets such as Japan and Germany. In
addition, we experience the spin-off benefit
of improved ergonomics – a matter which
clearly took on significance once the project
had been initiated.”
to fit within the packaging.
“Obviously this slows things down, but overall
the line has performed well since installation
two years ago. Peak performance is 25
packings per minute, depending on product
size and quality as well as operator number
and efficiency. For several reasons, operating
staff is kept at three at the moment, but
under ideal circumstances a fourth operator
would enable us to produce at maximum
capacity,” says Ole Pedersen.
High ergonomic standards
Integrated in a line with the fully automatic neck fillet packer, the new clipping unit
handles tightening and final clipping. To feed
the machine correctly the operator needs to
make a slight pre-tightening of the package.
As packing manager Ole Pedersen explains,
“The strain put on wrist and arm by this
operation is inconsiderable compared to the
wrenching required by the type of clipping
machine we used before. You cannot
eliminate repetitive strain injuries altogether,
but you can commit yourself to reducing
the risk. Good working conditions have high
priority here.”
Packing manager Ole Pedersen in front of the neck
fillet packer
The Horsens division has two packing lines
for pork neck fillets. One is in operation and
the other is primarily intended for peak load.
Each line is designed for a capacity of 1500
identical neck fillets an hour, but the actual
capacity has not yet exceeded 1000. This
is partly due to the fact that an increasing
number of neck fillets are becoming too big
Inventiveness a principal factor
According to Kim Revsbæk, “Offering the job
to Carnitech was the most obvious thing to
do, since we have co-operated with them for
years, and when it comes to inventiveness
they are among the very best. From initial
concept to start-up of production, this has
been a joint venture which, has turned out
satisfactory to everyone involved.”
The new tightening function of the clipping machine
boosts product quality as well as ergonomics
With all Production Performance
Indicators at their fingertips, plant
managers are able to optimize
processing quality and efficiency.
New MPS software
– more is better
Expanded features and functionality greatly improve production monitoring & control
Marel has just released its next generation
MPS Production Software. This software is
already up and successfully running at two
locations in Iceland. MPS monitoring and
control software immediately became an
indispensable component in modern food
manufacturing when initially released in
the mid 1990s. These earlier MPS versions
have been installed at close to 900 locations
worldwide.
Optimizes production
The primary function of the next generation
MPS software is to monitor and control
all processing and production operations,
including weighing, grading, portioning,
trimming, packing, labeling, inventory, shipping, receipts, quality control, planning,
ordering, order packing, and remote servicing, giving 100% traceability. This traceability feature performs at all production
stages, from reception through inventory,
production and dispatch.
The system allows users to follow the overall
production process in real-time. This makes
MPS a valuable decision-making tool: with
all Production Performance Indicators at
their fingertips, plant managers are able to
optimise processing quality and efficiency.
MPS software therefore plays an essential
role in significantly reducing giveaway while
increasing throughput and yield, improving
product quality and positively impacting
profits. It is also a tool to effectively monitor
and improve employee performance.
Short learning curve
The next generation MPS includes a new
and easy-to-use interface. The software has
a very short learning curve, and supports
the full range of users: individuals at all levels
of operations can easily access plant and
processing data using a simple point-andclick navigation tool.
MPS data analysis tools provide plant
decision makers with immediate access to
detailed, real-time plant information. The
production history provides information
regarding machines utilized, shifts, users and
their capabilities, quality records and links to
continuous process data.
Web reports and integration
The system is equipped with dynamic
integration capabilities that have been
effectively implemented in various ERP
system, for example Microsoft Dynamics
NAV and SAP. It also has extensive reporting
capabilities to handle even the most complex
reporting requirements. In addition, reports
from the system can be published in realtime on the Internet for easy access by
management and customers.
Pace Bone Line - new solution
from Marel and Carnitech
The intelligent Pace Bone Line joins the best
of two brands: the Marel Flowline concept
with each worker monitored for yield,
throughput and quality, and the Carnitech
Pace Line where the group work concept is
utilized without requiring a skilled butcher.
Highly effective group workstations
The joint solution involves a series of group
workstations, each of which may include
several operators. Group workstations have
one infeed buffer for incoming primal, a
monitor for each operator that graphically
displays cutting patterns, and outfeed
buffers for finished products.
After automatic weighing, the primal is sent
to a designated workgroup. Each operator
performs his task according to the cutting
pattern displayed. As the primal moves from
one operator to the next, individual products
from each operator are placed in one of the
outfeed buffers.
Full overview of yield,
throughput and quality
A workgroup of four working on a leg of pork
with cycle time 120 seconds, for example will
balance out to 30 seconds per operator. This
cutting-pattern cycle might require operator
number two to remove the topside, which
is then released from buffer onto the main
product conveyor. With the new line it is
possible to keep track of all products coming
from individual workers, as well as work
group units, by measuring yield, throughput
and quality.
Each cut and trim is released onto a product
conveyor and the products pass over a Dynamic
Intelligent pace lines fuses the best of
the best into something even better
scale where the precise weight is registered.
From there, the product can be selected for
a QC check, or go directly to its designated
packing gate. In the meantime, the workgroup
is already processing another primal.
MPS monitors and
controls production
Marel’s powerful MPS system software
monitors and controls the entire operation.
The system enables managers to keep track
of overall performance in real-time, thereby
maximizing yield, throughput and quality.
MPS identifies weaknesses in performance
which can then be immediately addressed.
The system also has a traceability feature
that performs at all production stages, from
reception through inventory, production
and dispatch.
