Page 8 - Vol.39-No.2

MAREL

An entry-level semi-automatic solution for the Middle East

TARGETBATCHER PRODUCES FAMILY PACKS

In the Middle East, the whole chicken
is still the most popular poultry meat
product. Cut-up parts are, howev-
er, gaining ground and now make up
some 20 to 30% of processing plant
production, a share which is grow-
ing significantly. The so-called Fam-
ily Pack, a fixed-weight collection of
chicken pieces in a tray, is particularly
popular with Middle-Eastern consum-
ers. The Marel TargetBatcher offers an
entry-level but smart solution for as-
sembling family packs. It needs neither
large investment nor a large number
of people.
Processors, particularly in the Middle
East, used to producing whole chicken
only, see their market changing. Cut parts weight is needed to bring packs closest to It is also possible to manually load fresh or
are gradually taking up 20 to 30% of the 900g, considering a minimal total weight. frozen drumsticks, thighs or breast pieces
market. These processors need to produce It automatically drops one, two or three directly onto the seven weighing scales of
fixed-weight products too. They don’t, wings from its memory bins to complete the TargetBatcher. With seven high-accu-
however, want to invest a lot of money the batch. racy individual scales and 14 holding bins,
right away. Wings conclude the process TargetBatcher calculates in a fraction of a
second the best possible combination of
A fixed-weight collection The wings added fall between the flights products to assemble a batch of products
The Marel TargetBatcher combined with of a flighted conveyor belt. When leaving to the predetermined target weight. Fixed-
a prefill conveyor system and a gooseneck the TargetBatcher, this belt synchronizes weight batches leave TargetBatcher on a
infeed conveyor is the ideal entry-level with the conveyor with pre-filled trays, flighted conveyor, while empty trays run
solution for assembling fixed-weight Fam- which is running alongside. On arrival at alongside on a synchronized belt. Operators
ily Packs. It is a semi-automatic batching the PaceLine system, operators manually on this PaceLine system pick each batch
system for packing and styling assorted add the wings to the tray and style the of meat and style the products on trays.
products on fixed-weight trays. First, products for an attractive presentation.
trays are manually pre-filled with random Trays then proceed to a CheckWeigher, a
drumsticks, thighs and fillets to which the tray sealer and a WeighPrice Labeler, con- marel.com/targetbatcher
TargetBatcher adds the part necessary to cluding the process. “A semi-automatic
bring the pack to its target weight. batching system for
Regular batching
packing and styling
Prefilling with experience A Family Pack TargetBatcher installa- assorted products on
To make a 900 grams Family Pack, each tion like this is very flexible and can still fixed-weight trays.”
tray passes a number of pre-fill stations, be used for regular fixed-weight batching.
where operators insert two drumsticks,
two breasts and two thighs. They know
from experience which pieces together
make about 800-850 grams and do not
exceed 900 grams. Wings, the last prod-
ucts to complete a Family Pack, are added
semi-automatically by TargetBatcher. These
wings are fed from a gooseneck z-con-
veyor, which transports them from a large
collecting container. Standing on the raised
TargetBatcher platform, an operator loads
the wings onto the seven weighing scales of
the machine. Trays, which have been pre-
filled manually, pass by and are weighed on
the lower conveyor below. TargetBatcher
now calculates as quick as lightning what

6 Vol. 39 No. 2 Circle 5 on enquiry card