WO2020107049A1

WO2020107049A1 - Method for controlling an automatic slicer for foodstuffs

Info

Publication number: WO2020107049A1
Application number: PCT/AT2019/060404
Authority: WO
Inventors: Constantin KUCHLER; Fritz Kuchler
Original assignee: S.A.M. Innovations Gmbh & Co Kg
Priority date: 2018-11-29
Filing date: 2019-11-28
Publication date: 2020-06-04
Also published as: EP3887107A1; EP3887107B1; AT521995A1; EP3887107C0

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for controlling an automatic slicer for foodstuffs, such as sausage, cheese or the like, wherein the slicer comprises a circular knife, a stop plate that determines the cutting thickness and is displaceable in the axial direction of the circular knife, and a slicing-material carriage that is movable parallel to the stop plate, and wherein the slicing-material carriage comprises an application surface for the slicing material and a slicing-material holder that is displaceable in the direction of the stop plate, and wherein, furthermore, the circular knife, the slicing-material carriage and optionally the slicing-material holder and the stop plate are able to be driven by a control unit via motors, wherein the control unit controls the slicer on the basis of arriving task data about the type of foodstuff and the amount to be sliced. Upon changing between two different types of foodstuff, the control unit executes in each case an automatically generated intermediate task, wherein the intermediate task consists in cutting at least one slice off the type of foodstuff last applied, in order to clean the circular knife, and discarding said slice.

Description

METHOD FOR CONTROLLING AN AUTOMATIC CUTTING MACHINE FOR FOODSTUFFS

Technisches GebietTechnical field

The invention relates to a method for controlling an automatic cutting machine for foodstuffs such as sausage, cheese or the like, the cutting machine comprising a circular knife, a stop plate which determines the cutting thickness and which can be displaced in the axial direction of the circular knife, and a clippings wagon which can be moved parallel to the stop plate, and wherein the clippings wagon comprises one Support surface for the clippings and a clippings holder that can be displaced in the direction of the stop plate, and furthermore the circular knife, the clippings wagon and possibly the clippings holder and the stop plate can be driven by motors from a control unit, the control unit controlling the cutting machine based on incoming order data about the type of food and controls the quantity to be cut.

Stand der TechnikState of the art

Fully automatic cutting machines for food, such as sausage, cheese or the like, have long been known. In machines of this type, it is customary for an operator to place a type of food in the form of a log on the support surface of the clippings wagon and then to place a cutting order via an input device. The cutting order contains at least the data of a certain type of food, which is usually done by entering a PLU code (price look-up code), as well as data about the quantity to be cut in the form of a target weight or a target price, which is reached after cutting shall be. After entering a cutting job and starting the cutting machine, the job executes the job completely automatically, whereby both the circular knife and the clippings wagon and any storage device and packaging device which may be present are controlled. This process is repeated many times over the course of a day in the working environment of a service counter. The sliced foodstuffs naturally also get dirty on the circular knife during the slicing, especially on the side of the clippings wagon where the logs glide past the circular knife during the cutting process. Especially with very fatty food types, the circular knife must be cleaned accordingly after one cutting job or before the next one. In practice, this is not really done with every single cutting job due to the high effort involved. Since the types of food tend to be similar in nature and yes, all of them are sliced freshly and in quick succession, this is usually not a major hygiene problem. However, the situation is different when the machine comes to a standstill for a while between the individual orders and the Food knife residues sticking to circular knives are therefore exposed to the environment at room temperature. Another problem arises from cross-contamination between individual types of food when switching between two cutting jobs. For example, small amounts of allergens from a type of food that was previously sliced can be transferred to the first one or two sliced slices of a subsequent second type of food, which is undesirable.

Darstellung der ErfindungPresentation of the invention

It is an object of the present invention to remedy this problem and to ensure in automatic cutting machines that improved hygiene is guaranteed when processing multiple cutting jobs regardless of the actions of the operator. The risk of cross-contamination between individual types of food should also be minimized. The required method should not represent an excessive effort for the operator and should also be able to be integrated into fully automatic slicing and packaging production lines.

