Automated Meat Fat Trimming via Imaging Profile Detection
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional meat processing methods for trimming fat from loins are labor-intensive and require human assessment, and existing automated systems often need operator input and cannot handle bone-in products effectively.
Innovation Solution
An automated system that uses an imaging system to determine the fat profile of the meat, allowing for automated trimming of fat from the outer surface of loins, including bone-in products, by adjusting the trimming assembly based on the fat profile and moving the meat relative to the trimming assembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If manual trimming is used, then human assessment can determine fat removal, but labor intensity increases and processing efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual visual assessment and mechanical trimming with an automated system using imaging technology (optical/electromagnetic fields) to detect fat thickness and control trimming operations. The imaging system captures images of the meat surface, processes them to determine fat thickness, and automatically controls the trimming mechanism, substituting human mechanical assessment with automated optical detection and control.
2Productivity
If automated trimming equipment is used, then processing efficiency increases, but operator input is still required and adaptability to different cuts decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic adaptability by using real-time image processing to detect the specific fat profile of each meat cut and automatically adjusting trimming parameters. The system dynamically modifies its operation based on the detected geometry and fat distribution of each cut, allowing it to adapt to various cut types without manual reconfiguration while maintaining high processing efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The system employs feedback control by continuously imaging the meat surface during processing, analyzing the fat thickness in real-time, and automatically adjusting the trimming depth and position based on the detected fat profile. This closed-loop feedback mechanism enables the system to adapt to different cuts automatically while maintaining precise fat removal.
3Extent of automation
If automated trimming is implemented, then labor requirements decrease, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent achieves high automation with managed complexity by creating a universal trimming system that combines imaging, image processing, and trimming functions in an integrated platform. The system serves multiple functions (detection, measurement, control, and trimming) through a unified automated architecture, reducing the need for separate manual operations while keeping the overall system manageable through consolidation of functions.
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
Reduces labor requirements and eliminates the need for human assessment, enabling efficient and precise fat trimming of loins, including bone-in products, with minimal operator intervention.
Implementation Method 1
The imaging system may include at least one of X-ray, infrared, camera, video, machine vision, ultrasound, MRI, laser-imaging, thermo-graphic imaging, computerized tomography (CT)
Data Source
AI summary
An automated system and method for trimming fat from an outer surface of a primal of meat includes a conveyor for advancing the meat, an imaging system for creating at least one image of the meat in order to create a fat profile, and a trimming assembly that removes fat from the outer surface of the meat based on the created fat profile. An orientation device is used to secure and guide the meat on the conveyor. In some embodiments, the orientation device is configured to align with a spinal groove in the meat. In some embodiments, the primal of meat is a short loin; in some embodiments, it is a sirloin.