An automated trimming system is provided that includes a vision system identifying the number of rings positioned within a coil and sheared positions where the rings need to be cut. One or more trimming mechanisms receive the sheared positions and proceed to cut the rings at the sheared positions. A hook arrangement interfaces with the coil for transferring the coil to a trimming area. Moreover, an automated trimming system is provided that includes a coil having a plurality of rings. One or more trimming mechanisms select a number of rings from the coil and proceed to form a sample of desired length, by cutting a portion of the rings. A receiver unit receives the sample from the one or more trimming mechanisms to evaluate the quality of the sample.

A method for manufacturing a fiber-reinforced resin molding material having a cut fiber tow impregnated with a resin includes a separation step of intermittently separating a fiber tow and forming at least two separation-processed lines arranged side by side in a width direction of the fiber tow and a cutting step of cutting the fiber tow at an interval in the longitudinal direction, and the separation step and the cutting step are carried out to satisfy (1) to (3). (1) 1≤c/L≤50 (2) c<a (3) b/L<1 “c” is an overlapping length of separated parts when one separation-processed line is projected to another separation-processed line adjacent thereto in the width direction, “L” is the interval in the cutting step, “a” is a length of the separated part in the separation-processed line, and “b” is a length of an unseparated part in the separation-processed line.

Methods and equipment suitable for slicing products into lattice-type slices or chips. The methods and equipment utilize a knife assembly that includes a corrugated knife, a knife holder, and a clamp. A leading edge of the knife holder is defined by fingers and notches therebetween, and the fingers of the knife holder engage valleys in a first surface of the corrugated knife. The clamp is mated with a second surface of the corrugated knife and secures the corrugated knife to the knife holder. The clamp has a leading edge defined by fingers and notches therebetween. The fingers of the clamp engage valleys on the second surface of the corrugated knife, such that the fingers of the clamp are interdigitated with the fingers of the knife holder.

The present disclosure describes an ultrasonic rotary molding system that is used to form edible compositions or food products as they move along a conveyor belt. The food products are formed by an ultrasonic rotary wheel that includes one or more cutting tools that cut, and perhaps three dimensionally mold, food product strips. The system may include a movable backing plate that is located below the point where the ultrasonic rotary wheel cuts the food product strips. The movable backing plate may be spring loaded and it may exert force upwards against the conveyor belt and in turn against the food product.

The device comprises a log advancing path and a set of jaws in the form of double four-bar linkage, with an adjusting mechanism to adjust the position of the jaws according to the diameter of the logs to be cut.

Apparatus, systems and methods are disclosed to manufacture a plurality of edible pieces in a continuous process where each piece is generally different in thickness, shape, size and/or texture from another piece, so as to create, in the aggregate product distribution, pieces of randomly varying thickness, size, shape and/or texture. More specifically, the present invention, in its various embodiments, provides a process for manufacturing pet jerky treats comprising: grinding proteinaceous material, mixing said proteinaceous material with preservatives and flavor enhancers to form a blend of foodstuff, extruding said foodstuff through at least one die opening that is at least partially irregular to form at least one strip of extrudate that is at least partly irregular in shape, transporting said strip in a first longitudinal direction to a first cutting operation, cutting said strip at a first cutting angle to form a first set of pieces, transporting said first set of pieces in a second longitudinal direction to a second cutting operation, cutting said first set of pieces in said second cutting operation at a second angle to form a second set of pieces, such that the said second set of pieces cumulatively produced during a process run generally appear to be of random sizes and shapes.

In order to be able to implement a plurality of gripper functions acting independently of one another in a slicing machine without requiring a separate drive unit for each gripper function, a switching unit displaceable along an axial shifting distance is provided. Upon displacement of the switching unit along a first partial distance of a plurality of partial distances of the shifting distance, a caliber contact element is actuated in such a way that a caliber is pushed away from a caliber gripper, and upon shifting of the switching unit along a second partial distance, gripper claws of the caliber gripper are actuated in such a way that they are moved into an engagement position, in which they engage with the caliber, or into a release position, in which they release the caliber.

A method for selectively feeding rolls of paper coming out of a log saw unit (10), wherein the log saw unit (10) comprises (n) feeding channels (12) for feeding logs (11) towards a cutting device (13) provided at the outlet with (n) unloading belts (14) in a number equal to the feeding channels (12), comprises a step of generating a stop signal relating to a portion of a packaging unit downstream of the log saw unit (10) further to the detection of accumulation of rolls (11′) and/or of stopping of a packaging machine, as well as a step of attributing said stop signal to a feeding channel/sub-group of feeding channels (12) operatively associated with the portion of the packaging unit, called “feeding channels/sub-groups of feeding channels (12) subject to stopping”, wherein the method—upon receipt of the stop signal—comprises at least the steps of: ending the cutting of the log (11) in progress on all of the (n) feeding channels (12) of the log saw unit (10), selectively stopping the forward movement of a new log (11) towards the cutting device (13) just in the feeding channels/sub-groups of feeding channels (12) subject to stopping through the stopping of the forward movement of the carriers (15) of the carrier device (16) of the feeding channels/sub-groups of feeding channels (12) subject to stopping, proceeding without interruption in the operative feeding channels (12), namely those not subject to the stop signal, with the cutting of the logs (11) in succession.

Systems and methods for cutting and cooking a substance are disclosed. Exemplary implementations may: convey, via a primary conveying subsystem, a layer of food substance along a conveyance path along which the layer of food substance is conveyed; cut, via a cutter, the layer of food substance into food pieces; apply, via a primary pressurized fluid outlet, primary pressurized fluid such that the food pieces are released from the cutter; heat, via the heating mechanism, a chamber; apply, via a secondary pressurized fluid outlet, secondary pressurized fluid so that the food pieces are held flat to the primary conveying substrate, and hold, via a secondary conveying subsystem, the layer of food substance flat between the primary conveying substrate and a secondary conveying substrate for at least a portion of the chamber.

In some examples, a pile cutting device includes a first pile positioning unit, a cutting unit for cutting at least one sheet pile, and a bearing device including a first pile bearing surface. The first pile positioning unit includes an upper rotary plunger that can be pivoted about a pivot axis and moved with respect to a vertical direction, and also includes a first horizontal drive for moving a sheet pile in and/or counter to a horizontal direction. The first pile positioning unit further includes two upper pressing elements that differ from the upper rotary plunger, and that are movable with respect to the vertical direction. A first one of the upper pressing elements is movable in and/or counter to the horizontal direction by the first horizontal drive. A second one of the upper pressing elements is movable in and/or counter to the horizontal direction by a second horizontal drive.