This object is achieved by the present inventive method that the control unit executes an automatically generated intermediate order when changing between two different types of food, the intermediate order consisting in cutting off and discarding at least one slice from the last placed type of food for cleaning the circular knife. It has been found in practice that when slicing logs using an above-mentioned slicing machine, the first or first few sliced slices remove virtually all residues of the residues adhering to the circular knife. So the circular knife can be cleaned sufficiently by the following type of food without any great cleaning effort. If these first or these first few slices are not taken over in the next cutting job, but are discarded, then the disadvantages mentioned at the outset are eliminated. In practice, this is often done unintentionally when changing to a type of food for which a cut bar has been in the service counter for some time. Since it is assumed here that the open cut surface has often dried somewhat, the operator usually cuts one or two slices and discards them. However, this is not always the case with every cutting job, especially not when switching between individual types of food very quickly, or when cutting a sufficiently tightly packed food type. The present invention now ensures that this process is always carried out automatically by the machine, as a result of which it no longer depends on the arbitrariness of the operator whether one or more cleaning cuts are carried out or not.

According to a possible embodiment variant, it is provided that the control unit stops the cutting machine after the intermediate order has been carried out and uses visual or acoustic output to inform an operator that the cut goods to be discarded are to be removed from a storage area of the cutting machine. This is the simplest variant in which the cutting machine is used without a packaging device connected, for example in the vicinity of a service counter. The operator starts their cutting jobs as usual, but the cutting machine uses the control unit to compare whether a type change has taken place and, if necessary, to carry out one or more cleaning cuts automatically. The control unit then uses an output device to inform the operator of the intermediate job carried out before the actual cutting job can be carried out.

In an alternative embodiment of the method according to the invention, it is provided that the control unit additionally controls a packaging device arranged downstream in the depositing area of the cutting machine, the cut goods to be discarded being packaged separately when the intermediate order is carried out and, if necessary, labeled for the operator or automatically sorted out from the downstream flow of goods becomes. In this variant, the process can also be used in fully automated production lines, where the intermediate orders that have been carried out for cleaning the circular knife are directly packaged and either marked for discarding or automatically sorted out.

It is a preferred feature that the number of slices to be cut during the intermediate order is selected by the control unit on the basis of the respective type of food and, if appropriate, on the basis of the type of food previously placed, in order to achieve an optimal cleaning result of the circular knife. In order to keep the amount of sliced slices to be rejected as low as possible, data on the individual types of food can also be stored in the control unit. The control unit can then choose the ideal number of cleaning cuts depending on the combination of the first and later designed food types. If, for example, the first type of food to be used is a type with a particularly large diameter or fat that contaminates the circular knife more, then several cleaning cuts will be necessary than with a type of food with a smaller diameter or less greasy consistency. Conversely, of course, the type and size of the subsequent food type also influences the cleaning results of the individual cuts. Depending on the combination, the control unit therefore selects the appropriate number of cleaning cuts in the intermediate order in order to achieve an optimal but also resource-saving result.

Finally, it is a further preferred feature that the control unit presorts these orders according to food types to be cut in the case of a plurality of incoming orders, so that a minimal number of variety changes and a minimal number of intermediate orders are required. The increasing automation of cutting machines and the underlying order processing can result in a large number of cutting orders arriving at the same time. For example, individually cut foods can now also be ordered from online shops. In the context of a modern supermarket, it may therefore be that not only orders from customers at the service counter, but also internally preprogrammed cutting orders or orders from online ordering processes have to be processed simultaneously on one cutting machine. The operator usually sees the incoming cutting jobs on the basis of an output device and then processes them in the order in which they arrive. This process can, of course, be optimized, in particular with regard to the efficiency mentioned above and the resource-saving handling of the food, so that the existing cutting orders are pre-sorted by the control unit according to the type of food in order to enable the most efficient processing possible with as few changes of type as possible. Different properties of the individual types of food can also be taken into account in the sorting process, which also minimizes the number of slices to be cut within the remaining intermediate orders.