Loads more output
at loads less cost
AEW Delford’s new Intelligent Portion Loading (IPL) Robot uses vision
technology to accurately identify the position and orientation of
incoming portions, enabling it to lift, turn and transfer them – gently,
quickly and accurately – in varying configurations.
The IPL robot can load fresh or frozen, meat, poultry or cooked meats
into trays or thermoformers and added value products into final retail
packs including boxes. Portions can also be handled in singles or
multiples. Other applications include automatically loading the infeed
belt of a freezer in order to optimise the available space thus saving
labour and energy costs.
For high volume applications, the single vision and control system can
handle up to six robot heads, each of which can perform various tasks
and certain grading options and, thanks to 99 product programme
memories, product changeovers can be made quickly and simply.
Features
• Unique pick-up head enables portions to be loaded gently and accurately into
trays or thermoformers
• Vision technology provides various grading options such as size or shape
• Available with up to 6 loading heads depending on production requirements
• A range of fast change pick-up heads is available for different products
• Quickly removable product contact parts for easy cleaning
• Operates stand-alone or can be integrated into a wide range of manual or
automatic production lines
IQF pork bangers packed on a
Scanvaegt multihead weigher
8
Labor-intensive packing of pork sausages has been replaced by smart packing on a ScanCombinator multihead weigher.
As a result Enterprise Foods have been able to reduce the staff by 14 people.
Enterprise Foods is one of South Africa’s
largest and most well-known food
producers. With brands like Renown, Prima
and Enterprise itself you cannot walk in to a
South African food store without seeing one
of their many products.
“Being a market leader also means that
consumers look to us for new convenience
products,” says Senior Production Manager
at the Continental Pork Sausage & Salami
division of Enterprise Foods, Andries Erasmus
and continues: “One of the things that we
wanted to introduce to the market place
was IQF pork sausages and this allowed us to
also come up with new ways of presenting
and packing
the pork bangers, as we call them here in
South Africa.”
Zip lock-bags for
heightened convenience
Multihead weigher ensures flexibility
The IQF pork bangers now among others
come in a 1 kg. pack with a zip lock.
Enterprise Foods deliver their pork bangers
to three main customer groups: the catering
supermarkets, the local discount market and
the upper tier retail supermarkets.
“Some customers are quite sensible. The
bangers need to have the right look and
the same “bite” as they are used to,” Andries
explains. “Many also still want fresh and not
frozen sausages but we are trying to get
them to choose frozen products as we can
produce these more efficiently because
of less giveaway.”
With the ScanCombinator in
place Enterprise Foods have
the flexibility to still manually
pack fresh sausages and at the
same time try to increase sales and
production of the IQF sausages.
“Customers want to be able to see the
bangers when they are at the food counter.
This is why we have now designed a bag with
a see through window. We are confident that
the customers will gradually buy more and
more IQF products and therefore we spend
a lot of time and effort in designing new
packaging.”
Easy to use – easy to maintain
For Andries Erasmus it has also been a
decisive factor that the multihead weigher is
very cleaner friendly, that it can be operated
without extensive training and that the after
sales service is good.
“From our previous experiences with
Scanvaegt’s service team here in South Africa
we know that they will do their very best
to provide service when we need it and
that is extremely important to us,” Andries
concludes.
Batches to fixed weight in consumer packs
ScanPortioner B55 with
Cut n’ Batch
The Cut ‘n Batch concept from Scanvaegt is a new way of efficiently
automatically cutting and batching meat portions.
Cut n’ Batch concept guarantees
perfect presentation
Scanvaegt’s Cut n’ Batch processing concept
allows the ScanPortioner to produce batches
for fixed-weight consumer packs. A predefined weight and number of cuts will make
up each batch. The individual pieces within
the batch are always the same thickness
which means convenience to the customers
as all the pieces take the same time to cook.
Scanvaegt’s B55 ScanPortioner is developed
specifically for accurate portion cutting of
boneless meat – beef, pork, veal and lamb.
A genuine 3-D vision system that scans 360 °
around the product ensures that all shadows
and unseen areas are recorded giving
unprecedented accuracy with regards to
cutting to fixed-weight. This, combined with
a unique V-belt design, a product holder and
a patented boundary detection capability for
prevention of backward movement provides
perfect product fixation and paves the way
for an almost 100 % utilization of the raw
material.
Benefits
• Provides consecutive meat portions with equal colour
and width in each batch/tray/pack
• Exact weight on the entire batch (not per piece)
• No need for weighing machine or grader/batcher
• Provides gentler handling than most other solutions
• Higher capacity than an individual weighing line
• Takes up less space in your factory than traditional solutions
• The solution does not only make fixed weight but can also
set a weight range for random weight
When the portions (e.g. 4 per 125 g) leave the
ScanPortioner they are separated by a small
gap that indicates the fixed weight batch. It
is then easy for the manual operators on the
subsequent packing table to load the batch
into trays for perfect presentation with the
same meat colour, marbling, fat coverage
etc.
The Cut n’ Batch system can also be integrated
with a Robot or Tray Loader for automatic
packing into trays.
New Superflow Freezer MK4
For a fast and flexible
freezing process
Flexibility is the main quality of the
new impingement freezer from Dantech
Food Systems. Adjustable product height
ensures optimum freezing of products
regardless of how thick they are.
Freezing times are reduced by approx. 45%
compared to freezers without impingement,
and the extremely short freezing time provides
products of high quality. The new model exploits
freezing capacity to the full, and provides the
opportunity of leading entire boxes through
the freezer.
