EP3218146B1 - Method for sharpening a knife - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a method for grinding a knife of a slicing device according to the preamble of claim 1, such as from EP 2 796 251 A2 known.

Such methods are well known in the art, but have the disadvantage that the knives are often ground incorrectly.

It was therefore the object of the present invention to provide a method which does not have the disadvantages of the prior art.

The object is achieved with a method for grinding a knife of a slicing device as defined in claim 1.

The present invention relates to a method of slicing food products, such as sausage, ham and / or cheese, using a slicer. Such slicing devices are also referred to by the person skilled in the art as "slicers" or "high-performance slicers". These slicing devices have a moving, in particular rotating, blade which cuts food slices from the front end of a food product. In this case, the knife usually cooperates with a cutting edge, which is provided for example at the front end of a product support and which defines together with the knife the cutting plane in which food slices are separated from the food product. There is a cutting gap between the knife and the cutter bar, which should be as small as possible to prevent chipping of parts of the food product. But the cutting gap must be so large that the knife does not touch the cutting edge as possible. When cutting it will Food product transported continuously or intermittently in the direction of the cutting blade. The cut food slices, for example, fall on a storage table, where they are combined into portions. Once a portion is finished, it is removed from the drop area of the knife and slicing of a new portion can begin. For removal so-called idle cuts may be necessary, in which the knife moves, in particular rotates, without food slices are separated from the food product. Preferably, the slicing device is provided with multiple tracks, ie several food products are cut open by a knife, in particular at least partially simultaneously or at least partially sequentially. For this, the device has its own track for each food product, along which it is transported in the direction of the knife.

With every cut that the knife makes, the sharpness of the cutting edge of the knife is reduced. According to the invention, it is now provided that blade wear data is recorded and preferably stored and that this data is transferred to a grinding device which takes this data into account during grinding. The knife is therefore not ground according to a standard program, but according to the individual wear. This can significantly extend the service life of the knife.

According to a preferred embodiment, the blade wear data includes information about the cut food product and / or the number of cut slices. This preferred embodiment of the present invention takes into account that a knife is loaded differently depending on the food product. For example, when slicing a comparatively hard product, such as salami, a knife is more heavily loaded, i. more dull than when slicing a comparatively soft product, such as brawn. When slicing several food products at the same time, the cutting edge of the knife is stressed over a greater length of the cutting edge than, for example, when slicing a single product. This information may also be important during grinding, in that only a portion or the entire length of the knife, in particular the cutting edge must be ground.

According to a further preferred embodiment, the blade wear data comprises information about the temperature of the food product and / or the manufacturer of the product Food product and / or data on the outer contour and / or internal structure of the food product. Temperature data may be important, for example, as to whether a product is hard or soft. For example, a frozen product loads a knife much more than a product that is cut above its freezing point. For example, information about the manufacturer may provide information about the mechanical properties of a product because, for example, the mechanical properties of the same product may vary from one manufacturer to another.

The data about the outer contour and / or the inner structure may also be decisive for the wear of a cutting blade. The size of the outer contour ultimately determines the length of the section of the knife that dips into the product. The internal structure is also crucial for the wear of the knife. For example, a fibrous muscle material occupies the cutting blade more than fatty tissue. Also, if present in the food product foreign body, such as a piece of bone, can significantly burden the knife and thereby make dull. The outer contour and / or the inner structure can be determined by detection methods known to the person skilled in the art. For example, the contour and the structure can be determined by a transmission method, for example by means of X-rays.

Preferably, the blade wear data is stored on a data memory located on or in the blade, and a grinding device reads that data out of the memory again and executes the grinding program according to the wear.

For this purpose, the slicing and / or grinding device preferably has a computer with a computer program which analyzes the transmitted knife wear data and adapts the grinding program individually to this knife wear data.

Individually adapted in the sense of the invention means that at least one grinding program is selected from a plurality of grinding programs. Preferably, however, a unique grinding program for a particular wear condition is calculated or selected.

An individually configured grinding program can specify, for example, which section of the knife edge with which intensity, ie. H. in particular force, duration, surface of the knife being machined and / or grinding angle, ground.

But it is also possible that the wear data by means of a data transfer, which can be done via a leased line and / or wireless, are transmitted from the slicing to the grinding device. For this preferred embodiment, each knife preferably has identification data that uniquely identifies the knife. These identification data are preferably detected both by the slicing device and by the grinding device. The slicing device then communicates the wear data along with the identification, and as soon as the grinding device has detected the corresponding identification on the knife, the wear data associated with the knife is used to configure or select a grinding program.

