LEAP III Primal Cutter & X-ray System
Description
LEAP III, RTL's fully automated primal cutting system, has been designed to automatically cut lamb carcasses into hindquarters, middle sections and forequarters.
The Primal Cutter is integrated with an x-ray system that allows the the carcase to be cut at the point which will give the greatest yield.
Both the LEAP III and the ROC450 technologies address differing primal cutting and plant throughput requirements, with a choice between these technologies dependant on each processors specific needs.
Benefits
Benefits of the Leap III Primal Cutter include:
- Yield and efficiency improvements, with more accurate cutting allowing an increase in the high value meat produced from the carcase. This has been shown as the single largest benefit from using this technology
- Occupational health and safety benefits
- Cost savings, with reduced labour requirements
A detailed cost/benefit analysis has indicated a typical payback of between 1.28 and 1.6 years, net per carcass benefits of $1.78 to $1.86 and overall net benefits of between $1,036,000 and $1,344,000 per annum.
Availability
Two LEAP III systems are in commercial production use in New Zealand, with another two systems currently being installed in Australian plants.
The Leap III Primal Cutter is available now from Robotic Technologies Limited (RTL), and is best suited for high volume processors.
For further information on the Leap III Primal Cutter, a brochure is available or contact RTL.
More Information
It is recommended that any LEAP III Primal Cutter include an X-ray system so as to maximimise yield efficiency.
The X-Ray System
The aim of the x-ray system is to provide accurate cutting coordinates to RTL's automated meat processing systems (such as LEAP II and LEAP III), maximising the saleable yield from each carcase.
The X-ray system identifies where the bones are within the carcase and all the key points at which cuts are required. The system gathers images of carcases and translates the information into dimensional positions for robots and machines further along the production line.
Every carcase is scanned upon entry. From these x-ray images, 3D data is generated. Currently the data is used to determine cutting planes for primal cutting. Ultimately it will be integrated with the other system elements of the LEAP strategy.
The x-ray data is digitally analysed and tracked through the process. This ensures the appropriate data is provided at the cutting station along with the correct carcase.
The Primal System
The carcase is separated into the three primal sections (forequarter, middle & hindquarter) according to the following specifications:
- Forequarter removal: 4th, 5th, or 6th rib cut
- Middle removal: chump on, chump off or scallop cut
Cuts are made using patented knife technology which ensures negligible yield loss and negligible paste smear. By integrating with the x-ray system, cutting accuracy is high.