1 0
“The Superflow Freezer has already proven
its flexibility when it comes to crust-freezing
pieces of meat, individual as well as boxed,
clearly exceeding our expectations of rapid
freezing with a view to improved shelf life.”
Managing Director, Henrik Ziegler
BeneFits
• Freezing and chilling at very fast retention times
• Adjustable product height minimizing manual handling
• Unique uniform modular design for easy cleaning & maintenance
• Twin & single belt solutions for maximum flexibility
• Two different products at the same time
Dungannon Meats Group
Meating needs
From small butcher’s shop to
a major meat processor
This successful family run business is owned
and managed by brothers, Jack and Jim
Dobson who, since 1976, have impressively
transformed their small butcher’s shop into
a major meat processing group with 8 sites
based in Ireland, England and Wales. The
group relies on a sound, tried and tested
3 way partnership between producer,
processor and customer that works together
to control quality all the way through from
plough to plate.
Dungannon’s Green Pastures brand has, as a
result, gained a well deserved and enviable
reputation throughout the industry for its
products which are in consistently high
demand from many of the UK’s biggest and
best retailers.
AEW Delford handles weighing,
pricing and labelling
It’s 6am on a typically busy day at Dungannon
Meats in Belfast. The morning shift will soon
arrive and start processing the usual large
volumes of first class, fresh, beef, pork and
lamb retail packs and added value lines in a
wide variety of weights and configurations.
By 7am the day’s orders may not have arrived
from the big retailers but, thanks to years of
experience, a management team that really
knows the business and a huge inventory
of the very latest and best technology,
Production Director, Kenny Swann and his
team can face the day with confidence,
whatever size of order or configuration is
thrown at them.
Green Pastures products come in all shapes
and sizes of packs with typically 2-300 in
any one day being processed, packed and
labelled. Own brands are also produced so
it takes quite an armoury of technology to
handle such a varied output of weights and
formats.
Weighing, pricing and labelling of all this is
done by a formidable fleet of AEW Delford
Systems weigh price labellers which was
acquired earlier this year after extensive
investigation and trialling of a number of
makes. In all there are 13 lines at Dungannon
comprising nine model 8060, five model 8100
and, at the Oriel Jones plant in Wales, a further
three model 8060 machines. The machines
work reliably, quickly and continuously across
a range of tray seal, thermoformed, vacuum
and special offer packs.
Yet further flexibility was gained by
adding AEW Delford Systems C3 panel
label applicators which are used to
apply self adhesive, pre-printed
labels onto either top and side,
top, side and base or top and
two sides of tray packs.
There is a communication network between
all the lines and, to help optimise production
still further, all the machines are connected
to the main computer to provide a constant
flow of instant production information and
monitoring of productivity.
An integrated contributor
to productivity
Kenny is very pleased with the system’s
overall performance, “With the widely
varying demands placed on us every day, we
have to be extremely efficient and flexible
to meet the needs of our customers. The
Delfords are quick and reliable and, because
of their considerable label capacity, they can
run for long periods without attention. The
clear and simple controls make life really
easy for our operators – a major contributory
factor to productivity.”
“And when we do need service we get it –
promptly and efficiently – but then I always
knew that was the case ‘cos I’ve been dealing
with these guys for more than 25 years,” he
concluded.
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Marel Meat
processing line imitated
Standard Meat Company of Dallas,
Texas, a longtime Marel customer,
has built a new plant around a Marel
processing solution, which proves the
proverb that imitation is the highest
form of flattery.
Following the success of the Marel steak
processing line installed at its Dallas operation
in 2002, the Standard Meat Company opted
for another such system at its new DOS
processing plant in Saginaw, near Fort
Worth, Texas. The new processing line is
similar to the one at the original facility –
plus some changes that enhance operations
even further based on experiences gained
from the first installation.
Working together
The company produces a range of quality beef
and pork items for a major casual steakhouse
restaurant chain in the USA. “Designing the
new facility presented the Standard Meat team
with a unique opportunity to improve on the
great Marel technology we are using at the
Dallas facility,” says the Standard Meat Team.
“We worked closely with Marel to identify
several opportunities for improvement.
Many enhancements were included in the
new Saginaw facility, which were also used
to upgrade the existing Marel equipment in
Dallas,” says the Standard Meat Team.
Diverse product range
The company produces products such as top
sirloin, tenderloins, ribeye and strips. With
such a diverse operation, they needed to
create a system that kept product handling
to a minimum, while ensuring that all
transfers were smooth and seamless. The
processing system developed and installed
at the Standard Meat plant includes highperformance flowline and portioning
technology from Marel, along with packing
solutions from sister company Carnitech.
This successful merger of technologies
takes meat processing to the next level
of performance, which includes real-time
data readouts, Marel’s flowline concept
of seamless product flow and automated
registration of tub conveying. The system
is monitored and controlled with Marel’s
MPS production software, which provides a
real-time overview of the entire production
flow, including full product traceability:
from incoming raw material to packing and
shipping.
Consistent quality leads
to customer loyalty
Marel has achieved a high level of processing QC with its powerful MPS system
In order to meet growing demands by
customers for quality assurances, processing
operations must be evermore diligent when
carrying out quality control inspections.
