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The evisceration line plays a pivotal role in poultry processing ensuring the production of clean, safe-to-eat chicken products. However, maintaining optimal safety, product quality, and value presents significant challenges, often due to downgrades and contamination during processing.
The evisceration process consists of multiple isolated subprocesses, each intricately linked with the next. The efficiency and success of each stage depend heavily on the quality and precision of the preceding step. As a result, identifying the exact point where downgrades occur can be a complex task. However, this identification is essential for maintaining high operational standards. Pinpointing the sources of quality issues provides the necessary insights to make targeted adjustments in the process, ultimately safeguarding product quality, reducing waste, and maximizing value.
Effective monitoring and process optimization across the entire evisceration line are crucial. Implementing advanced inspection and data analysis tools can streamline the identification of contamination points and quality downgrades, allowing for more precise control and continuous improvement in processing operations.
To identify the root cause of downgrades occuring on the evisceration line, each sub-process must be closely monitored. With the BAADER ProcessView software designed to monitoring the evisceration line performance, every downgrade can be traced back to a specific processing unit. This provides complete visibility into machine and process performance, allowing the maintenance team to focus on areas that require attention. Additionally, the line supervisor gains insight into performance, enabling quick adjustments to machine settings as needed. ProcessView enhances efficiency and ensures that each part of the evisceration line operates at its best, ultimately leading to higher quality output and reduced contamination risks.
The AI-based ClassifEYE vision system captures an image of each bird leaving the subprocess. The image is then analyzed by the software to assess performance. The camera can be positioned in multiple locations on the evisceration line, depending on the purpose:
A vision camera positioned at the beginning of the evisceration line provides an overview of quality as the birds transition from the slaughter line to the evisceration line. This data alerts users to any downgrades occurring upstream, allowing them to react and improve processing. It also serves as a baseline for understanding downgrades that happen during the evisceration process. Such downgrades include broken wings, skin flaws, bruises and contamination.
An improperly adjusted venting machine can damage the intestines, causing faecal material to contaminate the carcass during evisceration. To monitor such issues, two cameras are installed to capture both top-view and back-centered images of each bird as it passes through.
The software analyzes the images to determine:
Monitoring the dashboards offers the visibility needed for quick decision-making, and insights into the performance of each cutting unit. If units consistently show poor drilling performance or, conversely, persistent damage to intestines, the maintenance team can focus directly on the necessary corrective actions. This improved response time can reduce downgrades at the vent cutter and prevent further knock-on downgrades across subsequent sub-process steps.
After vent cutting, the opener cuts the abdominal skin from the vent opening to the tip of the breastbone, creating the opening for the subsequent evisceration machine. Proper machine setup is crucial to avoid damaging the intestines or opening the skin too much, which would leave the breast meat uncovered. At this location, monitoring is conducted with one camera focused on the top view, while another captures a front-centered view of the bird.
The software analyzes the images to determine:
The data can be used to monitor and maintain the correct machine settings for specific bird sizes. In real time, the dashboard can highlight issues as they occur, while the combined data helps identify longer-term trends. For example, a significant increase in missed or unopened vents may indicate the machine is not properly calibrated for that bird size, allowing for adjustments in future production schedules. Conversely, if the trend shows birds not being opened sufficiently, the machine can be adjusted for a deeper cut. These insights are only possible through mass data capture, enabling more detailed analysis.
Following the opening, the automatic eviscerator must effectively re move the intestines and viscera package without damaging the organs or intestines. To inspect the performance, one camera captures a top view image, while another captures a back-centered view of the bird.
The software analyzes the images to determine:
When the viscera pack is not fully removed, it adds extra manual labour to the process. Often, a dedicated operator is assigned to remove the remaining viscera packs. Alternatively, the task may fall to the veterinar ian during inspection, diverting their focus from primary responsibilities. Real-time issue identification helps target machine setting adjustments, improving overall performance and freeing operators to focus on other value-added tasks.
The goal of the eviscerator is to successfully remove the viscera pack from the bird, present it to the veterinarian, and make it available for giblet processing. This allows the valuable giblets to be separated from the non-edible parts and processed. One camera is placed slightly above the giblet shackles to capture an image of the entire viscera pack.
The software analyzes the images to determine:
When the ClassifEYE software detects trends in organ-specific damage or contamination, it can immediately notify the veterinarian, aiding in the identification of issues within specific flocks or breeds during processing. As data accumulates, retrospective analysis can reveal patterns linked to bird size, breed, or even individual growers. This information can be proactively shared with veterinarians before production begins, ensuring they are aware of com mon issues related to organ disease, damage, or contamination associated with the planned combinations of breeds, sizes, and growers for the upcoming production period
The final quality check is performed at the end of the evisceration line. This reading can be compared to the initial reading at the start of the line to identify any quality downgrades that occurred during the complete evisceration process as well any remaining contamination on the bird.
This also provides an indication of the quality that will enter the chill line and, ultimately, secondary processing. When combined with a Weigh Transfer 520, weights can be added to the data, providing a 2 to 3 hour advanced notice of the quality and weights expected for secondary processing. This gives the processor time for proper planning regarding sales orders.
No two processors have the same performance metrics, making it essential for a monitoring system to be adjustable. It must allow users to quickly and intuitively set specific thresholds and receive alerts based on these customized criteria. This flexibility ensures the system meets the unique needs of each processing operation, optimizing performance and maintaining quality standards.
All data retrieved from the captured images on the evisceration line is conveniently presented in a customizable dashboard tailored to individual users. Tiles and charts can be added, removed, and resized based on each user’s preferences. Multiple dash boards are available per user to best fit their daily tasks.
Processing thresholds are easily set up, allowing you to define what is acceptable in your production. Receive warnings when the downgrade percentage reaches the defined thresholds and improve processing immediately. Access is granted only to individuals securely logged into the factory network, and access management is simple. A closed network option is available if required.
Data storage is flexible, allowing you to store it locally on a physical database, in the cloud, or transfer it to your MES or ERP systems as needed.
ProcessView is powered by BAADER’s proprietary ClassifEYE vision technology, developed entirely in-house. With early investments in vision and AI technology, BAADER has built a dedicated expert team focused on continuous innovation and product enhancement. Supported by product specialists and technologists with over 100 years of combined poultry processing experience, they seamlessly connect digital advancements with processing expertise.
The expert team has been working throughout the development, using their experience to correctly label each image. Customers can be confident that the system is based upon sound industry knowledge and technical expertise.
This in-house collaboration ensures exceptional support, free from third-party dependencies, delivering unmatched value to customers.
Contact us today to discover how the ClassifEYE technol ogy can improve your daily operations. Our experts are ready to provide insights into how this innovative solution can streamline your processes, enhance efficiency, and deliver exceptional results.