A produce cutting apparatus is utilized, among other things, for making single cuts in an elongated produce product to trim ends, segment the product into variable length segments, make fixed length segments, and cutting out undesirable portions of the produce product. Using a combination of a feed belt, sensor, radial cutter apparatus and programmable controller, the apparatus precisely locates each cut. The cutting blade makes a single cut with each rotation of the radial cutter apparatus. The apparatus may further have a piece removal system and a product holding system.

A cutting machine for cutting up meat strands whose cross section varies over a longitudinal extension into weight precise slices as fast as possible, and a method for slicing such meat strands. Two or more strands may be received adjacent to each other in a respective form tube and pushed against a separately adjustable stop plate, which is assigned to each form tube, independently from each other by a controlled longitudinal press plunger. The strands may be compressed in the longitudinal direction and a cross section of the form tubes may be reduced in a first transversal direction jointly and in a second transversal direction independently from each other. Thus, the respective meat strand may be transversally compressed to a constant cross section for slicing.

A cutting machine for cutting up meat strands whose cross section varies over a longitudinal extension into weight precise slices as fast as possible, and a method for slicing such meat strands. Two or more strands may be received adjacent to each other in a respective form tube and pushed against a separately adjustable stop plate, which is assigned to each form tube, independently from each other by a controlled longitudinal press plunger. The strands may be compressed in the longitudinal direction and a cross section of the form tubes may be reduced in a first transversal direction jointly and in a second transversal direction independently from each other. Thus, the respective meat strand may be transversally compressed to a constant cross section for slicing.

A conversion station (300) comprising a mechanism (240) operable to support at least some portion of a web (250), a conversion device located above the mechanism (240), the conversion device operable to traverse a conversion zone (244) located below the conversion device to bring a cutting member into contact with the web (250) to convert the web (250) into one or more individual products (201A, 202A; 201B, 202B; 201C, 202C), an image capturing device (260) located above the mechanism (240) and adjacent to the conversion device but outside the conversion zone (244), the image capturing device (260) positioned at a non-perpendicular imaging angle (271) relative to a surface plane (270) of the web (250), the image capturing device (260) operable to capture image information (261, 263) by imaging the one or more features located on the web (250) while the features are positioned within the conversion zone (244), and a control system operable to align the web (250) within the conversion zone (244) based on the image information (261, 263).

A conversion station (300) comprising a mechanism (240) operable to support at least some portion of a web (250), a conversion device located above the mechanism (240), the conversion device operable to traverse a conversion zone (244) located below the conversion device to bring a cutting member into contact with the web (250) to convert the web (250) into one or more individual products (201A, 202A; 201B, 202B; 201C, 202C), an image capturing device (260) located above the mechanism (240) and adjacent to the conversion device but outside the conversion zone (244), the image capturing device (260) positioned at a non-perpendicular imaging angle (271) relative to a surface plane (270) of the web (250), the image capturing device (260) operable to capture image information (261, 263) by imaging the one or more features located on the web (250) while the features are positioned within the conversion zone (244), and a control system operable to align the web (250) within the conversion zone (244) based on the image information (261, 263).

A conveyor belt support system for a conveyor having a belt movable along a frame includes a plurality of support slats each extending substantially along a longitudinal axis of the belt. The plurality of support slats is adjustable in position relative to the belt. A processing machine for scanning and portioning a workpiece includes a scanning station configured to scan a workpiece to ascertain at least one physical parameter of the workpiece, a portioning station configured to portion the scanned workpiece, a conveyor for moving the workpiece beneath the scanning station and the portioning station that includes a belt with an open form moveable along a frame, and the conveyor belt support system located beneath at least the scanning station.

A conveyor belt support system for a conveyor having a belt movable along a frame includes a plurality of support slats each extending substantially along a longitudinal axis of the belt. The plurality of support slats is adjustable in position relative to the belt. A processing machine for scanning and portioning a workpiece includes a scanning station configured to scan a workpiece to ascertain at least one physical parameter of the workpiece, a portioning station configured to portion the scanned workpiece, a conveyor for moving the workpiece beneath the scanning station and the portioning station that includes a belt with an open form moveable along a frame, and the conveyor belt support system located beneath at least the scanning station.

A cutting machine comprising one or more form tubes that are divided in two in the longitudinal direction into a front form tube section and a rear form tube sectionat least across a portion of its circumference, so that the two form sections can be moved from a pressing position in which they are aligned with each other into a loading position in which they are not aligned with each other, and in the loading position the rear form tube section can be loaded with a new meat strand while the rest of the previous meat strand is still being cut into slices and moved in the front form tube section. The blade may be disposed to simultaneously cut slices from a plurality of form tubes and may be disposed for motion in the longitudinal direction as well as a direction transverse to the longitudinal direction.

A cutting machine for cutting up pre-compressed meat strands into slices and a method for slicing pre-compressed meat strands, wherein the blade is moved forward in the feed direction to a limited extent after the blade has completely cut off a slice, and is either subsequently or simultaneously moved backward in the transversal direction. In this way, the forward movement of the meat strand to cut off the next slice can be started earlier.

A cutting machine for cutting up meat strands whose cross section varies over a longitudinal extension into weight precise slices as fast as possible, and a method for slicing such meat strands. Two or more strands may be received adjacent to each other in a respective form tube and pushed against a separately adjustable stop plate, which is assigned to each form tube, independently from each other by a controlled longitudinal press plunger. The strands may be compressed in the longitudinal direction and a cross section of the form tubes may be reduced in a first transversal direction jointly and in a second transversal direction independently from each other. Thus, the respective meat strand may be transversally compressed to a constant cross section for slicing.