When it comes to purchasing cutting equipment, versatility, durability, superior sanitary design and ease of operation are features all American meat packers and processors desire.
Sandston, Va.-based Maecor International Ltd., the exclusive distributor of RŸhle GmbH's cutting systems and technology for the United States and Mexico, reports growing popularity of RŸhle's MR-100W. This piece of equipment is used for a variety of meat products, according to Maecor President Stephen Nunn.
"It will cut cubes, strips, slices and medallions of raw, blanched, cooked, partially frozen, hot, extremely hard and soft products gently and quickly," he notes.
All of the system's moving parts are hydraulic, and there is no maintenance involved for the machine as far as lubrication goes.
"[The unit is] self-contained so it's basically maintenance-free," Nunn says.
The MR-100W's chamber consists of one solid, stainless steel piece.
"Being [completely] hydraulic and having a one-piece stainless steel chamber basically address the previous complaints industry had on the former types of these machines that were on the market," Nunn points out.
One happy customer
Harold "Hap" Houpt, plant manager for Greensboro, N.C.-based Southern Foods Inc., has been using the MR-100W for about five years. Southern Foods consists of two businesses: home freezers and food products for the hotels, restaurants and institutions market. Southern Foods covers Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia.
"I'm running 1,500 to 1,800 pounds of stew beef a day through this machine," Houpt says. "It does a heck of a job. I can't imagine ever going back to cutting stew beef by hand."
When considering purchasing a piece of machinery, Houpt looks for a two- to three-year payback. The MR-100W allowed him to transfer an experienced meat cutter from the beef stew cutting operation to cut more expensive steaks. A $6-an-hour person can run the dicer, he says.
"I've had no problems at all with the MR-100W," Houpt notes. "Someone called me about this machinery and I recommended it to him. It's a good piece of machinery."
Design parameters
The characteristics of each product to be cut are the design parameters for development of RŸhle grid technology:
-- Straight grid blades for fresh products.
-- Serrated grid blades for formed products.
-- Hardened steel blades for partially frozen products.
-- Cutting wire for particularly dry products, such as cheeses.
A range of grid combinations, various blades, a lifting mechanism and platform with a safety system for loading large quantities are available on request. The Maecor installation team sets up the machine, and it will help adapt the cutting technology to the individual production requirements of a given meat operation.
Features include:
-- Welded construction throughout, yielding maximum stability, easy cleaning and above-average hygiene.
-- Compact design that saves space and allows the machine to be easily moved.
-- Modular construction consisting of separate drive components for easy maintenance.
-- New technical system allowing continuous processing under the most stringent requirements with a high degree of reliability. The MR-100W also uses a double-sickle knife that allows for increased production. The knife reduces stress on the surface of the product to be cut. One machine can process up to 2,500 pounds of product an hour, according to Nunn.
-- A snap-closure system that makes it simple to change a grid. There's no need to remove the sickle knife.
This machine, which has been available for 15 years, was once primarily used to make beef stew. But its usage has since evolved to include other items.
"During the last few years, a lot of meat processors have begun using MR-100Ws to manufacture salad toppings," Nunn notes. "They are a real big hit with many [hotels, restaurants and institutions] and portion-control plants. Processors can use the machine to cut, dice and slice all of the raw materials that go into something like a ham salad-including the vegetables," Nunn says.