A food slicer for slicing and weighing food items includes a slicer body and a slicer knife mounted for rotation relative to the slicer body. The slicer knife includes a peripheral cutting edge. A food product carriage is mounted to the slicer body for reciprocating movement back and forth past a cutting zone of the slicer knife. A portion scale is mounted on the slicer body and includes a weigh platter on a slice exit side of the slicer knife. A controller of the food slicer is configured for automated operations and/or monitoring and alerting based upon slicer conditions.

A food processing system includes a food slicing machine having a control arrangement for regulating a thickness of slices cut by the machine so that they are cut according to a current value of a slice size parameter. An under-weight signal is generated which is responsive to generation of any under-weight groups of slices by the slicing machine, and an end-of-line weighing device monitors the weight of groups of slices outputted by the system and generates an end-of-line weight signal responsive thereto. The system identifies any under-weight groups of slices so that their weight can be increased by addition of a further slice before being outputted by the system. The control arrangement receives the two signals and determines the value of the slice size parameter having regard to them. The slice size parameter may be adjusted to minimize give-away by the system.

A food processing system includes a food slicing machine having a control arrangement for regulating a thickness of slices cut by the machine so that they are cut according to a current value of a slice size parameter. An under-weight signal is generated which is responsive to generation of any under-weight groups of slices by the slicing machine, and an end-of-line weighing device monitors the weight of groups of slices outputted by the system and generates an end-of-line weight signal responsive thereto. The system identifies any under-weight groups of slices so that their weight can be increased by addition of a further slice before being outputted by the system. The control arrangement receives the two signals and determines the value of the slice size parameter having regard to them. The slice size parameter may be adjusted to minimize give-away by the system.

An apparatus for slicing food products, in particular a high-performance slicer, comprises a product feed which defines a feed plane and by means of which the products are fed along the feed plane in a feed direction to a cutting plane which is disposed in a slicing region and in which a cutting blade moves, in particular in a rotating and/or revolving manner, said cutting blade cooperating with a cutting edge which in particular extends in parallel with the feed plane and perpendicular to the feed direction to cut off slices from the products. The cutting apparatus additionally comprises a detection device for radiation reflected from the slicing region and an evaluation device for evaluating the detected radiation and an illumination device for illuminating the slicing region which is arranged for the at least substantially frontal illumination of the product end face in the half-space disposed in front of the slicing region and above the feed plane and comprises at least one radiation source ad well as a diaphragm arrangement associated therewith which defines a plurality of elongate illumination radiation paths which are optically separate from one another, which each extend in the direction of the slicing region and which are arranged adjacent to one another.

An apparatus for slicing food products, in particular a high-performance slicer, comprises a product feed which defines a feed plane and by means of which the products are fed along the feed plane in a feed direction to a cutting plane which is disposed in a slicing region and in which a cutting blade moves, in particular in a rotating and/or revolving manner, said cutting blade cooperating with a cutting edge which in particular extends in parallel with the feed plane and perpendicular to the feed direction to cut off slices from the products. The cutting apparatus additionally comprises a detection device for radiation reflected from the slicing region and an evaluation device for evaluating the detected radiation and an illumination device for illuminating the slicing region which is arranged for the at least substantially frontal illumination of the product end face in the half-space disposed in front of the slicing region and above the feed plane and comprises at least one radiation source ad well as a diaphragm arrangement associated therewith which defines a plurality of elongate illumination radiation paths which are optically separate from one another, which each extend in the direction of the slicing region and which are arranged adjacent to one another.

An apparatus for balancing a wheel includes a tool and an arm control module. The tool is mechanically coupled to an arm and includes a leading edge, a trailing edge, and a face surface that forms an arc between the leading and trailing edges. The arm control module actuates the arm to position the leading edge of the tool a predetermined distance from an edge of a deck of a cutting apparatus to receive a piece of non-segmented wheel weight material. A blade of a cutting apparatus passes between the edge of the deck and the leading edge of the tool to cut the piece from the non-segmented wheel weight material.

An apparatus for balancing a wheel includes a tool and an arm control module. The tool is mechanically coupled to an arm and includes a leading edge, a trailing edge, and a face surface that forms an arc between the leading and trailing edges. The arm control module actuates the arm to position the leading edge of the tool a predetermined distance from an edge of a deck of a cutting apparatus to receive a piece of non-segmented wheel weight material. A blade of a cutting apparatus passes between the edge of the deck and the leading edge of the tool to cut the piece from the non-segmented wheel weight material.

A processing system (10) and corresponding method (158) are provided for processing workpieces (WP), including food items, to cut and remove undesirable components from the food items and/or portion the food items while being conveyed on a conveyor system (12). An X-ray scanning station (14) is located on an upstream conveyor section (20) to ascertain size and/or shape parameters of the food items as well as the location of any undesirable components of the food items, such as bones, fat or cartilage. Thereafter the food items are transferred to a downstream conveyor (20) at which is located an optical scanner (102) to ascertain the size and/or shape parameters of the food items. The results of the X-ray and optical scanning are transmitted to a processor (18) to confirm that the food item scanned by the optical scanner is the same as that previously scanned by the X-ray scanner. Once this identity is confirmed, if required, the data from the X-ray scanner is translated or transformed onto the data from the optical scanner. Such translation may include one or more of the shifting of the food items in the X and/or Y direction, rotation of the food item, scaling of the size of the food item, and sheer distortion of the food item. Next, the location of the undesirable material within the food item is mapped from the X-ray scanning data onto the optical scanning data. Thereafter, the undesirable material is removed by a cutter(s) (28). The food item may also (or alternatively) been portioned by the cutter(s) (28).

A processing system (10) and corresponding method (158) are provided for processing workpieces (WP), including food items, to cut and remove undesirable components from the food items and/or portion the food items while being conveyed on a conveyor system (12). An X-ray scanning station (14) is located on an upstream conveyor section (20) to ascertain size and/or shape parameters of the food items as well as the location of any undesirable components of the food items, such as bones, fat or cartilage. Thereafter the food items are transferred to a downstream conveyor (20) at which is located an optical scanner (102) to ascertain the size and/or shape parameters of the food items. The results of the X-ray and optical scanning are transmitted to a processor (18) to confirm that the food item scanned by the optical scanner is the same as that previously scanned by the X-ray scanner. Once this identity is confirmed, if required, the data from the X-ray scanner is translated or transformed onto the data from the optical scanner. Such translation may include one or more of the shifting of the food items in the X and/or Y direction, rotation of the food item, scaling of the size of the food item, and sheer distortion of the food item. Next, the location of the undesirable material within the food item is mapped from the X-ray scanning data onto the optical scanning data. Thereafter, the undesirable material is removed by a cutter(s) (28). The food item may also (or alternatively) been portioned by the cutter(s) (28).

A soft good dispensing device includes a loading zone, one or more rollers, and a cutting mechanism. The loading zone is configured to receive a soft good supply. The one or more rollers are configured to automatically unwind a desired quantity of a soft good from the soft good supply. The cutting mechanism is configured to automatically separate the desired quantity of the soft good from the soft good supply. The cutting mechanism includes a rotary cutting blade and a rotatable blade adjustment mechanism. The rotary cutting blade is configured to cut the soft good as the rotary cutting blade travels relative to an unwound portion of the soft good. The rotatable blade adjustment mechanism is coupled to the rotary cutting blade and operable to extend the rotary cutting blade from the cutting mechanism and retract the cutting blade into the cutting mechanism.