With a broad product range and large production volumes, it is a challenge to ensure the consistently high quality. Gerold Gutekunst, Production Manager and Purchaser for Meister feines Fleisch – feine Wurst GmbH, relies among other things on the versatile K 754 vacuum cooking cutter from Seydelmann. In this Fleischereifield test, he discusses his experiences with the cutter.
Located in the Swabian town of Gäufelden, the company makes approximately 250 articles. Meister, founded in 1991 as a subsidiary of the retailer Kriegsbaum, now belongs to the Metro Group. Every month, the company supplies Metro Cash & Carry and Real supermarkets throughout Germany with approximately 1,200 tons of meat and sausages. Since 2002, the company has been QS-certified; since 2005 it has also met IFS standards.
“We have used Seydelmann machines right from the start,” says Gutekunst, continuing: “They have proven themselves for us. The absolute reliability of the machinery is immensely important in a company like ours, because if a cutter stops, the entire production workflow is held up, which can be very expensive.” One of the two vacuum cooking cutters has been in use at Meister since October 2016; the other since March 2017. Managers at Meister decided to purchase various optional features for both, including a cooling system with liquid nitrogen and the extended digital Auto Command 4000 controller, which can record all production data and has a “Teach-in-Function”. With its help, the user can set all parameters of a cutting process individually and retrieve them during later operations.
User-friendly high-tech
Thanks to the stored procedures, the machines are easy to operate despite their sophisticated technology. “It took practically no time for us to learn to use them,” explains Gutekunst. “We have previously worked with Seydelmann cutters; compared to previous models, the new ones are now even simpler. Anyone trained as a butcher has no problem with them.” Asked how well untrained employees can handle the vacuum cooking cutter, the Production Manager explains: “If I asked untrained employees to work with the cutters, I would have them use previously programmed recipes. Trainees only need to follow one step after another. At any given point, the controls on the display show them what to do next.” In such a situation, Gutekunst or another responsible employee can sit at their desks and oversee the cutter operation at any time.
Normally, the machine operator primarily works with several joysticks labeled with easily understandable icons. “Operation becomes second nature over time,” says Gutekunst, while one of his employees routinely activates a joystick without a second glance.
In addition to ergonomics, Gutekunst found the compact design of the K 754 a decisive criterion for the purchase. “Despite its 750-liter bowl, the cutter doesn’t take up more space than absolutely necessary,” he says, satisfied. Seydelmann generally puts the cutter’s electronic controls in a separate unit, which enables the very compact design of the machine.
Versatile, quick and safe
The fact that Production Manager Gutekunst and his staff decided for the above-mentioned optional features is last but not least due to the machine’s versatility: “We produce boiled, cooked and raw sausage with the cutters. They deliver top performance in all three areas,” says Gutekunst, giving the K 754 the best rating in this regard.
The decision for a cutter with a cooking function has both qualitative as well as efficiency-related advantages: Cooking and cutting can be completed in one process. At Meister, an additional cutter lid heater is used so that the sausage emulsion achieves the desired temperature even faster. The cooling function enables a fast temperature change in the opposite direction. “The raw material is always cooled to a defined start temperature to guarantee optimal protein development and the required fineness at the end of the process – as well as always achieving a uniform, constant quality,” explains Gutekunst.
Balance-error monitoring and the automatic knife-shaft balancing system ensure not only the quality of the results, but also the safety and reliability of the cutter itself. “If in the worst case a knife broke, the balance-error monitoring function would immediately shut down the machinery – much faster than an employee can operate the emergency switch.” To ensure that this doesn’t happen, the K 754 automatically balances its blade shaft. “Of course, we can continue to work with a small imbalance,” says Gutekunst, “but at high speeds, the knives are subjected to great forces. This means it is better to use a well-balanced knife shaft.”
This is not only for employee safety. Blade changes are also facilitated by a quick-release nut and a pneumatic knife-shaft lock. “When employees work on the knives, they must naturally use the necessary protective wear. Over the years, however, I have seen many more accidents involving falling or tripping than cuts. Everyone who works with sharp knives is automatically more careful.”
Good hygiene, maintenance and service
Whenever food is produced or processed, hygiene has the highest priority. This is also true at Meister. “Operators are responsible for cleaning after they complete their jobs. Here, we never outsource this,” says Gutekunst. The machine design helps his employees. Covers are embedded flush to prevent product residues in corners and edges, and all surfaces slope to allow water runoff and prevent breeding grounds for germs. The minimal distance of the knife to the lid and bowl also ensures that no uncut meat ingredients can adhere. “The machine can be quickly, thoroughly and very easily cleaned,” concludes Gutekunst.
The same is true for maintenance. “We have a maintenance contract with Seydelmann. Maintenance intervals depend on a machine’s running time and performance. The Auto Command 4000 indicates when maintenance is necessary, and we then set up an appointment with Seydelmann’s Service Department.”
Meister’s own technicians, however, are largely responsible for ongoing maintenance. If unexpected problems arise, Gutekunst knows from years of experience that he can rely on Seydelmann service. “I can hardly give them anything but the best rating for this. If I call Seydelmann and describe a problem, I can depend on them to send a service technician as soon as possible, if necessary.”
The fact that Production Manager Gerold Gutekunst decided to purchase two K 754 vacuum cooking cutters says a lot about how he estimates their cost-effectiveness. Excellent performance, reliability and versatility were just as essential in the purchase decision as the compact, ergonomic and high-quality machine design.