When performed by Marel’s MPS Quality
Control application, inspections become
highly effective and efficient, and allimportant traceability requirements are
met with 100% reliability. At the same time,
conveniently accessed in-plant or remotely
in a variety of user-friendly reports. Products
can therefore be easily traced to their origin
if problems relating to contamination or
disease arise.
all costs relating to labor and customer
complaints drop dramatically, while the
need for a paper-based system is virtually
eliminated.
Marel’s innovative MPS QC system was
designed specifically to provide in-depth,
real-time performance supervision and
control. This prevents unsatisfactory or
suspicious products from making their way
to customers – and one of the best ways to
maintain customer loyalty is by delivering
consistent quality.
Instant performance feedback
MPS QC systems can be installed at various
locations in processing plants, for example
at receiving, processing, packing or dispatch.
A number of input devices can be connected
to the user-friendly system, and all inspection
processes, inspection items, inspection lists,
score calculations and appropriate responses
to QC inspections are easy to configure.
With constant quality control, production
managers and supervisors can monitor the
performance of individual operators on
trimming or deboning lines in real-time.
Regular and random checks ensure that
potential problems are identified and fixed
before they can have a negative impact
on operations. Workers receive instant
feedback about their performance, and can
immediately make adjustments to optimize
the quality of their output. This increases
production value by producing more primary
products and fewer downgrades.
100% traceability
Marel’s system is linked and integrated
into its production control and monitoring
software. The application maintains QC
evaluation on various inspection items and
inspection processes – for example general,
raw material, process, trimming, deboning,
and final product inspections – and responses. All registrations are archived in the
system’s powerful database, which can be
The primary purpose of every inspection
is to confirm quality standards, or identify
weaknesses which can then be rectified.
Inspections become highly effective
and efficient, and allimportant
traceability requirements are met
with 100% reliability.
1 3
Collaboration based
on trust
At the factory layout stage great importance was attached to optimum space utilization in order to fit in a plant twice as large as before
1 4
Positive experience with previous deliveries made DK-Foods choose Carnitech when capacity at the factory’s meat
processing plant needed doubling. DK-Foods is one of the leading Danish producers of salami and pepperoni.
“We never considered other suppliers since
our experience with Carnitech has been
nothing but satisfactory. When we started
up the plant a few years ago, Carnitech
supplied a fully automatic processing line
with online fat analysis and complete recipe
control, and it has all functioned impeccably,”
says managing director at DK-Foods, Steffen
Ramsgaard.
“The fat analyser is an
invaluable tool in our
production. It provides
reliable measurements,
and with a constant fat
content we get a fine and
uniform product.”
Managing director, Steffen Ramsgaard
It’s a question of quality
The prospect of being able to produce
salamis that look even more attractive than
is currently the case has led to DK-Foods
investing in a new and fully automatic
grinder for frozen meat.
“Our customers naturally appreciate an
appealing meat structure where the contrast
between the red and the white constituents
is as clear as possible. It makes the finished
products look better in the refrigerated
displays. Using frozen raw ingredients, we
can create a raw material that offers the
best chance of meeting this preference,” says
Ramsgaard.
content we get a fine and uniform product.
If the fat content varies from batch to batch,
taste, consistency and appearance will also
vary. From the consumer’s point of view, it
is important that the same type of salami
looks and tastes as it did the last time the
consumer purchased the product. The fat
analyser is therefore an invaluable tool in our
production,” says Ramsgaard.
Constructive solutions
DK-Foods produces salamis with different
fat contents, primarily because customer
requirements vary, but also because fat
percentages have generally been reducing
the past couple of years. A Carnitech fat
“Fitting a plant which is now twice as large
as it was into the existing facilities has
definitely been a challenge, but Carnitech
has designed a factory layout which makes
good use of the available space and ensures
a stable production flow. The addition of
raw ingredients runs smoothly, and the
same goes for cleaning and maintenance. I
think we have had a good and constructive
dialogue, and our collaboration is based on
mutual trust,” says Ramsgaard. He ends by
analyser has since start-up three years
ago accurately checked that the desired
fat content in the finished salami is not
exceeded.
“The fat analyser has lived up to our
expectations entirely. It provides reliable
measurements, and with a constant fat
saying that he knows from experience that
Carnitech equipment is well made and can
tolerate high capacities. It has only been
necessary to carry out minor repairs along
the way, so everyone seems optimistic about
the 6 tons of meat to be processed every
hour at the new plant.
An invaluable tool
Automatic Feeder Adjustment
technology comes standard with
all ScanCombinator multihead
weighers.
ScanCombinator
self-adjusting multihead
weigher
Scanvaegt’s series of multihead
weighers, the ScanCombinator, now
comes with the unique Automatic
Feeder Adjustment technology (AFA)
that ensures a consistent high flow of
products to the weighing unit, greater
processing accuracy and all time low
maintenance costs.
The key to weighing accuracy and high
production capacity is an effective vibratory
feed system. To make sure the vibratory
feeders operate at maximum efficiency, it is
crucial that each feeder vibrates at its own
specific resonance frequency at all times.
This frequency changes over time, however,
due to wear and tear in the feeder system as
well as normal fluctuations in temperature
and humidity. The unique AFA technology
from Scanvaegt therefore automatically
ensures that each individual feeder vibrates
at its own unique resonance frequency.
All time low maintenance costs
The AFA technology has been developed
by Scanvaegt’s R&D department on the
background of a clear wish from existing
customers. “The most important factor for
our customers is that the multihead weighers
are performing consistently and with as
little downtime as possible,” says Director of
Development at Scanvaegt Henrik Skyum.
He continues, ”the multihead weigher is able
to optimise the resonance frequency of all its
vibratory feeders in less than 30 seconds
ensuring a consistent high capacity.”
