Automated Trim Management: The Next Stage of Your Factory’s Evolution
The need for continuous innovation is ever present in food manufacturing and, specifically, the red meat processing sector. What part of your facility should be at the top of your priority list for updating and improving? In this blog, we are going to make the case for automating your trim management processes to optimise fat/lean ratios, increase operational control, and boost your bottom line at a time when profit margins are under pressure.
The red meat processing industry is changing. The demands of your customers are getting tighter because their customers are asking for more. Regulations and food hygiene standards constantly evolve, and competition is fiercer than ever.
As a result, you need solutions that will meet the needs of your production lines today while creating new opportunities for growth in the future.
You also need a partner who understands red meat production processes and, crucially, has the capability and expertise to deliver solutions within strict parameters, whether that is a limited factory footprint, specific sustainability objectives, or any other requirement.
Automated Trim Management: An Overview
Trim management systems that include fat analysis technologies and automated batch control continue to improve, but they are solutions that are well established. They are also well-proven, delivering operational, commercial, and financial benefits. The big questions, therefore, are when should you invest in an automated trim management solution and who should you partner with?
The traditional approach to trim management involves manually sorting trim and using the skill of employees to determine fat percentage. While this method of trim management works to a point, it is inaccurate, highly variable, and resource intensive, as well as operationally challenging given the amount of trim that needs to be analysed in a short space of time.
Automated trim management solutions use specialist X-ray technologies and grading machines to analyse red meat in real time, optimising the fat/lean ratio. Batch control is also a crucial part of a trim management solution to ensure the product is automatically and accurately allocated after it has gone through the fat analysis process.
By managing trim using this automated process, you will reduce lean giveaway while also achieving fat percentage targets on red meat products that meet customer requirements and drive maximum value for your business.
Furthermore, as trim management solutions use X-ray technologies, they also have an important quality control function as they can detect contaminants in the product. This includes bone, plastic, metal, and other hazardous and often hard-to-detect contaminants.
Automated Trim Management: Benefits Summary
- Increase your profit margins.
- Improve operational efficiency.
- Enhance product quality and safety.
- Protect and improve your company’s reputation.
- Build stronger customer relationships.
- Secure new orders and expand your business.
Automated Trim Management: SF Engineering’s Expertise
At SF Engineering, we offer end-to-end trim management solutions for all types of red meat production lines, including facilities that create batches of trim for further internal processing as well as those that supply trim to other facilities.
Our end-to-end solutions include:
- Infeed systems including conveyors and platforms.
- Integrated fat analysis equipment with contaminant rejection.
- Grading units to batch the trim according to its fat/lean ratio.
- Packing stations and downstream production line solutions.
We design and manufacture trim management solutions in-house, with an emphasis on ROI and other critical requirements, including cleanability, sustainability, and ease of use.
We also provide full lifecycle support for your trim management solution, from the initial design and consultation stages through to manufacturing, installation, and commissioning, as well as post-installation support. We offer service level agreements, we supply spare parts, and we have a strong servicing and maintenance team that provides both remote and on-site support.
In summary, an automated trim management solution will ensure your facility produces batches of trim with accurate fat/lean ratios that are also contaminant-free. Get in touch with us at SF Engineering today to find out more.
