Sweep Edge Blades for Clean Cuts in Soft Pork
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cutting blades for loin puller machines struggle to achieve clean cuts and maintain yield when processing lean or pliable pork carcasses, leading to increased wear and reduced blade life.
Innovation Solution
The cutting blades for loin puller machines are designed with angled or sweeping cutting edges that gradually enter the meat, reducing buckling and stress, and are offset to provide clean cuts and improved yield.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If the full length of knife edge enters the meat all at once, then the cutting action is quick, but the meat buckles and does not cut cleanly when the meat is soft or pliable
Solution Approach 1:
The cutting edge is formed with a sweeping angle rather than being straight, creating a curved or angled path of contact. This curvature allows the edge to gradually engage the meat surface, distributing the cutting force over time and preventing buckling while maintaining cutting effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The cutting edge transitions from a straight one-dimensional line to a two-dimensional swept surface by angling the edge relative to the mounting ends. This dimensional change creates a progressive cutting action where different portions of the edge contact the meat at different times, solving the buckling problem.
2Ease of operation
If the knife edge cuts into soft or pliable meat, then the cutting force increases, but this leads to premature wear on the blade and mounting components
Solution Approach 1:
The sweeping angled edge creates a gradual cutting action that reduces peak forces on the blade. By distributing the cutting load over a longer time period and multiple contact points, the mechanical stress on the blade and mounting components is reduced, extending their service life.
Solution Approach 2:
The blade design accommodates dynamic cutting conditions by using an angled edge that adapts to the meat's pliability. The sweeping geometry allows the blade to maintain effective cutting contact while reducing impact forces that would otherwise cause premature wear.
3Loss of substance
If the meat is leaner and softer, then yield loss increases due to buckling, but cooling the carcass to firm the meat increases processing time
Solution Approach 1:
The sweeping cutting edge prevents meat buckling by gradually engaging the soft, lean meat surface. This eliminates the need to cool the carcass to firm the meat before cutting, as the angled edge design works effectively with soft meat consistency, thereby reducing both yield loss and cooling time requirements.
Data Source
AI summary
A knife blade for a loin puller machine to cut pork carcasses includes an elongated member with opposite upper and lower mounting ends to mount the blade to the machine. The mounting ends are offset with respect to one another, with a cutting edge extending angularly between the opposite mounting ends. Angular orientation of the cutting edge causes the cutting edge to enter the meat sequentially between the opposite ends of the cutting edge, thereby providing a cleaner cut with improved yield and less blade wear when the carcass is not firm.