The present invention relates to a portioning machine for dividing a strand-like product into individual portions and a method of controlling such portioning machine. The portioning machine includes a magazine turret attachment for receiving the strand-like product, a pressing unit for pressure-compacting the strand-like product at least in its longitudinal direction, and a portioning and cutting device for portioning and separating individual portions from the strand-like product. The magazine turret attachment has a base segment and a turret segment which have chute portions oriented coaxially with respect to one another for forming at least one reception chute for the strand-like product and which are rotatable about a common axis for positioning the reception chute in a cutting position; and wherein the pressing unit for pressure-compacting the strand-like product has at least one pressure ram and a counter-pressure element. The counter-pressure element is a slide element arranged between the base segment and the turret segment of the magazine turret attachment and is reversibly movable in a direction at least approximately perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the magazine turret attachment between a release position and a closure position for unblocking or closing the reception chute placed in the cutting position.

The present invention relates to a magazine turret attachment for a portioning machine for dividing a strand-like product into individual portions and a portioning machine having such a magazine turret attachment. The magazine turret attachment includes a turret base rotatable about a rotation axis which has at least one chute extending through the turret base and the chute axis of which extends at least approximately parallel to the rotation axis of the turret base; and at least one first chute module which may be reversibly arranged on the turret base in the area of the first chute and which is provided with only one chute extending through said first chute module and the chute axis of which extends coaxially to the chute axis of the first chute of the turret base and the cross-section of which corresponds at least approximately to the cross-section of the at least one chute of the turret base in order to form a first reception chute for a strand-like product.

In an embodiment, an apparatus for processing meat product and a method of using same is provided. A first station includes a flattener which is configured to flatten a meat product, and a scanner which is configured to scan features of the meat product after flattening. A second station is configured to dock front and rear ends of the meat product in accordance with information received from the scan of the features.

An animal ribcage primal cut having a bone array located therein is portioned into one or more sub primal cuts, each having at least one bone located therein. The primal cut is scanned at scanning station 14 while being conveyed on a conveyor 12 to determine the physical characteristics of the primal cut. A processor 18 determines how to portion the primal cut into desired sub primal cuts in accordance with desired physical characteristics of the sub primal cut and production requirements for the sub primal cuts. A controller controls a cutter to divide the primal cut into one or more sub primal cuts according to the determination previously made on how to portion the primal cut into desired sub primal cuts.

A volumetric portioning apparatus includes a valve assembly operable in a first position and a second position. The first position of the valve assembly allows a food product to flow from an input hopper through the valve assembly and into a portioning assembly. The second position allows the food product to flow from the portioning assembly, through the valve assembly and into an output receiver. The apparatus further includes an actuator coupled to the valve assembly. The actuator is operable to move the valve assembly from the first position to the second position. The apparatus further includes a knife element operable to automatically cut the food product in the valve assembly to prevent the food product from limiting movement of the valve assembly from the first position to the second position.

A system 10 for analyzing and trimming irregularly shaped food products which are to be subsequently pressed into a three-dimensional shape (volume) and optionally thereafter sliced or otherwise portioned so as to achieve an optimum harvest, includes a conveyor 12 for carrying the workpieces (WP) to be trimmed past a scanning system 14 for scanning the workpiece (WP) to ascertain the physical characteristics of the workpiece (WP), including, for example, its three-dimensional shape, as well as its position on the conveyor 12, and then past a cutting station 26 for trimming the workpiece (WP) into a desired two-dimensional shape which represents an optimum shape for the workpiece for pressing the workpiece into a desired three-dimensional shape having at least one fixed or specified dimension or other physical specification. Thereafter, the workpiece can be transferred to a slicing station utilizing high speed cutters or slicers for portioning/slicing the workpiece.

The rotating shaped blade for cutting slides from a product strand is only configured over a portion of its outer edge as a circular segment that extends about the rotation axis and which represents the cutting edge so that on the one hand side the cutting edge has a constant width radial distance from a circular segment shaped functional edge of the stop plate over an entire extension of the circular segment, and on the other hand side immediately after releasing the strand cross section by the blade a forward movement of the product strand can be performed up to the stop plate until the radial front edge of the blade has reached the strand cross section again.

In order to damage structure of a loaf as little as possible when pressing it, a change in length of the loaf that occurs during pressing should be limited to a specified target change in length. For this purpose, a crossposition of a crosspress stamp to be set for pressing may automatically be determined and set from basic data of the loaf determined before pressing, in particular its length and volume or weight.

In order to be able to insert loafs, which are pre-frozen for slicing into slices, at least lightly frozen, into a form cavity of a form tube without any problems or to manage with smaller form tube cross-sections, it is proposed, according to the disclosure, to carry out the first part of the forming of the loaf already before freezing, i.e., when inserting it into a preform. The loaf is frozen in this state, compressed in the preform, together with the preform in a freezer, then removed and fed to the final pressing in the form tube to the final pressed state.

A method of processing poultry portions determines at a control unit a target weight of a cut poultry portion; inspects a poultry portion using an inspection unit to determine a mass distribution of said poultry portion and providing said mass distribution to the control unit; calculates a cutting plan of the poultry portion based on the target weight and the mass distribution using the control unit; uses a mechanical gripper so as to grip the poultry portion and arrange said poultry portion for execution of the cutting plan; and cuts the poultry portion using a cutting unit in accordance with the cutting plan so as to produce a cut poultry portion in accordance with the target weight. A system for processing poultry portions is configured to perform the foregoing method, among others.