Abstract: A system for cutting blocks of food product into bars of substantially equal weight. The system includes a cutter conveyor configured to receive incoming blocks of food product and move the blocks along an in-line processing path in a plane for cutting; a programmable logic controller coupled to the cutter conveyor; and, multiple stations associated with the cutter conveyor. One such station is a camera vision system configured to create an image of the slab portion, and further including a camera controller coupled to the vision system and the PLC, and configured to determine an optimized cut solution of the slab portion from the image and data related to the food product, and is configured to provide the cut solution to the PLC. The PLC is configured to control the cutting of the food product, based on the optimized cut solution, into bars of substantially equal weight.

Abstract: A system for cutting blocks of food product into bars of substantially equal weight. The system includes a cutter conveyor configured to receive incoming blocks of food product and move the blocks along an in-line processing path in a plane for cutting; a programmable logic controller coupled to the cutter conveyor; and, multiple stations associated with the cutter conveyor. One such station is a camera vision system configured to create an image of the slab portion, and further including a camera controller coupled to the vision system and the PLC, and configured to determine an optimized cut solution of the slab portion from the image and data related to the food product, and is configured to provide the cut solution to the PLC. The PLC is configured to control the cutting of the food product, based on the optimized cut solution, into bars of substantially equal weight.

Abstract: A system for cutting blocks of cheese or other food product into chunks includes conveyors for moving the blocks along an automated, continuous, in-line processing path. A block cutter cuts the blocks longitudinally and or vertically to provide one or more stacks of slabs which are destacked by a vacuum transfer apparatus. A transverse cutter cuts the individual slabs to create chunks of cheese or other food product. The conveyors include a stack conveyor located in the processing path for conveying successive stacks of slabs from the block cutter to the product destacking apparatus in succession, and a slab conveyor located in the processing path for conveying successive slabs from the product destacking apparatus to the transverse cutter. A trim cutting module includes a rotating mechanism that rotates a block during the trim operation, allowing trim to drop to a trim disposal conveyance.

Abstract: A system for cutting blocks of cheese or other food product into chunks includes conveyors for moving the blocks along an automated, continuous, in-line processing path. A block cutter cuts the blocks longitudinally and or vertically to provide one or more stacks of slabs which are destacked by a vacuum transfer apparatus. A transverse cutter cuts the individual slabs to create chunks of cheese or other food product. The conveyors include a stack conveyor located in the processing path for conveying successive stacks of slabs from the block cutter to the product destacking apparatus in succession, and a slab conveyor located in the processing path for conveying successive slabs from the product destacking apparatus to the transverse cutter. A trim cutting module includes a rotating mechanism that rotates a block during the trim operation, allowing trim to drop to a trim disposal conveyance.

Abstract: Apparatus for cutting cheese blocks (1) into portions (13) conveys the cheese along a linear processing path. Longitudinal cutters (6,7) for dividing the depth and width of the cheese block, with separation of layers when the depth is divided, create sets (120) of longitudinal sticks (12) conveyed side-by-side. These are presented to a guillotine cutter (8) which, on the basis of measured length and weight of the set (120), makes successive transverse cuts dividing the stick set (120) into successive sets (130) of portions (13) which are then separated from one another for packaging. A control processor (CP) uses measured block weight and dimensional information to determine an optimal disposition of cuts taking account of product standard criteria (e.g. maximum permissible deviation from and maintenance of an average portion weight) together with minimized wastage.