Butchers can score points with customers by manufacturing high-quality cooked and dry sausage. This means, however, that they must have the perfect technical means of making these. Fine emulsions and a clean cut and grain during production characterize meat product quality. During cutting and mixing, meat consistency and structure must be changed so that added fat and water are optimally bound and that the desired structure of the fine mass is achieved. The basic requirement for creating perfect batches is a cutter process that is effective and that handles material gently. At the same time, the process must be completed before the emulsion exceeds a certain temperature. Why? During the cutting and mixing procedure, the structure and consistency of the raw materials, and thus, the ability of the emulsion to bind water and fat, change so that a homogeneous mass develops. To achieve this, a number of factors must be perfectly attuned to each other: the bowl and knife speed, the bowl radius, the form and variability of the knife cover, the peripheral speed and the knife form.
A round cutter ensures extremely high operating stability. The result is low-vibration motion and lower noise emissions. Automatic shutoff based on thermometer readings and revolution counters protects emulsions against overheating and simplifies the manufacturing. Because a butcher often needs enormous physical strength, hydraulic machine components such as loading devices or product ejection mechanisms likewise facilitate the workload and enable efficient, economic production. Those who wish to save on energy costs should choose a soft-start motor. All mechanical engineering companies make cutters that are stainless and easy to clean. Smooth, round surfaces ease compliance with today’s hygiene standards. In contrast to normal cutting machines, vacuum cutters have a decisive advantage: air is removed from the emulsion during operation and it is cut in a vacuum. This prevents undesirable chemical oxidation of the meat and visibly improves its color – also ensuring that it lasts much longer.
Freely programmable control systems enable automatic cutting processes that do not overcut the emulsion. The user only needs to program the batch and the desired end product. The control systems take care of everything else.
Increasing demands on quality as well as responsibility to consumers require seamless and reliable documentation of production processes. Cutters play a key role in this. Previously, cutter documentation usually had to be carried out manually. In practice, however, this could hardly be done with justifiable time and expense. Thanks to modern PC programs, all data used by the cutter, i.e. emulsion temperature, revolutions per minute as well as loading or unloading can be recorded without any action on the part of the operator, stored and then later retrieved at any time.
click on the picture (5 pictures) Ergonomic design
- picture: Laska The 65-l-cutter achieves a clean cut and grain when producing raw and hard smoked sausage. full size
Laska (Traun, Austria) offers modern cutter technology for bowl volumes from between 60 to 750 l and for all product areas. Universal, vacuum or cooking cutters need only one step to quickly chop meat for raw or cooked sausage.
Laska also offers the 60- to 130-l-cutter as a vacuum cutter model. The infinitely variable knife drive, optimized cutting space, separate bowl drive and forwards and backwards mixing process have many qualitative advantages for the end-product. The cutter can be used for nearly anything; according to the product specifications, it achieves the finest emulsion as well as a clean cut and grain when producing raw and hard smoked sausage. The economical connected load makes modern cutter technology available even for companies with electrical current problems. The closed motor compartment and other noise-reducing measures lead to relatively low noise levels. The smooth, round form of the self-supporting stainless steel housing, with its built-in control box, simplifies cleaning and ensures modern hygiene standards.
High protein development
- picture: Seydelmann To reduce the physical effort for butchers, the K 124H vacuum cutter has a hydraulic main lid, an integrated hydraulic loading mechanism as well as a hydraulic product ejector. full size
The K 124H AC-8 vacuum cutter from Seydelmann (Stuttgart, Germany) is equipped with a future-oriented AC drive. Its eight knife speeds – from a slow mixing speed to the highest speeds for very fine grinding – can be steplessly programmed on the Micro 114 digital display and retrieved at the cutter via the user-friendly cross-lever switches.
According to the manufacturer, an AC cutter is significantly faster than conventional cutters with fixed speeds. These high speeds develop much more protein from the meat cells. The result is a much more homogeneous emulsion that is firmer and can be ejected better. In addition to developing the cell protein, the high knife speed also frees taste-influencing substances in the meat such as enzymes and ferments.
To reduce physical effort for butchers, Seydelmann has equipped the K 124H vacuum cutter with a hydraulic main lid, an integrated hydraulic loading mechanism as well as a hydraulic product ejector. The K 124H is optionally available with a hydraulic noise reduction cover.
The unique feature of this cutter, according to Seydelmann, is its vacuum function. Air is removed from the emulsion during operation, which is cut in a vacuum. This prevents undesirable chemical oxidation of the meat color and achieves a visibly improved color that lasts much longer, according to the manufacturer. When no or very little air is present, no – or much less – air with its bacteria and germs is mixed into the emulsion. With fewer bacteria, the product remains fresher much longer. A decisive advantage, according to the product specifications, is the sausage’s firm bite, due to the fact that the cutter knife grinds meat cells in the emulsion much more stiffly and compactly when a vacuum is present. This enables much greater protein development, which is good for the bond. In addition, an emulsion of the greatest fineness is achieved because gristle and sinews cannot evade the knife. This results in sausage with a homogeneous and appetizing cutting face.
