Do Processors Compute?
Computers allow for better control over slicing luncheon meat
The manager of a supermarket deli operation had a problem. He was slicing five 1-ounce pieces of meat onto a sandwich and displaying it as his top-of-the-line item. But the sandwich looked unattractive, and money was lost on each sandwich served.
Worse, the deli's slicing equipment could not keep up with demand.
With the evolution of supermarket delis has come a need for slicing machines that can read that there is a slice of bread on it, and that it must slice a piece of meat onto the bread.
The deli manager was able to obtain a machine that enabled him to slice 15 one-third ounces of meat onto a sandwich, improving its taste and attractiveness. Later, the sandwich's portion size was reduced to 4 ounces because of the equipment.
Business and profits improved as customers were satisfied with the sandwich, as well as the time it took to produce it.
"Supermarkets have become deli-oriented," a slicing manufacturer says. "They are selling sandwiches right on the spot. They need a slicer that can keep up with demand."
The moral of the story: The right tool for the right job. And for slicing equipment to be the right tool in today's marketplace, it must be fast, efficient and handle as much product as possible.
Not only is slicing technology evident in the supermarket, it's also evident in meat plants where slicers can cut up to 1,000 pieces of meat a minute of fresh or bulk products. Pegboard luncheon meat continues to be a major category for processors.
"If it's not quick and efficient, I can't use it," explains Greg Benson, deli manager of a Winn Dixie supermarket near Miami. "That is where computer technology comes in handy. We can slice luncheon meat for our deli customers quickly and accurately. The customers are happy and so are we because we don't waste any [of the product]."
Speed, however, is not the only concern for processors. Sanitation sometimes takes precedence.
"We look for something that is easy to clean," says Richard Majewski, maintenance manager of Northlake, Ill.-based Dominick's Finer Foods Commissary. "We need to get rid of bacteria on the machine. Not only is everyone sensitive about food safety, but it also leads to longer shelf life."
Benson echoes those sentiments. "Sanitation is always a must," he notes. "We clean our slicer after every run. Today, you cannot be too careful."
Age of computers
A big advancement in slicing technology is the use of computers and how they relate to packaging systems. Not only does the machine have to slice the product, it has to package it.
"Computers actually collect the information and make the decision," according to a slicing machine supplier. "For instance, the computer can automatically adjust slice thickness to ensure that processors meet criteria."
One slicer manufacturer produces a machine that shingles or stacks two logs of meat simultaneously. The slicer comes in two models-back clamp and continuous feed.
The back clamp model, used for short loads such as 4-inch-by-6-inch molded hams, employs a set of grippers that grabs a loaf and feeds it through the blade.
The continuous feed model, used for long-type products such as U.S.-style bologna, slices one loaf after another. There are no grippers or retract time to reload another loaf.
The key to both models is two independent controls that allow the machine to handle two loaves simultaneously, but treat each one as though it were on separate slicers.
Slicing systems have to be more than just slicers in today's high-tech world. They also have to be transport systems and packaging machines.
One slicing system slices multiple loaves on a wide throat with a large blade at speeds of up to 1,500 RPMs. Each individual portion is checkweighed as it comes through the slicer. The thickness information is then fed back into the slicer, which automatically adjusts slicing thickness.
The machine is synchronized to accommodate the packaging machine. A distributor of the machine says the object is to keep the packaging machine continually full, running as fast as possible. It allows slicing yields between 96 percent and 98 percent.
Of course, the correct slicing machine depends on how much luncheon meat a processor produces. One slicing manufacturer will custom design a cluster box system for a processor, with slicing zones of either 13 inches or 22 inches and at speeds of up to 120 strokes a minute. If the processor produces a 4 inch-by-6 inch ham, the manufacturer will produce a machine tailored to those specifications.
The machine will slice, stack, shingle and count boneless products, as well as fresh and cooked meats. The company believes this system is vital for processors with sandwich and prepared dinner lines.
A digital eye reads the tray and transmits the information back to the machine, which slices as many pieces of meat onto that tray as is programmed into the computer.
Computers have greatly diminished the possibility of overslicing, which costs processors money in unused and unaccounted-for meat.
"There is more precision control because there is more computer control and electronics involved," one slicing manufacturer executive notes.
Another manufacturer says computers allow processors to control portioning.
"We have it down to where it is fully computerized, minimizing the typical giveaway" he says. "If a processor has an 8-ounce package, there will be 8 ounces of product, not 8.25 ounces, which costs money. The giveaway is less than one-tenth percent."
The manufacturer adds that computers gather information, which makes problem solving easier. They also have the ability to control the slicing process.
But computers are not fallible, and have not impressed everyone.
"The mechanical slicer is still a better slicer," Dominick's' Majewski believes. "We did have a computerized slicer in our plant but we replaced it. By the time we hosed and scrubbed [the machines], they would break down because they had water in them. They were always trouble."
He maintains that manufacturers must create a watertight computer slicer or the meat industry will turn in another direction.