Foodmate Equipment
Scope & Foodmate Strategy
OBJECTIVE
To reduce staffing at the trim table and improve yields by reducing over trimming. Many plants that operate the Foodmate OPTI thigh deboners require on average 6-8 trimmers to remove the cartilage (kneecap) left on the meat after deboning and (depending on the trim spec) remove excess fat and potential bone. One of the inherent problems caused by this manual process is over trimming which can create significant yield losses.
By upgrading every machine Pilgrim’s expected to reduce the number of trimmers and to improve yields. Also, by reducing the number of manual trimmers they hoped to improve workers’ health through reduction of highly repetitive motions.
Results
“With the installation of the KCS we have been able to reduce the number of trimmers and the amount of trim generated, thus increasing yield. The KCS is a great addition to a new OPTI Thigh Deboner or to an existing machine in the field. The investment is quickly justified for a quick ROI”, stated Chris Knight, Director of Engineering Services, Pilgrim’s Corporate.
“The project is still in progress, and communication at multi-levels with Foodmate has been very interactive. We have had no issues during installations; so far five plants are completed including Cold Springs. Although it is still a work in progress, to date, 5 of the 18 KCS upgrades have been installed successfully and we look forward to the remaining installations”, added Chris.
