Optical Scanning for Carcass Spinal Column Separation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Automated systems for separating the spinal column from a carcass middle suffer from inefficiencies due to lack of precision, resulting in significant meat waste and the need for separate machinery for left and right half-carcasses, leading to increased costs and complexity.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that uses optical scanning to identify the vertebral canal and determine a precise cutting path for the cutting device, allowing for accurate positioning and orientation, minimizing waste and eliminating the need for separate machinery by detecting and processing both left and right halves uniformly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If automated cutting systems are used without precise positioning, then productivity increases through automation, but manufacturing precision deteriorates resulting in significant meat waste
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary optical scanning of the carcass middle to create a digital model and identify the vertebral canal position before the cutting operation. This advance measurement allows the cutting device to be precisely positioned based on the scanned data, ensuring accurate cuts while maintaining automated productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses optical scanning to continuously monitor and measure the position of the vertebral canal, then feeds this information back to control the cutting device positioning. This closed-loop feedback mechanism ensures high cutting precision while maintaining automated operation efficiency.
2Manufacturing precision
If separate machinery is used for left and right half-carcasses, then manufacturing precision can be maintained for each side, but device complexity increases due to duplicate equipment
Solution Approach 1:
The cutting device is designed with universal capabilities to process both left and right half-carcasses using the same equipment. The optical scanning system identifies the vertebral canal position regardless of carcass orientation, and the cutting device automatically adjusts its cutting path accordingly, eliminating the need for separate machinery while maintaining cutting precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adapts the cutting path and device positioning based on the scanned vertebral canal position and carcass orientation. This dynamic adjustment allows a single device to accurately process different carcass configurations (left or right half) that would traditionally require separate fixed machinery.
3Reliability
If cutting devices are positioned with safety distance from spinal column, then reliability increases by avoiding bone fragments in meat, but loss of substance increases due to discarded valuable meat
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary optical scanning to precisely identify the vertebral canal position and map the spinal column location before cutting. This advance knowledge allows the cutting device to be positioned with high precision close to the spinal column, maintaining food safety by avoiding bone fragments while minimizing the safety distance to reduce meat waste.
Solution Approach 2:
The system replaces traditional mechanical positioning methods with optical scanning and digital processing to determine cutting paths. This substitution enables much higher positioning precision, allowing the cutting device to safely approach the spinal column much closer than conventional methods permit, thereby reducing waste while maintaining food safety.
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
The system achieves reduced waste and increased efficiency by ensuring precise cuts along the carcass middle, allowing for the separation of spinal columns with minimal meat loss and eliminating the requirement for separate machinery for left and right half-carcasses, thereby improving processing efficiency and reducing operational costs.
Implementation Method 1
optically scanning the carcass middle part to provide a scan of an outer surface of the carcass middle
Data Source
AI summary
A method and a system for separating the spinal column from a carcass middle part, comprising the steps of: - providing a digital representation of an outer surface of the carcass middle on the basis of, e.g., an optical scan; - determining a cutting path (lc) for a cutting device for the separation of the spinal column from the carcass middle on the basis of digital processing of the scan; and subsequently: - separating the spinal column from the carcass middle by causing a relative movement between the middle and the cutting device and simultaneously causing the cutting device to engage the carcass middle, wherein the relative movement between the middle and the cutting device during the spinal column separation to achieve a cut along the predetermined cutting path (lc).