Designed specifically for
wet and sticky products
The design of the Scanvaegt multihead
weigher ensures that soft, wet and sticky
products like bacon-cubes and sausage slices
as well as other hard-to-handle products are
moved to the weighing unit as smoothly
and rapidly as possible – and does away with
feeder system blockages.
Built to last
The ScanCombinator is perfected for
maximum reliability and built to last – e.g.
all parts of the multihead weigher are in
stainless steel with various choices of surface
of the radial feeder system. The hopper and
the hopper gates are driven by step motors,
ensuring high-speed operation, flexibility
and minimum maintenance.
The ScanCombinator features excellent
hygiene with an open construction and easyto-clean sloping surfaces. It has an intelligent
user interface with high-quality colour touch
screen making it easy to operate.
FEATURES
• Extremely fast self-adjustment – it takes less than 30 seconds to optimise the frequency of all
10, 14 or 18 vibratory feeders
• Easy to use – no need to give operators any special training – just push a button
• Driver frequency is far more accurate than when using mechanical adjustment
• Unaffected by any fluctuations in main power supply.
1 5
ScanPortioner B36
gets the go in Spain
A 20% growth experienced by Carns Romeu SL in Spain
over the past two years and a growing demand for fixedweight portions has led to a change from manual to
automated cutting.
1 6
“For years we have cut our products manually, which is a rather difficult task, especially
if you want to get a fixed weight. So, to satisfy the market demands and meet your
costumers’ requirements, you have to progress,” explains Mr. Pere Romeu, manager
of Carns Romeu SL, and continues, “This is why we have invested in the Scanvaegt
portion cutter”.
“The portion cutter is ideal for our requirements for fixed-weight products. It can be
programmed according to the specifications of each customer orders, so we can give
them exactly what they need,” explains Mr. Romeu.
About Carns Romeu
Benefits for both producer and customer
Every day Carns Romeu supplies cured meats and processed fresh meat to large
companies in the hotel and catering industry, a sector that always demands consistent
cuts. “Basically, what we looked for in a cutting system was to increase productivity, to
gain cutting reliability, a cleaner cut and, of course, to get an accurate fixed weight”,
Pere Romeu points out.
Scanvaegt’s ScanPortioner B36 is the perfect solution for a firm like Carns Romeu,
who was looking for a fast and efficient way to increase the final yield and profitability
through greater productivity.
Inn addition to the user-friendliness and the accuracy of the portion cutter Pere Romeu
also highlights the benefits to the customers, “The new portion cutter offers savings in
the workforce, not only for us but also for our customers, as they do not need to handle
the meat after they receive it, because the product is ready to be served”.
Satisfied with on-site demonstration
The decision to buy the ScanPortioner B36 was easy for Carns Romeu because they
had the opportunity to test it in their own facilities before purchasing it. Before taking
the decision, Mr. Romeu wanted to be sure about the results of the portion cutter
when working with their own products. “I was interested in seeing the real results of
this cutter in my own facilities with my own products. When you purchase a piece of
equipment after a demonstration, you know what you are really buying and the truth
is that when we tested it, all of us became convinced and impressed with the results.”
Pere Romeu concludes.
Every day at Carns Romeu the
fresh meat (pork, lamb and beef ) is
cut, sliced and cured. After several
quality and traceability controls, the
company carries out the distribution
to their customers, so they can track
and control their products at every
moment in order to offer a greater
flexibility and quality.
Carns Romeu SL has its roots in a little
pork-butcher’s shop set up by Romeu’s
family in 1970 in the town of Gelida
in Spain. They have been concerned
about the health of their business,
taking care of each detail to achieve
the success that they enjoy nowadays,
as their little shop has grown into a
modern facility totaling 1.500 m².
Total yield control
With the Scanvaegt ScanTracerTM solution in place at Gilde Steinkjer, a landmark has been set at the Norwegian pork
processing plant, featuring a 25 percent increase in efficiency, an improved work environment, full traceability down
to each individual cut and – first and foremost – total yield control.
cutting line and training our staff in using
the system to its full capabilities, we expect
to be processing about 800 whole pigs per
day. This means a 20-25 percent increase in
production using the same number of staff,
and also with much better yields”.
As Tom Kjeldseth, who is in charge of the
cutting line elaborates, “With the new
system, we have also been able to process
each individual cut better. As an example, we
used to send 40 percent of our whole hams
for additional cutting at another processing
plant, because we ourselves did not have
sufficient capacity. That number is now down
to 10–15 percent.”
Constant improvement
on performance
The key to the full yield control lies in the
ScanTracer system’s ability to monitor the
entire production process, right down to
each individual operator and each individual
task. The ScanTracer system features
online real-time control of the output and
product flow of each individual operator.
Based on their performance and skill, the
system automatically adjusts the delivery of
products in order to make the production
process as efficient as possible.
Production up by 25 percent
Factory Manager Stig Hegdal explains,
“With the increase in demand for lean meat,
we wanted to upgrade the whole plant.
Before the new system was installed, we
were processing in the region of 550 whole
pigs per day. With the new system, we are
currently processing 650–700 whole pigs
but once we have completed fine-tuning the
The ScanTracer system is able to delegate
products to the operators with the skills
most appropriate for a specific task –
thus improving overall performance. The
production floor manager and operators
have worked together to set up a list of
priorities that results in products being
delivered to the particular operator who
can cut them best. The system also makes
sure that there is always a new piece of meat
ready to cut, placed in a buffer above the
operator – hence minimising waiting time.
