Shrimp processing apparatus to head and optionally sever the mud veins of shrimp, along with methods for heading and mud vein severing are described herein. The shrimp processing apparatus may be provided in systems may include one or more processing stations configured to perform one or more of the following functions on each shrimp: measurement of individual shrimp, severing the mud vein of individual shrimp, and heading of individual shrimp.

The invention provides a sensor-guided, automated system that is capable of intelligently cutting crustaceans, such as crab and lobster, into a plurality of portions, as directed. More particularly, the present system is capable of effectively butchering each individual crustacean in response to how the system's sensor(s) assess the physical characteristics of each crustacean as it arrives via a conveyor belt. The system generally comprises: an intake apparatus for receiving a crustacean; a sensor-guided positioning (SGP) system for determining the presence, location, orientation and size of the crustacean on the intake apparatus, coupling the crustacean, and placing the crustacean into a holding system for butchering; a holding system for retaining the crustacean in an optimal fixed position for butchering; a sensor-guided butchering (SGB) system for determining the locations on a crustacean body to be cut based on the desired output of crustacean portions, and cutting the crustacean at the chosen locations to produce optimal crustacean products; and an outlet apparatus which discharges the butchered crustacean from the system for subsequent packaging.

A method and apparatus for deshelling shellfish, particularly lobsters, using a laser cutting system.

A separation and singulation system for presenting shrimps or other product individually to a processor. The separation and singulation system includes a divider pan that separates a layer of shrimp into several lanes, a shaker pan that receives the lanes of shrimp and agitates them to separate clumps of shrimp and a flume for providing further singulation and acceleration of the shrimp. The singulated, separated shrimps are then sent to a processor.

A method and apparatus for deshelling shellfish, particularly lobsters. An automated processing line conveys shellfish through a plurality of stations that sanitize, butcher, cut, and extract the meat, and then packages and prepares the package for sale. Vision systems with multi-axis robots guide and manipulate the shellfish through the processing line. Customized breaking blocks are used to sever parts of the shellfish, for example, the tail, knuckles and claws of a lobster, and a customized gripping device is provided for securing the severed parts in position on a conveyor. A water knife is then used to precisely cut the shell of the severed part.

A crab butchering machine removes the carapace, mandibles and tail from a crab by timing actuation of tools depending upon the measured dimensions of the carapace. A measuring tool determines the location of the front and rear of the carapace relative to the saddle, securing and advancing the crab through the machine. The positions of the ends of the tools that operate on the crab are known. After measuring, the crab is advanced into a calculated position relative to a first tool, whereby an arm moves upwards, separating the carapace from the crab. The crab is next advanced past a 10 second tool that lifts the carapace away from the crab carcass, allowing a third tool to move upwards, separating the carapace and tail from the carcass when the saddle is in a second calculated position. The remaining leg clusters are separated and released from the saddle for further processing.

The invention relates to a fishing system (102), a fish processing line (18, 22) and/or vessel (2) provided therewith, and a method (26) therefor. The fishing system (102) according to the invention comprises a fishing net (6) for catching shrimps or fish; transfer means (14, 15, 16) connected operatively to the fishing net (6) for bringing on board the caught shrimps or fish; an automatic detection device (18) configured to detect, classify and if desired sort the shrimps or fish brought on board; a registration system (104) connected operatively to the detection device (18) and configured to receive, store and read and/or transmit data (108) obtained with the detection device (18) about the shrimps or fish brought on board, wherein the data (108) comprise information about the quantity, classification and location of the caught shrimps or fish.

The present invention relates to a continuous on-board drying method for Antarctic krill and a continuous on-board processing method of shelled Antarctic krill. The drying method includes the following steps: 1) subjecting fishing materials to cleaning, sorting, and dewatering with a vibrating screen; 2) rapidly heating the krill to the temperature of up to 70 C. using infra-red rays; 3) hot-air drying; 4) impurity removal by vacuum; 5) cooling to obtain dried krill. The processing method includes the following steps: a) subjecting fishing materials to cleaning, sorting, and dewatering with a vibrating screen; b) rapidly heating the krill to the temperature of up to 70 C. using infra-red rays; c) hot-air drying; d) subjecting the dried krill to shelling treatment to separate shell from meat, to obtain shelled krill; e) impurity removal by vacuum to obtain shelled krill product. The methods in the present invention are highly efficient, energy saving, green and environmental protection, and the krill products have high quality and safety.

A crustacean butchering apparatus is disclosed. The crustacean butchering apparatus may include at least one carapace grip sized to secure a carapace of a crustacean to a conveyor. When activated, the conveyor carries the crustacean secured by the carapace grip in a machine direction along a processing path. A plurality of tools may be placed along the processing path for butchering the crustacean. Optionally, a claw removing tool may be positioned along the processing path. When activated, the claw removing tool separates at least one claw of the crustacean from the carapace of the crustacean. Optionally, a tail removing tool may be positioned along the processing path. When activated, the tail removing tool may separate a tail of the crustacean from the carapace of the crustacean.

Methods and systems using a vision system to process shrimp. The vision system captures images of samples of shrimps. The processor produces a digital image of the shrimps in the samples. Shrimps exiting a peeler are imaged to determine the number of tail segments in each. The shrimps are classified by the number of intact segments, and quality, yield, and throughput computed from the classification results. The processor can control operational settings of the peeler based on the classification results. In a larger system including other shrimp-processing equipment besides the peeler, other points along the processing path can be imaged by camera or sensed by other sensors to determine processing quality and to make automatic operational adjustments to the equipment.