Bone-In Beef Slicing Chute for Smooth Cuts and Thickness Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Industrial meat slicing systems often result in jagged or shredded meat slices when cutting bone-in beef due to the blade cutting the meat before the bone, and adjusting slice thickness is cumbersome.
Innovation Solution
A bone-in beef slicing system that uses a chute with a follower and roller systems to stabilize the meat, a rotating blade with adjustable speed, and a mechanism to ensure the bone is sliced first, allowing for smooth surfaces and automatic thickness adjustment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the blade cuts through bone-in meat products, then the meat can be sliced into individual pieces, but the meat surface becomes jagged or shredded
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary positioning of the bone-in meat product within the chute using roller systems and pressure arms before the slicing action occurs. This preliminary stabilization ensures the bone remains in the correct position relative to the blade, allowing the blade to cut the bone first and then the meat cleanly without causing jagged surfaces.
Solution Approach 2:
The chute acts as an intermediary structure between the meat loading area and the blade. It guides and stabilizes the bone-in meat product, ensuring proper orientation and position. The roller systems within the chute provide intermediate support and control during the feeding process, preventing rotation and maintaining consistent positioning for clean cuts.
2Productivity
If the blade speed and cutter speed are increased, then productivity is improved, but bone dust adhesion increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system converts the potentially harmful effect of bone dust generation into a beneficial outcome by using controlled blade speeds that optimize cutting efficiency while minimizing dust creation. The dual rotation system allows the blade to rotate at high speed for clean cutting while the cutter rotates at a different speed to control the feeding rate, thereby reducing bone dust adhesion while maintaining productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system independently controls and optimizes two critical parameters: blade rotation speed and cutter rotation speed. By adjusting these parameters separately, the system can maximize slicing productivity while minimizing bone dust generation and adhesion. The ability to vary these speeds allows optimization for different meat product types and desired slice characteristics.
3Manufacturing precision
If the blade positioning is manually adjusted for different slice thicknesses, then slice thickness precision is improved, but operation time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system provides self-service thickness control through the relationship between blade rotation speed, cutter rotation speed, and the geometry of the cutting mechanism. Different slice thicknesses are achieved by varying the rotational speeds rather than manual blade repositioning. The system automatically maintains precise thickness control through this speed-based mechanism, eliminating the need for time-consuming manual adjustments.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from static blade positioning to dynamic speed control for thickness management. The blade and cutter rotate at variable speeds that can be adjusted during operation to change slice thickness. This dynamic approach allows quick adaptation to different product requirements without stopping the machine or performing manual repositioning, thereby reducing adjustment time while maintaining precision.
4Ease of operation
If the meat product is allowed to rotate during feeding, then ease of operation is improved, but slicing consistency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The chute creates an equipotential environment for the bone-in meat product by providing uniform support through roller systems positioned at strategic locations. This support system neutralizes gravitational and operational forces that would cause rotation, maintaining consistent orientation throughout the feeding process. The pressure arms further stabilize the product, ensuring it remains in a consistent position for uniform slicing.
Solution Approach 2:
The roller systems act as intermediaries between the feeding mechanism and the meat product. They provide controlled contact points that guide the product through the chute without allowing rotation. These intermediaries transfer the feeding motion smoothly while maintaining consistent orientation, ensuring that the bone-in meat product presents the same surface to the blade for each cut.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Ensures smooth slices with minimal bone dust and kerf loss by stabilizing the meat and adjusting blade speed, ensuring the bone is sliced before the meat, and allowing for variable slice thickness.
Implementation Method 1
a follower (106) configured to slide along an inside portion of the hollow chute (104) by force of gravity to apply a force against the product (P) to slide the product along the hollow chute (104)
Implementation Method 2
The roller systems (112a, 114a) are configured to rotate against the product (P) to prevent the product from rotating
Data Source
AI summary
A meat product guidance and slicing system including a chute to slide meat products toward a slicing system and upper and lower meat product supports to apply pressure to the meat product that is sliding through the chute to prevent the meat product from rotating while being slid toward the slicing system. The meat product guidance and slicing system also includes an adjustable means to adjust the thickness of a piece of the meat product to be sliced therefrom.