A system and method for removing a bone from a primal or sub primal meat cut that includes a conveyance system having a continuous conveyor extending along a path of conveyance from an upstream point at the loading end to a downstream point at the discharge. The system includes a pair of opposing support surfaces projecting vertically upward from a first position of the continuous conveyor along the path of conveyance whereby each of the opposing support surfaces of the pair inwardly extend one toward the other, from an upper level downward vertically to a lower level. Each opposing support surface of the pair has a downward slope and each opposing surface of the pair converges at a recessed valley at the lower level.

An arrangement for automatically removing a strip of dark meat from a fish fillet has a conveying unit for transporting the fish fillet from an inlet to an outlet area in a transport direction along a transport path. Starting from the inlet area, successively along the transport path, are provided: a detector for detecting dark meat; a first cutting apparatus for removing a middle partial strip of dark meat; an opener for opening up the fillet such that the cut surfaces of a ventral-side partial and of a dorsal-side partial strip of dark meat point upwards; a cutting unit for removing the partial strips, the cutting unit comprising second and third cutting apparatuses for removing the ventral and dorsal-side partial strips. A control device is connected to the detector and the cutting apparatus, and all cuts are based on information from the detector.

A meat processing apparatus has an automated analysis stage for analysing meat parts with penetrating radiation. Data is generated for sue in both feedforward and feedback information, and may be used for robotic control of trimming and boning operations. There is a radiation-shielded chamber within which there is a tomography scanner with a scanner controller, arranged to perform analysis of meat parts. A port is used for entry and exit of meat parts placed in carriers into and out of the chamber for analysis by the scanner, and a handling system performs automated movement of the carriers between the port and the scanner. The port has an interlock chamber, having an inner door and an outer door and a controller to ensure that while the scanner is operating only one door can open. The meat parts are inspected automatically by an inspection station and a controller of the inspection station feeds forward data which is used by the scanner controller to control scanner operation according to meat part physical attributes.

A system for processing food products comprises a slicing apparatus that is configured to cut off slices from food products and to form part portions having one or more slices in a portioning section. A transport device adjoining the portioning section is provided and the portioning section comprises a conveying device that transfers the part portions to the transport device. The system comprises a stacking apparatus that is configured to form a food portion comprising a plurality of part portions. The transport device is configured to transport the part portions onto a product support of the stacking apparatus, wherein the transport device and/or the stacking apparatus has/have a scale for measuring the weight of the part portions and/or of the food portion.

The present disclosure involves an intelligent method and device for cutting squid white slices, the intelligent method being implemented on the intelligent device for cutting squid white slices. The method may be implemented on a calculating device, the calculating device may have at least one processor and at least one storage medium including an instruction set used for cutting the squid white slices, the method including: reading a laser point cloud data of a three-dimensional (3D) topography of the squid white slices; optimizing the laser point cloud data; extracting an effective area of the squid white slices; determining a cutting zero point; determining a cutting process area; and determining optimization of a cutting point position and a cutting angle. The one or more embodiments provided by the present disclosure may satisfy the needs of large-scale continuous production in factories, reduce labor costs, and improve production efficiency.

A cutting apparatus for cutting a food object where inlet and outlet conveyors are arranged in an end-to-end arrangement. A moving mechanism is provided for adjusting the relative position between the ends of the inlet and outlet conveyors, a cutting device is provided having a cutting plane extending between the inlet and outlet conveyors, a detection mechanism is provided for detecting at least one characteristics related to the food object, and a control device is provided for controlling the moving mechanism and the cutting device. Controlling the moving mechanism includes utilizing the at least one detected characteristics in determining a target width of an opening between the ends of the inlet and outlet conveyors, and controlling the cutting device includes subsequently cutting the food object into smaller food pieces. The target width of the opening is selected such that it allows smaller food pieces to fall through the opening.

The technology as disclosed herein includes a method and apparatus for deboning a meat item, and more particular for deboning a poultry item including performing an initial shoulder cut for removing boneless breast meat from the poultry carcass or frame. The method and apparatus disclosed and claimed herein is a combination of a robotic arm including an ultrasonic knife implement and a vision system for varying the cut path based on the shape and size of the poultry item. The combination as claimed including the ultrasonic knife can perform a meat cut while penetrating the meat with less force than the typical penetration that occurs when using a traditional knife. The technology includes breast removal station, which includes a controller system, which controls a robotic arm, which positions the grasping talon implements, which grasp the poultry item along the wing bone and pulls the breast portion away from the carcass along cut lines created by the ultrasonic knife that cut the poultry item along the cut path performed by the automated robotic arm having an ultrasonic knife implement. Prior pulling the breast portion away from the carcass, a stabilizing system captures the carcass behind by engaging the carcass behind the shoulder joint on either side of the cervical vertebrae.

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).

An automated saw for assessing an uncut meat and calculating one or more of a cut depth and cutting one or more cut portions. The automated saw comprises a bandsaw blade, a controller, a visual sensor and a meat positioning assembly. The controller comprises a computer comprising an address space, and a processor, a memory. The controller stores a device application in the memory and runs the device application on the processor. The meat positioning assembly comprises a pusher and a tray configured to move the uncut meat relative to the bandsaw blade. The tray is configured to hold the uncut meat. The pusher is configured to slide the uncut meat through the tray. The meat positioning assembly is configured to move the tray in a forward direction and a rearward direction relative to the bandsaw blade.

A processing system (10) and a corresponding method are provided for processing work products (WP), including food items, to locate and quantify voids, undercuts and similar anomalies in the work products. The work products are conveyed past an X-ray scanner (14) by a conveyance device (12). Data from the X-ray scanning is transmitted to control system (18). Simultaneously with the X-ray scanning of the work product, the work product is optically scanned at the same location on the work product where X-ray scanning is occurring. The data from the optical scanner is also transmitted to the control system. Such data is analyzed to develop or generate the thickness profile of the work product. From the differences in the thickness profiles generated from the X-ray scanning data versus the optical scanning data, the location of voids, undercuts and similar anomalies can be determined by the control system. This information is used by the processing system (10) to process the work product as desired, including adjusting for the locations and sizes of voids, undercuts and similar anomalies present in the work product.