Abstract:
This disclosure concerns methods for processing and grading food articles including x-raying the food articles a first time and taking a 3D image of the food articles.
Abstract:
The present invention relates to an apparatus for grading articles based on at least one characteristics of the articles. The grading comprises building up portions of the articles in containers or grading the articles onto one or more receiving areas, wherein the arrangement of the articles during the grading is preserved. According to the invention, determining means determines one or more characteristic parameters indicating the characteristics of the articles. A first conveyor conveys the articles along a closed-loop conveying path, where the conveyor comprising a number of article holders attached to the conveyor for holding the articles during the conveying along the closed-loop conveying path. An arranging means arranges the articles onto the article holders, where the article holders preserve the arrangement of the articles in the article holders during the conveying. A processor uses the one or more characteristic parameters for selecting article holders that are suitable for the grading. Removing means then finally removes the articles from the article holders in the containers or to the one or more receiving areas without altering the arrangement of the articles in the article holders.
Abstract:
A method is provided for allocating a first item from a group of items to a receiver selected from a group of receivers. The method comprises obtaining characteristic property information for the group of items and obtaining capacity information for the group of receivers. According to the method, a characteristic property of the first item which is to be allocated and a characteristic property of a selected second item within said group of items are used in consideration of possible options for allocating said first and second items to the group of receivers. Taking into account the respective capacities of receivers in the group of receivers, it is then determined which receiver should be selected for allocation of the first item thereto.
Abstract:
This invention relates to an article distribution apparatus for distributing a stream of conveyed articles (22,23) from a conveyor (1) conveying the articles to one or more receiving stations (8,9,10), where two or more receiving arms (4,7) are used for successively receiving and displacing the articles from the conveyor (1) to the one or more receiving stations (8, 9,10). In a receiving position the first receiving arm (4) is arranged at the end of the conveyor (1) and forms an extension of the conveyor and the conveying path of the articles for receiving one or more of the articles. ?fter receiving one or more articles (22,23) from the conveyor the first receiving arm (4) is moved from the receiving position to the one or more receiving stations (8,9,10), the receiving position subsequently being replaced by the second receiving arm (7) for receiving one or more of the subsequent articles (22,23).
Abstract:
The invention relates to a handling installation (20) for handling food items (12), including a conveying device, at least one separating device (32A, 32B) downstream from the conveying device (22, 24), the separating device (32A, 32B) having at least one conveying space (34A) through which the food items (12) can be conveyed and at least one deflecting device (36, 38) positionable to at least partially protrude into the conveying space (34A) to deflect at least one first food item (12) at least partially away from at least one second food item (12) in order to increase the spacing between at least the first food item (12) and the second food item (12) to separate a food cluster (40). Alternatively, a rotating device (128) for rotating and changing an orientation of the food item (12) may be provided. The invention also relates to methods for handling food items and a food processing installation.
Abstract:
This disclosure concerns methods for processing and grading food articles including x-raying the food articles a first time and taking a 3D image of the food articles.
Abstract:
This disclosure concerns a system and a method for processing and grading food articles using a system for grading a food article that has been cut into portions, the system comprising: a first conveyor; at least one spray-removal robot; a first receiving conveyor and a second receiving conveyor, defining a space therebetween; at least one spray-removal robot; and a third receiving conveyor, wherein the spray-removal robot comprises at least one valve with a nozzle, wherein the valve ejects fluid through the nozzle to impact a food article being moved on the first conveyor toward the third receiving conveyor, such that at least one portion of the food article is moved by the impact through the space between the first receiving conveyor and the second receiving conveyor, and such that at least one portion of the food article is moved by the motion of the first receiving conveyor and the second receiving conveyor to the third receiving conveyor.
Abstract:
This disclosure concerns methods for processing and grading food articles including x-raying the food articles a first time and taking a 3D image of the food articles.
Abstract:
This invention relates to a food processing apparatus ( 1000 ) for detecting and cutting tough tissues from food item pieces such as fish or meat fillets or poultry items. At least one x-ray machine ( 1 ) is associated to a first conveyor ( 2 ) for imaging incoming food items conveyed on the first conveyor and based on the imaging generating x - ray image data indicating the location of the tough tissues in the food item pieces. A vision system ( 3 ) supplies second image data of the food item pieces subsequent to the imaging by the at least one x-ray machine. The second image data including position related data indicating the position of the food item pieces on the second conveyor prior to the cutting. A mapping mechanism including a processor determines an estimated coordinate position of the food item pieces on the second conveyor ( 6 ) by utilizing the x-ray image data and tracking position data from the tracking mechanism. The processor compares the estimated coordinate position of the food item pieces to the actual position on the second conveyor based on the second image data.
Abstract:
The invention relates to a gripper (1000) for a robotic arm which is specially designed for fresh food products (102,104). The invention also relates to a method, a device and a system which arranges food products fully automatically onto a conveyor, e.g. in-feed conveyor (1) to an IQF freezer, or into a tray or a box (8). The gripper unit (1000) comprises penetration means (5) for penetrating into the articles (104) that are to be picked up, thereby providing an engagement between the gripper unit (1000) and the articles (104) while rearranging the positions of the articles (104), whereby the position of the penetration means (5) into the articles (104) is operated in such a way that one end of the articles (104) becomes at least partially freely hanging.