Foodmate Equipment
Four (4) OPTI LTD Whole Leg Deboners
SCOPE AND OBJECTIVE
Vibra processes a total of 530,000 birds/day; at the Pato Branco location, the capacity is of 160,000 birds/day, but Vibra expects to double this capacity in the coming years. Therefore, the company’s objective was to increase as much as possible the deboning of whole legs and breasts for the foreign and domestic markets. Automation is the industry solution for productivity gains, eliminating repetitive operations that cause RSI; and so, it was clear that automating their deboning process was the way to go.
After careful market analysis, Vibra concluded that the Foodmate OPTI LTD met all the company’s whole leg deboning process requirements.
FOODMATE STRATEGY
Along with Vibra’s technicians, the Foodmate team planned installation far ahead and in detail, to ensure a smooth installation process. The machine proved to be easy to assemble and installation was complete on a weekend, so the plant experienced no downtime. This allowed production to resume normally. Training took place the week after, along with fine adjustments.
Results
Vibra reported that all expectations regarding equipment were met. They also noted that though the OPTI LTD is a high-tech equipment, it is easy to operate and its maintenance is simple.
“We are so pleased, that we already bought the second leg deboning line and we are preparing ourselves to acquire the third line. Nowadays, we can debone 12,000 legs/hour and we need to increase. In addition, we are studying the possibility of deboning breasts with Foodmate equipment as well.”, stated Eugenio Canova Castro, Industrial Director of Vibra.
The combination of x-ray technology and shackle height adjustment allows the blades to cut precisely around the kneecap and the knee joint, ensuring high yield and cartilage free meat.
The meat is efficiently scraped from the bone to ensure maximum yield and high quality leg meat; keeping labor to a minimum.