The ScanTracer system can also give operators
real-time feedback on their performance.
About 10 percent of the cuts are taken out
for inspection at a quality control station. If
this reveals that there are operators who are
not cutting properly, it is possible to correct
this by sending out new cutting patterns
or delegating another task directly to the
operator. Gilde Steinkjer does not yet use
this particular feature, but once it is in effect
Stig Hegdal expects yields to be even better.
On–the-job training
Four large colour displays on the two
trimming tables allow Gilde Steinkjer to use
the system for training new operators. “We
have set a goal that at least 70 percent of
our operators must be skilled,” Tom Kjeldseth
Visit www.scanvaegt.com to
watch a video of the trimming
line at Gilde Steinkjer
says. “We can use these colour displays to
give new operators detailed information
about cutting patterns, etc. This, along with
peer-to-peer training, enables us to train our
operators in a rapid, effective way.”
Increasing demand for
hygiene and traceability
Another feature that weighed heavily in Gilde
Steinkjer’s decision to buy the Scanvaegt
system was the hygiene issue. In recent
years, Norway has experienced several tragic
incidents in which E-coli contamination in
foodstuffs has resulted in deaths, leading to
intense public and political debate.
Mr Hegdal says, “Food producers are under
close scrutiny when it comes to hygiene
standards and we wanted a system with
the least possible human handling of the
meat. In future, we expect to see pressure
from both the public and from the political
system for full traceability in foodstuffs. With
the ScanTracer, we have chosen the right
future-oriented solution to comply with such
demands.”
1 7
High quality
pork processing
Marel pork deboning and trimming at Finnish meat processor OY Snellman AB
Snellman has become one of the
better known convenience food
producers of Finland. The company’s
major markets extend beyond Finland
to Sweden, Russia and Japan. The
company operates a joint project with
the so-called Best Farmhouses Project
to ensure only the best quality meat
from suppliers.
1 8
Demands for increased performance and
better production resulted in the complete
overhaul of the deboning and grading
facilities at Finnish meat processor Snellman
in Jakobstad. A Marel Pork Processing
Line was installed in the deboning room
– a solution that has resulted in far better
production than before.
and weighing and grading units. Production
control software provides tracking and
quality inspection and delivers a complete
overview of the entire production with
detailed reports on yield, throughput,
quality, and performance.
“The new Marel line is a good, sophisticated
system,” says Staffan Snellman, Director
of Meat Production at Jakobstad. “The pork
line started up really well and the design of
the line is very good. After installation I have
been very satisfied with the performance.”
Reduced salvage and better
work conditions
The line helps reduce salvage and improve
the utilization of higher-priced items. In
addition, the line offers better ergonomic
and performance. The system has delivered
the rationalization Snellman needed as
deboning volume has gone up 10% with the
installation, delivering more per trimmer per
day than the previous process.
Better work conditions
Each operator has his own workspace
equipped with an ergonomically designed
worktable and bins for products and
trimmings. Each part is weighed and scanned
into the system and the deboners receive
information on each incoming piece on their
station terminal.
“The design of the workspaces for the
employees is exceptional and we are pleased
with the changes in work conditions,” says
Snellman. “Meat is automatically brought to
the deboners and taken away, eliminating
the heavy lifting and changing strenuous
physical aspect of the job.”
Individual monitoring
Each deboner logs onto the line on their
instruction terminal on their workstation. The
instruction terminal shows what products
are to be fabricated from the incoming piece
and guides the operator thought the process.
Incoming weight, and weight after deboning
are registered for comparison. After deboning,
the operator delivers the products to different
products chutes on the line that carries them
into grading or designated packing stations.
The pork deboning and trimming line
provides information on individual trimmer
performance and information on each piece
that goes through.
Grading and combo packing
Full production control
Up and running in June 2006, the new
Marel Pork Processing Line covers the
entire process – from primal cut up to final
trimming of portions into packing. The line
consists of a primary cut up station with inweighing, deboning and trimming flowline,
configurations with great quality control
while giving management the tools to
manage the operation better.
Deboning volume up 10%
With 36 workstations, the Snellman pork
deboning line has increased throughput
The system provides a fully automatic
grading process, from input to delivery
where product is graded into combo bins for
different destinations. The packing grader
has VEMAG bins for combo packing into tubs
and boxes. Trim can be graded directly into
VEMAG for further processing.
1 9
Mountain City Meat
& Marel collaborate
A high-volume portioning solution helps USA processor maintain its leadership position
Marel recently designed and installed a major
steak-cutting operation at the Mountain
City Meat Co. in Denver, Colorado. The
HACCP certified system, which turns out
100,000 pounds per shift of precise, portion
controlled steaks, includes the latest in food
safety and traceability technology.
Recognized as one of the most modern
and efficient meat production facilities of
its kind, Mountain City Meat has been a
leading supplier of quality beef products
for the restaurant, food and retail grocery
industry for over 20 years. The company
sells fresh and frozen products throughout
the USA, specializing in providing highquality, full-line, portion-controlled meat
programs.
More power
Mountain City Meat has been a Marel
customer since 1998. The most recent
installation is a high volume portioning
system with automatic and manual
portioning equipment, incorporating a
buffer store system from sister company
Carnitech.