Optimal batch processing
- picture: K+G Wetter Cutmix with an open knife cover. full size
K+G Wetter (Biedenkopf-Breidenstein, Germany) manufacturers sophisticated cutters with advanced technology that guarantee perfect batch processing for every use. When making raw-ripened sausage, for example, the cutting chamber of K+G Wetter’s cutters can be easily varied. The baffle plate is removed to create a high-quality raw-ripened sausage using a three-sickle knife head.
The variable speed knife and bowl drives can be flexibly adapted to make any desired type of emulsion. The infinitely variable AC knife shaft uses only as much energy as needed for the respective operation, resulting in lower operating costs. A slower bowl speed at time of product discharge bears enormous advantages. Shutoff functions for temperature, bowl revolution and time secure the process flow. All operating data are shown in plain text on a clear display panel. Since the Süffa 2009, modern touch-screen operation is optionally available for the CM/VCM (200 l). Other options are CutControl programming and the CutVision transfer and recording software, which conveys data from the machine to the computer.
Due to its vibration-free motion, the structure of the Cutmix series enables integration of the completely electronic control system. Its particular advantage: control box assembly and cabling are not required for the company’s machines. Inclined surfaces enable complete runoff of cleaning fluids.
An ejector is available for cutters as of the 70-l size and up; as of the 120-l size, a hydraulic loader can be supplied for 120-l or 200-l-wagons.
The CutControl program control system enables artisanal, and thus, individual sausage manufacture to be repeated as often as desired. CutControl or the CutVision PC program for seamless documentation of meat products production can be optionally integrated into all new devices of the Cutmix infinitely variable drive (45 to 550 l) and can even be retrofitted in already existing machines of this type.
Thoroughly thought-out machine concept
- picture: Mado The modern design of the Supra series fulfills high requirements in regard to the user-friendliness of modern cutters. full size
The Supra cutter series manufactured by Mado (Dornhan, Germany) has a self-supporting housing construction that is completely made of rust-free stainless steel. Its modern design is characterized by smooth surfaces and functional elements that can be unproblematically cleaned. The machines fulfill the highest HACCP hygiene requirements. According to the manufacturer, the cutter knife can be rapidly changed using innovative assembly tools. The controls are clearly structured. The openings to the ventilation of the inner chamber are built into the bottom of the housing and protected against foreign bodies and dampness through labyrinths.
The basic Supra cutter equipment includes a 6-bladed cutter knife head, precision-cast stainless steel cutter bowls, vibration dampers, a cutter cover with weight reduction for easy opening and an integrated digital thermometer. Special equipment such as 3-bladed or 4-bladed knives with various blade profiles is available. Model H is the basic machine. It is hand-operated and has two speeds for the cutter bowl and knife shaft respectively and also includes a digital temperature display. Model M contains two additional mixing speeds (forwards or backwards). The motors have a soft-start feature. In addition, programmable automatic shut-off for temperature and bowl revolutions is available.
The SL model also has a knife shaft that is infinitely variable from 50 to 5,000 rpm as well as a freely programmable control system. This enables cutting processes to be automatically directed without overcutting the emulsion. The user only needs to program the structure of the batch and the desired end product. The control system takes care of everything else. An eject mechanism is optionally available for the Supra 70 model series.
The Garant 35 35-l-standing-model-cutter is available in two variations: the MSK 760-I with 8 kW can be obtained as an entry-level model with a 3-knife knife-head or with a 6-knife knife-head for demanding applications. The basic features of both models include vibration dampers, a Nirosta cutter bowl, 6-knife or 3-knife heads, a noise-reduction cover and an integrated thermometer. The machine is designed with a solid frame construction that guarantees quiet, smooth running, according to the manufacturer. The frame as well as all housing elements are made of rust-free stainless steel. The newest addition to Mado’s cutter family is the Garant MSK 761 M. This machine has two mixing speeds and is equipped with a cast, stainless steel bowl that ensures optimal quality for raw and cooked sausages, according to the manufacturer. A clearly organized film keyboard simplifies operation of the machine.
Just right for artisanal operations
- picture: Kilia With its round construction, the “Meister Plus” express cutter achieves extremely high stability, even during operation. full size
The “Meister Plus” express cutter made by Kilia (Neumünster, Germany) includes high-quality technical equipment that is oriented precisely to modern small-to-medium production needs. Not only is the machine’s round construction optically attractive, it also enables extremely high stability during operation. According to the product specifications, this leads to very low-vibration running, and thus, much less noise emission.
The round design also enables perfect cleaning and the correspondingly highest hygiene demands, according to Kilia. The machine’s easy operation via the film keyboard also supports ergonomic work. With its two cutting and four mixing speeds, the “Meister Plus” can be used for many applications. The automatic shutoff mechanism based on the thermometer and revolution counter additionally simplifies the butcher’s work. According to the manufacturer, the “Meister Plus” not only saves space due to its round construction, but its soft-start drive technology also saves electricity costs.
In addition to the traditional 50-l and 65-l-sizes, Kilia has now added 90-l and 125-l-machines to its program. Numerous other pieces of equipment are also available, such as the infinitely variable AC knife shaft drive with its high-performance frequency changer, the maintenance-free knife speed system with automatic central lubrication (ADS 100) or the optionally available noise reduction equipment.
