Eirin Bar, John Reidar Mathiassen, Aleksander Eilertsen, Terje Mugaas, Ekrem Misimi, Ådne Solhaug Linnerud, Cecilie Salomonsen and Harry Westavik
Practically all salmon fillets produced in Norway are trimmed clean of unwanted fat, bone remnants and other defects according to customer requirements. In today’s modern…
Abstract
Purpose
Practically all salmon fillets produced in Norway are trimmed clean of unwanted fat, bone remnants and other defects according to customer requirements. In today’s modern salmon-processing plants, the trimming operation is performed by a combination of automated trimming machines and manual post-trimming. Manual post-trimming is necessary due to the inability of current trimming machines to obtain satisfactory trimming. The purpose of this paper is to describe the work done so far toward a robotic post-trimming of salmon fillets.
Design/methodology/approach
A prototype concept system was developed to explore the possibility of robotic post-trimming. The concept is based on 3D machine vision, a high-speed robot manipulator and a flexible light-weight cutting knife.
Findings
The developed prototype demonstrated the feasibility of detecting a pre-defined object to be trimmed in 3D, and performing the specified trimming cut along a 3D cutting trajectory.
Research limitations/implications
The developed prototype system was built and integrated – focusing so far only on a single trimming operation: the tail cut.
Originality/value
The originality in the paper is the description of a prototype integrated system, focused on robotic post-trimming of salmon fillets. The value is in providing a starting point for further development toward a complete robotic post-trimming of salmon fillets.
Details
Keywords
Morten Steen Bondø, John Reidar Mathiassen, Petter Aaby Vebenstad, Ekrem Misimi, Eirin Marie Skjøndal Bar, Bendik Toldnes and Stein Ove Østvik
The purpose of this paper is to describe a new slaughter line for industrial slaughtering of salmonid fish. Traditionally, slaughtering of farmed salmonids – salmon and rainbow…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to describe a new slaughter line for industrial slaughtering of salmonid fish. Traditionally, slaughtering of farmed salmonids – salmon and rainbow trout – was done manually by bleed cutting with knives. Using the new slaughter line that includes 3D machine vision and a bleed‐cutting robot, slaughtering is almost completely automated – nominally requiring only one person to supervise the line and manually bleed cut the fish not handled by the robot.
Design/methodology/approach
The design approach of the salmonid slaughter line focuses on using 3D machine vision and a bleed‐cutting robot with four biaxial pneumatic actuators to handle the slaughtering of pre‐anesthetized salmon and rainbow trout.
Findings
Under normal operating conditions, the slaughter line is capable of automatically slaughtering 85‐95 percent of all fish at an average feed rate of 30‐80 salmon/min, and the remaining 5‐15 percent are slaughtered manually. Several issues have been discovered, that should be addressed to improve the slaughter line.
Originality/value
This paper presents a new complete salmonid slaughter line that has reduced the need for manual labor in salmonid slaughtering plants.