The present disclosure relates to a method for processing food products, comprising the following steps: multi-track slicing of food products into individual food portions on a plurality of production tracks; detecting at least one feature of a food portion during and/or after slicing; multi-track conveying of the food portions on separate production tracks; moving the food portions 34 from a plurality of production tracks onto a reduced number of output tracks and/or moving them between different tracks and/or grouping them. According to the present disclosure, the position of the individual food portions is tracked by means of a controller, so that, for each food portion 16 which has been moved onto the output track, it will be known on which production track said food portion 16 has been produced. The disclosure further relates to a food processing system.

A high-speed food article slicing machine with a slicing station, a moveable frame supporting a food article feed mechanism frame, a food article gate, and a safety guard system for detecting an intrusion into the machine. Food articles are loaded onto a lift tray and raised to a staging position where food articles are in contact with a food article gate. The lift tray is located in line with the food article feed paths such that lateral shifting of food articles into the feed paths is not needed. Food article grippers, individually driven along feed paths by an overhead conveyor, move food articles over the food article gate towards the slicing station. The food article gate functions to assist in removal of food article end portions. The slicing machines utilizes a horizontally radiating laser intrusion detector to shut down systems when an unwanted intrusion is sensed.

An electrically operated slice cutting machine for separating slices from, in particular, strand-shaped products to be cut, preferably food products, includes: a machine housing, which holds a drive motor and a rotating cutting blade driven by the drive motor, and having a storage region arranged in a region of the cutting blade, having an essentially planar tray for receiving separated slices, the tray being removably coupled to the machine housing or to an attachment part of the machine housing by a coupling device, the tray being coupled in a horizontal operating position during a cutting operation, and being movable in at least one removal position, in which the tray is configured to be released and removed from the coupling device, when outside of the cutting operation. The coupling device has an upper and a lower coupling arm. Both coupling arms form a coupling recess, which is open on one side.

An electrically operated slice cutting machine for separating slices from, in particular, strand-shaped products to be cut, preferably food products, includes: a machine housing, which holds a drive motor and a rotating cutting blade driven by the drive motor, and having a storage region arranged in a region of the cutting blade, having an essentially planar tray for receiving separated slices, the tray being removably coupled to the machine housing or to an attachment part of the machine housing by a coupling device, the tray being coupled in a horizontal operating position during a cutting operation, and being movable in at least one removal position, in which the tray is configured to be released and removed from the coupling device, when outside of the cutting operation. The coupling device has an upper and a lower coupling arm. Both coupling arms form a coupling recess, which is open on one side.

The invention relates to a food-processing system for processing food products (e.g. pieces of meat, pieces of cheese), comprising a cutting device (1) for cutting the food products into slices and a conveyor (4) for conveying the food product portions (6) away from the cutting device (1) along a main conveyor path, wherein the conveyor (4) fulfills several functions in the food-processing system, such as buffering, aligning, orienting and product formatting of the food product portions. The invention provides that the conveyor (4) fulfills the multiple functions by means of a discontinuous conveyor (4), the discontinuous conveyor (4) comprising at least one conveyed-products carrier (3) movable along the main conveying path, the main conveying path being freely programmable within a conveying area.

The invention relates to a food-processing system for processing food products (e.g. pieces of meat, pieces of cheese), comprising a cutting device (1) for cutting the food products into slices and a conveyor (4) for conveying the food product portions (6) away from the cutting device (1) along a main conveyor path, wherein the conveyor (4) fulfills several functions in the food-processing system, such as buffering, aligning, orienting and product formatting of the food product portions. The invention provides that the conveyor (4) fulfills the multiple functions by means of a discontinuous conveyor (4), the discontinuous conveyor (4) comprising at least one conveyed-products carrier (3) movable along the main conveying path, the main conveying path being freely programmable within a conveying area.

A slicing machine for slicing a predetermined number of product calibres into slices and producing portions from the slices includes a cutting unit for separating the slices from the predetermined number of product calibres, a feeding unit for feeding multiple product calibres to the cutting unit, a buffer unit to receive the multiple product calibres, a weight detection unit to detect a weight of each of the multiple product calibres received in the buffer unit, and a controller to obtain from the weight detection unit the weight of each of the multiple product calibres and control the buffer unit to feed the predetermined number of product calibres from the multiple product calibres to the feeding unit such that the weight of each of the predetermined number of product calibres has at most a predetermined deviation from the weight of each other of the predetermined number of product calibres.

A slicing machine for slicing a predetermined number of product calibres into slices and producing portions from the slices includes a cutting unit for separating the slices from the predetermined number of product calibres, a feeding unit for feeding multiple product calibres to the cutting unit, a buffer unit to receive the multiple product calibres, a weight detection unit to detect a weight of each of the multiple product calibres received in the buffer unit, and a controller to obtain from the weight detection unit the weight of each of the multiple product calibres and control the buffer unit to feed the predetermined number of product calibres from the multiple product calibres to the feeding unit such that the weight of each of the predetermined number of product calibres has at most a predetermined deviation from the weight of each other of the predetermined number of product calibres.

An apparatus for portion cutting food items includes a first cutting device which comprises a cutting unit for the cutting of food items into strips. The apparatus includes one or more additional cutting devices, each comprising a cutting unit for cutting the strips into pieces of predetermined weight and dimensions. Measuring means are arranged in the first cutting device for scanning at least one of a shape, a structure and a dimension of the food item. The apparatus further comprises processor means with a control program for the planning of a portion-cutting profile on the basis of the scanning.

An apparatus for portion cutting food items includes a first cutting device which comprises a cutting unit for the cutting of food items into strips. The apparatus includes one or more additional cutting devices, each comprising a cutting unit for cutting the strips into pieces of predetermined weight and dimensions. Measuring means are arranged in the first cutting device for scanning at least one of a shape, a structure and a dimension of the food item. The apparatus further comprises processor means with a control program for the planning of a portion-cutting profile on the basis of the scanning.