According to a preferred embodiment, data on the grinding and / or usage history are stored for at least one, preferably each, knife. The storage can take place on the data memory, which is preferably provided in or on the knife. The data storage can also be done in a computer, from which it can then be retrieved. The grinding and / or usage history can also be used to configure the grinding program. For example, it may be possible that after a certain number of grinding operations and / or based on a certain number of use cycles a so-called ground grinding is necessary, in which the sharpness of the blade and / or the angle of the cutting edge must be ground fundamentally new. On the basis of the grinding and / or usage history, it is also possible to determine when a knife must be replaced. This replacement process can then be initiated in time enough so that no production losses occur.

As already mentioned above, the knife preferably has an identifier by means of which it is uniquely identifiable. This identifier can be stored in the data memory, but it can also be stored as machine- and / or human-readable code on the knife itself. Once the knife is placed on the slicing or grinding device, this identifier is read, preferably from the corresponding device, or communicated to the device by the operator. Preferably, the data which are located in the memory, connected to the identifier read or stored connected to the identifier.

Preferably, the identifier has data about the material of the knife and / or the cutting edge. Furthermore, the data may include information about the date of manufacture of the knife. This information can also be used when configuring the grinding program.

Preferably, the wear data includes information on how many times the cutting blade made contact with the cutter bar in the relevant wear period between two grinding operations. Such a contact can arise, for example, when setting the cutting gap and usually results in that the cutting edge of the knife is particularly stressed. Such stress must be considered in the grinding program.

Further preferably, the wear data comprises information about the use of interleavers. Also, the cutting of interleaves claimed the cutting edge of the cutting blade, especially locally, very strong, so that this point may need to be processed differently than the rest of the cutting edge.

Preferably, the wear data includes information about the position of the blade relative to the bearing surface of the product and / or relative to the product, because that position can decide where and how the cutting edge is loaded and thus becomes dull.

The speed of rotation of the blade is also preferably stored because it can also be decisive for the mechanical stress on the cutting edge of the blade.

Preferably, the wear data also includes information about the number of idle cuts of the knife because these idle cuts do not stress the cutting edge of the cutting knife.

Figur 1

zeigt eine Aufschneidevorrichtung.

Figur 2

zeigt eine Schleifvorrichtung.

In the following, the invention is based on the FIGS. 1 and 2 explained. These explanations are merely exemplary and do not limit the general inventive concept. The explanations apply equally to all articles of the present invention.

FIG. 1

shows a slicing device.

FIG. 2

shows a grinding device.

FIG. 1 shows a slicing device 5. The slicing device 5 has a knife 11 which cuts a food product 2 in food slices 12. For this purpose, each food product 2 with a conveying means 4, in this case two conveyor belts 4, is transported continuously or intermittently in the direction of the cutting plane 6 of the knife 11. The lower conveyor belt 4 is at the same time a product support. The cutting blade 11 is fixed to a rotating blade holder 3 and cooperates with a cutting edge 19 cutting, which is provided for example at the front end of a product support 4 and jointly define the cutting plane 6. Between the knife 11 and the cutting edge 19, a so-called cutting gap is present, which should be as small as possible, but must be so large that the knife does not touch the cutting edge. This gap must be adjusted regularly. This can be done by a movement of the knife and / or the cutting edge. In addition, the cutting edge must be aligned parallel to the knife. After cutting the food slices usually fall on a storage table 1, which is provided with means of transport, on which they are each configured to a portion 14, here a stack. The finished portions 14 are then removed from the cutting blade area and then packaged. For the removal of the discs, it may be necessary for the knife 11 to make idle cuts where the knife rotates without separating food slices from the food product. This can be achieved by moving the knife away from the front end of the food product and / or withdrawing the food product from the knife. The slice thickness results from the feed distance of the food product between two cuts. At constant blade rotation speed, the regulation of the slice thickness is carried out via the feed rate of the food product. The slicing device may have one gripper (not shown) for each feed path, which advances the rear end 13 of the food product 2 or grips it during slicing and stabilizes it during slicing. Preferably, the slicing device is provided in multiple tracks, ie that several food products 2 are cut open by a knife, in particular at least temporarily at the same time or at least temporarily sequentially. For this, the device for Each food product has its own track 7, along which it is transported in the direction of the knife 11. Preferably, the knife has a data memory 8. Preferably, this is an RFID. Alternatively or additionally, the knife has an identification, which is particularly preferably machine-readable. Further preferably, the slicing device to a read / write unit 9, which, as shown by the double arrow 10, at least unidirectionally, preferably bidirectionally, can exchange data with the data memory. In particular, however, the read / write unit 9 is a writing unit that stores data on the wear of the knife in the data memory. However, the read / write unit 9 can also have a data line (not shown) which is connected to a grinding device 15 (cf. Fig. 2 ) in order to obtain data on the wear of the respective blade 11.

