Efficient cutting and slicing is absolutely indispensable to large swathes of the food manufacturing sector, and any companies dealing in pre-cooked meats, cheeses, bread and vegetable products will be heavily dependent on the quality of their machinery.
Small margins can make a very big difference to a firm’s bottom line, and the consistent uniformity and quality of portion sizes offered by the latest technology are pivotal in reducing wastage and driving production speed.
Techniques have now evolved to include sophisticated methods, such as ultrasonic cutting and crust freezing, ensuring the absolute maximum quality in portion production.
Machines such as Weber’s German-made range of slicers can now produce up to 2,000 cuts a minute for cheeses and meats, supercharging food production capacity.
And with even greater connectivity, alongside data-led artificial intelligence (AI) innovation and integration, the coming decade will prove to be a deeply fascinating time for advances in this most fundamental of technologies.
GEA cutting and slicing technology - A partnership beyond machines
The art of cutting and slicing in the food sector is a high-tech, precision-driven process crucial to delivering product integrity and profitability.
GEA CutMasters offer integrated AC technology, a standardized user interface, and optional predictive and preventive maintenance systems They’ll cut, mix, and emulsify almost any meat, poultry or meat substitute product to set a perfect base for further processing. Other applications include fish, vegetables and processed cheese.
The visual appeal of sliced packaged products is integral to brand perception and contributes to consumers’ buying decisions. For manufacturers, that means choosing technology that delivers quality assurance, consistency, and efficiency. GEA’s range of slicers deliver exactly that, ensuring higher yields, improved productivity, flexibility and reliability.
GEA offers more than just machinery. From first consultation to comprehensive support, our specialists work with you to evaluate your production needs. We’re always here to help you build smarter, more efficient cutting and slicing processes.
Click here for more information about GEA.
A revolution in manufacturing
The revolution that automated cutting and slicing has kickstarted in food manufacturing over the last 100 years simply cannot be understated.
It has been pivotal in enabling food manufacturers to grow from small, local operations into truly global businesses operating at scales of mass production.
The efficiency of a company’s cutting and slicing capabilities will have a direct, clearly tangible impact on its profit margins; and will dictate headcount, how food is put to profitable use, and the final quality of the product itself.
Speaking to Food Manufacture, Reiser UK’s sales director Ed Hewitt spotlighted the importance of the technology, and the kinds of manufacturing processes its machines can support: “Cutting and slicing are central to food production efficiency and product consistency. At Reiser UK, we offer a comprehensive range of solutions, from entry-level to high-capacity industrial systems.
“Our portfolio includes Holac slicers for high-speed, precision cutting across meat, cheese and seafood, alongside Ross Industries systems for accurate portioning and strip cutting. We also support Vemag equipment, where vacuum stuffers can integrate cutting and linking functions, delivering flexibility across multiple product types.”
Calling cutting and slicing “essential”, Multivac’s slicing product manager Lewis Pascoe adds: “They have a direct impact on yield, giveaway, labour requirement, portion consistency and overall pack quality. Increasingly, the market is moving away from viewing the slicer as a standalone machine and towards fully integrated line solutions.
“The key equipment being used today includes high-performance slicers, automated loading systems, thermoforming packaging machines and line control software, all working together to deliver a more stable and efficient process.”
Pressure creates diamonds
As with any technology that finds itself at the heart of how businesses operate, cutting and slicing equipment continues to see a high degree of innovation, as the boundaries of output and efficiency are pushed further with each passing year in the relentless pursuit of profit.
In light of the seemingly never-ending cost-of-living crisis, now further exacerbated by the Iran War and the associated price rises resulting from the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, manufacturers are under extreme pressure to reduce costs to a minimum while still ensuring consistent production and product quality.
It is environments like these that breed the sharpest advances, and as a result, data is increasingly being pored over as businesses attempt to glean any possible nuggets of efficiency, as Pascoe explains: “The biggest step forward in recent years has been the move towards smarter integration and automation. Manufacturers are under constant pressure to reduce labour dependency while improving yield and maintaining high acceptance levels, so investment is focusing on complete line efficiency rather than individual machine performance.
“Technologies such as intelligent loaders, improved blade and gripper systems, and centralised line control are making a real difference. We are also seeing growing interest in live production data, giving processors better visibility of performance and more opportunity to react quickly.”
Hewitt, however, zones in on the increased hygiene efficiencies incorporated into modern systems, enabling producers to keep equipment pristine within minimal changeover timeframes: “A key focus has been on versatility, developing equipment capable of handling multiple applications within a single system. This reduces footprint, investment costs and changeover time for our customers.
“Equally important is hygiene. Modern machines are designed for fast, efficient strip down and thorough cleaning, helping manufacturers meet stringent food safety standards without compromising uptime. Intuitive controls and automation features also minimise operator dependency, ensuring consistent output while improving overall production efficiency.”
The rise and rise of AI
There is an elephant in the room, however, and that is the unstoppable march of artificial intelligence (AI), which is yet to firmly make its mark on food manufacturing - although many within the industry believe those days are just around the corner.
AI’s ability to process immense amounts of data in seconds will no doubt lead to even greater levels of automation, as firms identify different ways in which they can squeeze every last drop of efficiency from their equipment.
Each step of the production process is likely to be monitored by AI in some capacity, and different pieces of equipment will increasingly become much more easily integrated with one another.
“We believe the next ten years will bring a significant shift. The future of cutting and slicing will be defined by connectivity, flexibility and data-led optimisation,” Pascoe comments.
“Equipment will become easier to integrate across the full production line, while software will play a much bigger role in monitoring yield, giveaway, uptime and product flow in real time. We also expect more adaptable automation that can handle a wider range of products with less manual intervention. In short, the slicing line of the future will be far more intelligent than it is today.”
Striking a more balanced tone, however, the head of engineering at Applied Manufacturing and Engineering Solutions, Tony Turner, adds: “Most trends in slicing and cutting are moving towards ways that not only improve quality and yield, which are typical drivers for change, but also towards delivering improved food safety, with foreign bodies being the main aspect.
“Advances in 3D imaging software, coupled with AI intelligence and robot developments, are increasingly delivering on those three things. Add to this the use of water jet or ultrasonic cutting and things could get quite exciting in the next few years. However, these are still a way off in most categories in terms of upscaling and return on investment feasibility, due to cost and space constraints.”
Whatever the future holds, AI and greater automation are set to play a key role, and it remains to be seen whether this increasing reliance on technology will in turn lead to fewer physical roles within manufacturing operations.
In any case, however, the efficiency at which manufacturers operate, and the quality of their cuts and slices, will only continue to improve, ultimately delivering a better end product for customers as technology advances.