Weg(e) zur Ausführung der ErfindungWay (s) of carrying out the invention

The invention will now be described with reference to a possible embodiment. The starting point is, for example, an automatic cutting machine with a connected packaging device, which is set up in the rear area of a service counter. The machine is able to carry out the incoming cutting job fully automatically after an operator has placed a type of food. In the end, the cut goods are available in a separate packaging with corresponding price labeling for each cutting order. In addition to the manual entry of individual orders from the service counter, pre-programmed orders are stored, for example to pre-produce individual packaged food types for the self-service counter. Furthermore, orders arrive from the online shop at the cutting machine several times a day, optimally outside of peak hours, which are also to be processed by the operator or the cutting machine. Such an order list can, for example, look as given in Table 1

Table 1:

<b> Table 1 </b>

order number	Type of food	amount
1 (pre-programmed)	Grade 1	500g
2 (pre-programmed)	Grade 2	500g
3 (pre-programmed)	Grade 3	500g
4 (service counter)	Grade 1	100 g
5 (online)	Grade 4	150g
6 (online)	Grade 3	300g
7 (service counter)	Grade 4	100 g
8 (online)	Grade 2	200 g
9 (service counter)	Grade 2	100 g
10 (service counter)	Grade 4	150g

Type 1 is, for example, a rather dry but more greasy hard sausage, whereas type 2, in the example mentioned, is a ham with a larger diameter and a higher water content. Types 3 and 4 are sausages with a medium diameter and average degree of contamination.

In the case of a method for processing the individual orders according to the invention without optimizing the sum of the orders, these would simply be processed in the order in which they arrive. In this case, eight varieties would be changed. The control unit would accordingly carry out eight intermediate orders and produce corresponding packaging for discarding. Between order 1 and order 2, for example, two slices of type 2 would be carried out as cleaning cuts in the intermediate order, since type 1 is more dirty, but type 2 also cleans better. When switching between orders 4 and 5, on the other hand, four cleaning cuts would be carried out in the intermediate order, for example, because type 4 does not clean as well as type 2. Between orders 7 and 8, on the other hand, only a single cleaning cut would be required and between orders 8 and 9 no intermediate order.

If the control unit now optimizes the orders based on their total number, then the orders are carried out in the order 3,6,5,7,10,2,8,9,1 and 4. In this way, only 3 intermediate orders are required, which means less goods have to be discarded. At the same time, the orders can also be processed more quickly, since the operator does not have to intervene so often in the work process to change the grade.

Claims

Method for controlling an automatic cutting machine for foodstuffs, such as sausage, cheese or the like, the cutting machine comprising a circular knife, a stop plate which determines the cutting thickness and which can be displaced in the axial direction of the circular knife, and a clippings wagon which can be moved parallel to the stop plate, and wherein the clippings wagon has a support surface for the clippings and comprises a clippings holder which can be displaced in the direction of the stop plate, and furthermore the circular knife, the clippings wagon and optionally the clippings holder and the stop plate can be driven by motors from a control unit, the control unit controlling the cutting machine based on incoming order data about the type of food and the quantity to be sliced, characterized in that the control unit executes an automatically generated intermediate order when changing between two different types of food, the intermediate The order is to cut off and discard at least one slice of the circular food knife from the last type of food placed on it.
Method according to Claim 1, characterized in that the control unit stops the cutting machine after the intermediate order has been carried out and uses a visual or acoustic output to notify an operator of removing the cut goods to be discarded from a storage area of the cutting machine.
Method according to Claim 1, characterized in that the control unit additionally controls a packaging device arranged downstream in the depositing area of the cutting machine, the cut goods to be discarded being packaged separately when the intermediate order is carried out and, if appropriate, labeled for the operator or automatically sorted out from the downstream flow of goods.
Method according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the number of slices to be cut in the intermediate order is selected by the control unit on the basis of the respective type of food and, if appropriate, on the basis of the previously placed type of food, in order to achieve an optimal cleaning result of the circular knife.
Method according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the control unit presorted for a plurality of incoming orders, these orders according to food types to be cut, so that a minimum number of variety changes and a minimum number of intermediate orders are required.