In the slicing process, d. H. when the knife hits and penetrates the food product, the blade of the knife is loaded and blunted with each cut. The degree of dulling depends, for example, on the type of food product being sliced and / or its temperature. In addition, the cutting edge of the cutting blade blunts depending on the outer contour, the internal structure and / or the number of food products that are cut open at the same time. In particular, by the outer contour or the number of food products that are cut simultaneously, the length over which the cutting edge blunts, influenced. Only this length must then be processed during a grinding process, which reduces the wear of the knife and / or the grinding time.

The data on the wear are stored for example in the data memory 8, which is provided in or on the knife, and by a grinding device, which in FIG. 2 is displayed, read out. For this purpose, the grinding device has a read / write unit 16 which reads out the stored data from the data memory 8. The skilled person understands that the data can also be transferred by means of a data transfer detached from the cutting blade from the slicing to the grinding device and / or vice versa. The read-out data is analyzed by a computer unit and configured to a preferably individual cutting program, which takes into account the wear of the knife between two grinding cycles. This computer program preferably controls an abrasive 18. Preferably, the data on the respective grinding process are also stored and can be taken into account in the configuration of the next grinding process. Furthermore, these data can serve in turn, adjust the slicing device, for example, the position of the knife relative to the product to be sliced or the cutting bar, in order to stress the cutting knife in the following slicing operations in a different area of the cutting edge. The blade wear data can alternatively or additionally be used for this adjustment process. The grinding data may also serve to configure the grinding process and / or determine when the knife must be replaced.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1

tray table

2

Food product

3

knife receiver

4

Support surface, means of transport of a track 7

5

slicing

6

cutting plane

7

track

8th

data storage

9

Read / write unit of the slicing device

10

Data exchange between knife and slicing device

11

Knives, circular knives

12

Food slices

13

Back side of the food product

14

Portion, food portion

15

grinder

16

Read / write unit of the grinding device

17

Data exchange between knife and grinding device

18

abrasive

19

Cutting bar, cutting edge

Claims (14)

1. Method for sharpening a blade of a slicing apparatus (5) that cuts off food slices (12) from a food product (2), wherein the blade is preferably provided with a data memory (8) and the slicing apparatus (5) preferably has a read/write unit which reads data from the data memory (8) and/or stores data in the data memory, wherein blade wear and tear data are captured during slicing and are preferably stored, and these data are transferred to a sharpening apparatus (15) which sharpens the blade on the basis of the captured wear and tear, characterized in that the blade wear and tear comprises data relating to the number of food products sliced in a parallel manner.
2. Method according to Claim 1, characterized in that the blade wear and tear data comprise data relating to the food product which has been sliced and/or the number of slices which have been cut off.
3. Method according to Claim 1, characterized in that the blade wear and tear data have information relating to the temperature of the food product and/or the producer of the food product and/or data relating to the outer contour and/or inner structure.
4. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the blade wear and tear data are stored in the data memory (8), and in that the sharpening apparatus reads the blade wear and tear data from the data memory (8) and executes the sharpening program according to the wear and tear.
5. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the wear and tear data are transmitted with a transfer of data from the slicing apparatus to the sharpening apparatus.
6. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the blade wear and tear data are stored in the data memory (8).
7. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that data relating to the sharpening and/or usage history are stored for each blade (11).
8. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the blade is provided with an identifier with which it can be uniquely identified.
9. Method according to Claim 8, characterized in that with the identifier has data relating to the producer, the material from which the blade, in particular the cutting edge, is manufactured, and/or the production date.
10. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the wear and tear data have information relating to the contact between the cutting blade and a cutting bar (19).
11. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the wear and tear data have information relating to the use of interleavers.
12. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the wear and tear data have information relating to the position of the blade.
13. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the wear and tear data have information relating to the speed of the blade (11).
14. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the wear and tear data have information relating to the number of unproductive cuts by the blade (11).

Images