The present invention relates to a device (30) for cutting the head off a slaughtered animal's carcass comprising: at least two knives (31,32), both provided with a cutting edge (33, 34); and controls for moving the knives towards and away from each other such that the cutting edges of the knives cooperate in a cutting action, whereby at least one of the knives is provided with a position-finding protruding cutting edge portion (35,36). The invention also relates to an automatic work station comprising such a cutting device and a manipulator for positioning the cutting device. Furthermore the invention relates to a method for cutting the head off a slaughtered animal's carcass.

A robotic carcass processing system uses a pair of robotic arms having multiple axes of motion, a saw mounted thereon, and a controller. The controller moves the saw in Cartesian space via inverse kinematics with interpolation control over the multiple axes of the robotic arm to synchronously move the saw relative to a carcass on an assembly line. The controller also determines when one of the robotic arms has moved its saw out of a defined space to indicate that space is clear and to permit the other robotic arm to enter that space. A sensor on the assembly line identifies location of the absence of a supported carcass, a supported carcass that requires special handling, or weight or length of a carcass. The controller sends a signal to the robotic arms to either effect a standard cut or to modify the standard cut at the identified location or carcass.

A cutting device for cutting loose a rectum end portion of an animal carcass, includes: a carrying member; a drilling member rotatably mounted on the carrying member having a tubular drilling wall portion surrounding an interior drilling space; a centering mandrel arranged coaxially with the drilling wall portion, the mandrel having a leading end configured to enter an anal opening of the carcass, at least a portion of the mandrel circumferentially surrounded by the drilling wall portion so as to define an annular space circumferentially surrounding the mandrel; suction means for applying suction to the interior drilling space via one or more inlet openings. The cutting device defining one or more venting openings, different from the one or more inlet openings and different from the open cutting end, configured to allow air to enter the interior drilling space.