The solution includes a 21-station pretrim line for beef and pork, one dual-lane
portioning system with a 10-station posttrim line, a single-lane portioning system
with a 5-station post-trim line and 2 customportioning lines with 35 stations. Steaks ready
for packing are placed into plastic totes with
Radio Frequency ID Tags for 100% product
traceability, which are then automatically
sent to the appropriate packing machine.
Yield, traceability and other KPI (Key
Production information) data are monitored
in real-time by Marel’s powerful MPS
production control software. This allows
management to control performance, and
immediately adjust operations whenever
weaknesses are indicated. The overall
solution lowers costs, increases efficiency,
reduces overweight, improves utilization,
maximizes quality control and enhances
ergonomic configurations.
Working as one
Marel worked in close partnership with
Mountain City during the entire innovation
and installation process. This type of
cooperation is key to how Marel innovates
solutions. It is an ongoing approach valued as
much by customers as by Marel consultants.
New Scanvaegt RoboBatcher
Scanvaegt’s latest innovation, the Scanvaegt
RoboBatcher, batches to fixed weight and
arranges the products in predefined patterns
directly into trays without any need for
manual intervention.
2 0
The Scanvaegt RoboBatcher sorts products
of varying weight, e.g. chicken pieces, steaks
and chops into a predefined fixed-weight
batch size and automatically styles and loads
the products into trays. It does all this with
the same unprecedented accuracy that is the
hallmark of Scanvaegt graders and batchers.
The RoboBatcher ensures a fast transfer of
weighed products from the pick-up belt
to the trays with a speed of 80-100 pieces/
minute per robot while still allowing a
very precise customer defined product
presentation. With a dual lane system a speed
of 160-200 products per minute is obtained.
Poultry first – red meat next
Vision technology ensures
perfect presentation
The Scanvaegt RoboBatcher is the result of an
intense development process from Scanvaegt.
“The RoboBatcher is the first robot solution
on the market that is able to batch as accurate
as our ScanBatcher 4700 which is way better
than any other solution on the market,”
says Director of Product Development at
Scanvaegt, Henrik Skyum and continues,
“We are in the process of introducing the
RoboBatcher to the poultry industry and
will soon be looking to test it in the meat
industry.”
Well-known technology combined
with advanced robotics
The RoboBatcher consists of the wellknown ScanBatcher 4700 weighing machine
equipped with ScanVision technology, a
robot with gripper arms for automatic styling
and tray loading and a disc separator system
for automatic tray in- and outfeed.
By using ScanVision technology the system
identifies the precise position of the products
on the pick-up belt. This means that there
are no specific demands on how the infeed
operators place products – the products do
not have to be placed in a specific direction.
This feature allows the user to freely define
a tray presentation pattern – e.g. presenting
the products in the tray “head-tail-head-tail”.
“Compared to other existing robot solutions
the RoboBatcher is special in that it is able to
handle all trays individually in a very compact
way by using a circular tray holder. On other
solutions on the market the trays go past the
robot in a straight line which makes it much
harder to batch properly thereby increasing
giveaway,” Henrik Skyum explains.
“We are in the process of introducing the
RoboBatcher to the poultry industry and will
soon be looking to test it in the meat industry.”
Henrik Skyum, Director of Product Development at Scanvaegt
High-speed outlet elevators
enhancing performance
Raw material handling at Tulip has been given a much needed boost with the replacement of three old elevators, picking
a daily total of 9000 trays from the raw material rack.
“The upgrade is a future-proof of our
production. The primary goal was a capacity increase of 10% in order to speed up the
inflow of raw material to the processing area.
Each elevator now has the capacity to operate at a much higher speed, and in future
this set-up will be contributing to a smoother and more efficient production flow,” says
project engineer at Tulip, Per Jespersen.
A high degree of
operational reliability
The secondary goal was an elimination of
the most frequent disruptions to production caused by trays not proceeding to the
lift cage by means of gravity, trays sticking to the roller path due to the formation
of ice underneath, or whole stacks of trays
coming to a stand still before reaching the
outlet. These are all disruptions that delayed
things unduly.
“In close co-operation with us, Carnitech
has developed a mechanism for the seizing and pushing of trays onto the lift cage. A
small device hooks itself onto the front tray,
pushing the entire stack backwards in order
to make it move forward onto the lift cage.
This works exactly as intended. System reliability has been enhanced, and time spent
on the extra operation at each pick is amply
compensated for by the increased cycle time
of the elevators,” says Per Jespersen.
A more substantial design
The new seizing-and-pushing mechanism
along with the required capacity increase
created new demands upon construction. This basically meant that a system of
more substantial design was needed. As Per
Jespersen explains, “The existing suspension
was much too weak for the new and significantly heavier lift cages and clearly not built
for this type of high-speed elevator. The new
one provides the option of operating at top
speed for a prolonged period of time, and
equally important, it absorbs horizontal as
well as vertical power in order to handle the
load of 200 kilos when pushing an entire
stack of trays backwards on the roller path.”
A flexible attitude
Apart from quality and functionality, flexibility has been of great importance to Tulip.
This project has by no means been a standard one, wherefore its effective implementation has required a high level of co-operation
and a mutual exchange of ideas between the
companies.
“Carnitech has been very responsive to the
ideas we had, and largely prepared to deviate from standard procedures even though
deadlines were tight. To us, this is paramount
as is also the ability to provide support
whenever we need it. When unexpected
problems have arisen, ways of solving them
or possible new solutions were proposed
shortly after. Throughout the entire process, we have benefited greatly from the
broad technical know-how demonstrated
by Carnitech, and in fact, as we speak, a new
project has already been initiated,” concludes
Per Jespersen.
