Automated Food Portion Cutting with Dynamic Contour Adaptation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Manual cutting of meat products into special portions is inefficient, resulting in low output and high wastage due to the inability to adjust cutting to varying contours and irregular surfaces, leading to slow processing and significant material loss.
Innovation Solution
A method and arrangement for portion cutting involving two cutting stages, where the first stage cuts items into strips, and the second stage cuts these strips into pieces of predetermined weight and dimensions using multiple cutting units with adjustable feeding directions, allowing for precise and efficient cutting.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If manual cutting is used by experienced workers, then cutting precision and portion quality are maintained, but productivity is low and meat wastage is high (17-20%)
Solution Approach 1:
The cutting process is divided into multiple sequential cutting units, each performing a specific cutting operation. The meat product passes through several cutting stages with different cutting directions and angles, allowing complex portion shapes to be achieved systematically while maintaining precision and increasing throughput capacity.
Solution Approach 2:
The cutting apparatus incorporates adjustable cutting units that can be positioned and angled dynamically to match the contours of the meat product. The cutting units can be adjusted in position and orientation to optimize cutting precision for different portion requirements while maintaining high cutting speed.
2Manufacturing precision
If manual cutting is used by experienced workers, then portion quality is maintained, but meat wastage is high (17-20%)
Solution Approach 1:
The cutting units are designed with adjustable positions and angles that can be dynamically configured to match the exact contours and dimensions of the meat product. This dynamic adjustability allows the cutting apparatus to follow the natural shape of the meat, minimizing unnecessary removal of material while maintaining high portion quality standards.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual mechanical cutting with an automated cutting system that uses computer-controlled mechanisms. This substitution eliminates the variability and inefficiency of manual cutting, allowing precise control over cutting paths to minimize wastage while maintaining consistent portion quality.
3Productivity
If automated cutting with stationary parallel knives is used, then cutting speed is increased, but adaptability to varying contours and irregular surfaces is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The cutting units are designed with multiple degrees of freedom, allowing them to be positioned and angled dynamically to match the contours of the meat product. Each cutting unit can be independently adjusted in position and orientation, enabling the system to adapt to varying shapes and sizes while maintaining high cutting speeds through automated operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The cutting apparatus is designed as a universal system that can handle various types of meat products with different contours and dimensions. The adjustable cutting units can be reconfigured for different cutting patterns and portion requirements, providing versatility while maintaining automated high-speed operation.
4Manufacturing precision
If manual cutting training is provided to workers, then cutting skill is improved, but training time is extended and productivity remains low
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the need for skilled manual cutting with an automated cutting system that incorporates computer control and programmable cutting paths. This substitution eliminates the requirement for extensive worker training while maintaining or improving cutting precision through automated control systems that can be programmed with optimal cutting parameters.
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus for portion cutting food items includes a first cutting device which comprises a cutting unit for the cutting of food items into strips. The apparatus includes one or more additional cutting devices, each comprising a cutting unit for cutting the strips into pieces of predetermined weight and dimensions. Measuring means are arranged in the first cutting device for scanning at least one of a shape, a structure and a dimension of the food item. The apparatus further comprises processor means with a control program for the planning of a portion-cutting profile on the basis of the scanning.