Auto Bung Cutter
Description
The Auto Bung Cutter will incorporate both a pork bunging tool and a newly developed evacuation tool onto the end of a dual end-effector robot. This will completely automate the existing manual operation.
This has many advantages over current practices that are in place (plugging, clipping or tying the colon).
Benefits
The potential benefits include:
- Elimination of consumables currently used to seal the bung colon, (paper, plugs, clips)
- Potential to automate the bung evacuation process
- Reduced labour by 1 operator per working shift if system is automated
- Reduced contamination compared to current practices
- OH&S - reduced injuries and accidents
- Improved processing efficiencies with less rework due to consistent and repeatable operations
Availability
The Auto Bung Cutter is currently in the research and development phase. A brochure outlining the benefits of the Auto Bung Cutter is available.
More Information
Current work practices require the operator to remove faeces from a carcase which is neither an appealing job nor has positive implications on the operator's health.
Typically, when processing sheep there are two de-bunging related operations:
- Bung evacuation (pellet removal) and/or sealing the bung. To avoid contamination from faeces still present in the colon, these two alternative operations are typically performed early in the process.
Some plants simply seal the colon with different types of consumables (plastic cones, Styrofoam blocks). In other occasions, a vacuum tool is used to remove pellets from the colon, evacuating most of the faeces.
Sealing the colon is typically a partial operation performed in combination with some other task, while pellet removal with a vacuum tool requires a dedicated operator.
- Bung cutting. Later on in the process, another operator cuts the bung following this sequence:
o Sterilise the hook.
o Sterilise knife.
o Use hook to pull the bung up slightly to put tension on the tissue around the rectum.
o Making a circular cut around the rectum, ensure that all pelvic attachments are freed.
o Push bung down into the anal cavity.
o Rinse hands.
o Wash hands with soap and water when contaminated with faecal material.
The pork industry some years ago developed a handheld bunging and evacuation tool. Some time later the pork industry then evolved this hand tool into an automated solution.
As a result of the above, MAR and MLA have worked with several processors to determine the potential to take a pork developed hand tool and test its efficacy in Australian small stock processing plants. The outcome of this project was that the tool was efficient at bunging but not evacuation, and that further development was required for a sheep specific evacuation system. This is being addressed in the research and development currently underway.