“Carnitech has been very responsive to
the ideas we had, and largely prepared
to deviate from standard procedures
even though deadlines were tight”
Per Jespersen, project engineer, Tulip
Between them, the three outlet elevators pick 9000 trays a day
2 1
A high-yield money-saving solution with a short payback
Portion & Pack Combo
2 2
Two of Marel’s standardized workhorse
solutions – OptiCut portioning and QuickLoader packing – have been joined for the
express purpose of creating superior fixedweight and count packing. The Portion &
Pack combo delivers uniform weight and
shape portions that are packed directly into
trays, all in a single high-yield production
flow that eliminates manual handling. This
combo-solution is compact and super
efficient, fully optimizing raw material while
significantly reducing labor costs to ensure
rapid payback. Two operators are all that
are required to run a fully automatic duellane system.
stacking parameters. The system also has
the added benefit of being able to go online
for immediate remote servicing.
The M3000 controller is an equal partner
in this processing trio by eliminating
uncertainty when adjusting cutting and
Trays are fed onto a dual-lane indexing
conveyor beneath the QuickLoader. Portioncontrolled trays are then transferred to a
Step by step
Marel’s Portion & Pack combo has hightech functionally while being user-friendly.
Boneless meat is placed into the OptiCut
where it is molded and formed before being
cut into uniformly shaped fixed-weight slices
and batched. These predefined batches are
delivered in a single flow to the QuickLoader,
which automatically allocates them into
trays so gently that their shape and styling
are fully maintained.
merging conveyor and automatically transported to a checkweigher and/or a sealer. The
system is programmed to consistently make
complete batches that achieve optimum
weight and count. It also conveniently
removes offcut and trim from the product
flow for further processing.
Capacity
The Portion & Pack system is a complete
cutting, stacking and fixed-weight packing
solution designed to work with medium-size
packing machines. Throughput in the easy
to install and operate combo is dependent
on product type, portion size and portions
per tray.
Service is a collaborative
partnership
2 3
In a recent survey on what is most
important to food processing operators the two top scorers were product
reliability and after sales service.
This is why Marel Food Systems have
a sharp focus on providing global
services.
Food processors worldwide face numerous
challenges because of changing consumer
behavior, intense competition and issues
such as traceability and health risks. The
need for service availability and support
worldwide is therefore on the increase.
AEW Delford, Carnitech, Marel and Scanvaegt
are dedicated to providing the best-in-class
service for our customers.
says Mr. Henrik Ladefoged, Service Director
at Scanvaegt International.
flexibility in putting together a customer
service and support package tailored to your
exact requirements.
Unparalleled service organization
Ensure maximum uptime
More than 75% of all unscheduled
interruptions to food processing operations
can be directly attributed to human error
in the form of lack of familiarity with the
processing equipment, incorrect operation,
poor maintenance and carelessness.
“Our main objective is to support our customers’ business operations via services that
add value by ensuring maximum uptime,
availability and peak performance from each
of the food processing solutions we provide,”
With more than 300 trained and certified
field service engineers, directly employed
in over 30 countries across six continents
and more than 1000 on-site interactions
with customers every day, we have a unique
insight in different production environments
and processes. We also have the practical
know-how on how to tackle the demands
and challenges our customers face.
Modular service structure
Our service products are arranged in a
modular structure that gives you maximum
All field service engineers and office personnel
are supported by clearly defined processes
that focus effort, speed up problem solving
and ensure that our own management is
always fully aware of its responsibility for
meeting your expectations.
That is why we can promise you to be your
professional partner in staying competitive,
profitable and preferred.
Scan AB chooses Marel
flowline solution
Scan AB, one of Sweden’s most popular brands, has a strong product
image reflecting Swedish quality and reliability. Last December, Scan AB
purchased a beef deboning flowline solution from Marel Food Systems
that met challenging requirements for throughput, quality and 100%
traceability.
The system features 6 breakdown-stations, 20 trimming stations and a 16gate discharge unit. It will be installed at the company’s Skara plant in the
third quarter of 2007.
Scan AB is part of the HKScan group, one of northern Europe’s largest food
processors within the meat, cured meats and convenience food sectors.
Scan AB has a turnover of EURO 1.1 billion and has 3,500 employees, while
HKScan has a turnover of EURO 2.2 billion and employs 10,200.
AEW Delford Systems
Pinetrees Road,
Norwich NR7 9BB UK
Tel: +44 (0) 1603 700755
Fax: +44 (0) 1603 700844
www.aewdelford.com
Carnitech A/S
Juelstrupparken 14
DK-9530 Støvring
Denmark
Tel: +45 99 86 40 00
Fax: +45 99 86 40 01
www.carnitech.com
Editorial staff
Dorthe Mohn Christensen
Ásgerður Jóhannsdóttir
Jesper Hjortshøj
Tina M. Søndergaard
Photographs
AEW Delford, Carnitech, Marel and Scanvaegt
Design and graphic production
Datagraf A/S
Marel hf.
Austurhraun 9 IS-210
Gardabaer Iceland
Tel: +354-563 8000
Fax: +354-563 8001
www.marel.com
Scanvaegt International A/S
P.O. Pedersens Vej 18
DK-8200 Aarhus N
Denmark
Tel: +45 89 30 44 44
Fax: +45 86 78 58 10
www.scanvaegt.com
Subject to change without notice / 95003.05.07.Int. Advantage-MEAT
Marel Food Systems is a global
leader in its field, employing over
2000 people in 22 countries.