Foodmate Equipment
Three (3) MAX6000 Breast Deboners
Scope
Fieldale at Murrayville used auto deboning and cone lines. The plant processes 420 birds a minute and needed to reduce labor and debone front halves. They also required less rework and higher quality breast and tender.
FOODMATE STRATEGY
Foodmate brought a test machine to Fieldale, so their team could run tests with their product and assess if the machine was a good fit. After extensive testing, the Fieldale team found that the MAX delivered a consistent 3% increase in yield comparing to the previous equipment. This increase was due to the quality of meat coming off the machine. After results proved satisfactory, the Foodmate team planned and coordinated closely with Fieldale on the systems’ layout and how many positions would be required for loading, grading, and trimming final products. We are committed to ensuring our clients hit the ground running and can accomplish their goal as soon as a new system(s) is installed.
Solution & Results
The rework went to zero with no carryover from several pallets a day; the number of A-grade tenders is around 95%, exceeding initial expectations. The tender quality was the most significant achievement, but there was also higher quality product and yield, and less maintenance cost. Fieldale reported a substantial increase in product quality and yield, as well as labor cost reduction.
How did we do?
Follow up interview with David Rackley, Plant Manager
We have an internal yield team that checks how breast debones in both mechanical and hand deboning lines, so we run a yield comparison between the two. We know a machine is not going to do as well as a fine-tuned cone line; everybody knows that, but the task was to find a balance between yield and the number of people in production you can get versus with a cone line. And what we found was that with the previous equipment, we were way behind.
We have had an excellent working relationship with Foodmate, so we brought the MAX6000 test machine in, and after running a lot of testing, we found that between the previous equipment and the Foodmate Max6000, there was a consistent 3% increase in yield due to the quality of meat coming off the machine. That reassured us that automating with MAX6000 would be the best choice for us.
With the MAX6000, we have to trim and look for fewer bones than in the previous equipment. So, we can run more efficiently and with fewer people. Since running the MAX6000, we have also gained a much better quality in tenders, better than we had anticipated. The tenders coming off the machine are not as mushy or shredded as they were on previous equipment. So, we have a much better quality of the product sent out to further processing for marination and trimming or fully cooked.
They like the equipment for its simplicity – it is easy to maintain, it is easy to clean, and easy to get to correct any issues if they do pop-up. Our maintenance and production teams are happy, as there is less to maintain than previous equipment. We also experience less breakdown, minimum stoppage, the machine runs and delivers a better quality product.
With the MAX6000, we can run more efficiently and with fewer people.
Our maintenance and production teams are happy, as there is less to maintain than previous equipment. We also experience less breakdown, minimum stoppage, the machine runs and delivers a better quality product.
Since running the MAX6000, we have also gained a much better quality in tenders, better than we had anticipated. The tenders coming off the machine are not as mushy or shredded as they were on previous equipment. So, we have a much better quality of the product sent out to further processing for marination and trimming or fully cooked.
