Telsonic’s ultrasonic technology has established itself the process of choice for food cutting and portioning applications, across many different product types. Much of the equipment delivered by Telsonic is installed within high volume, and often highly automated, production cells designed and built by the UK’s food sector system specialists and integrators.
There are, however, instances where production volumes are such that high levels of automation are not required, but where the introduction of a simpler semi-automated ultrasonic system would still deliver tangible benefits. Seeking to improve quality and consistency on their frozen Seafood Mousse products, Redditch based Blue Earth Foods turned to Telsonic UK to configure an entry-level ultrasonic cutting system.
Blue Earth Foods Limited is a major supplier of chilled seafood products to leading retailers throughout the United Kingdom and Europe. The company specialises in creating a wide range of fresh store-ready products within their Redditch manufacturing facility.
The product under consideration for this application was frozen Seafood Mousse which is produced with various fillings and manufactured in a slab form ready for portioning.
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This seasonal product however proved difficult to cut and portion manually when using traditional mechanical methods due to its delicacy and variable consistency. Trials using Telsonic’s ultrasonic technology were undertaken to determine if the process could deliver the accurate and neat portion control required.
Following the successful outcome of the cutting and portioning trials, Telsonic UK were commissioned to produce a semi-automatic stand-alone machine. The system has been built upon a stainless steel framework and incorporates lockable castors to allow portability.
At the heart of the machine is a Telsonic AC750 actuator 20kHz/1200W cutting system, encased within a stainless steel cover. Other ultrasonic components include a SE2012 IP67 Converter and a MAGW02012E generator which is mounted within a stainless steel control panel. A single 100mm wide 20kHz titanium slotted cutting blade sonotrode is used to portion the product.
The machine is manually loaded with frozen Seafood Mousse slabs, and an integral indexing conveyor system, complete with drive belt, stainless steel adjustable product guides and sensors, ensure accurate and repeatable product positioning prior to cutting. The ultrasonic cutting process and conveyor synchronisation are all controlled via a Siemens PLC & mini HMI mounted in an IP65 rated control cabinet. Password protected functions on the HMI include: auto cut sequences which set out the ultrasonic cut recipe, number of slices required, first cut slice offset and slice width. Safety status is also displayed, and a manual cut and manual conveyor index testing function is available to assist with set-up.
Control and safety circuits comprise of a palm start, emergency stop and reset, and the machine includes full safety guarding, manufactured from stainless steel box section with hinged access doors and clear polycarbonate infill panels. Side protection at the conveyor area includes flap guards with safety interlocks.
Telsonic were selected for this project, following an initial enquiry by Blue Earth Foods at a trade show. Subsequent product trials confirmed the suitability of the process, and Telsonic were also able to propose a simple, efficient and cost effective solution to the application.
More information on TELSONIC’s ultrasonic systems for food cutting and portioning can be found HERE.
Telsonic UK offer a comprehensive range of ultrasonic modules and systems for a variety of plastic and metal welding, cutting, sealing, cut’n’seal, food cutting, sieving and cleaning applications within a wide range of industries.
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About TELSONIC AG Bronschhofen
Telsonic AG is an international enterprise in the field of industrial ultrasonic technology and one of the global market leaders. The company, which was founded 52 years ago and is based in Bronschhofen (Switzerland), employs approximately 250 staff worldwide, and has subsidiaries in the UK, Germany, Italy, the U.S., Canada, Serbia, China and Korea, as well as representations in many other countries. Telsonic manages all product development and manufacturing in-house, capitalising on our professional expertise, and configuring projects to meet specific customer requirements. Our reliable on-site technical service completes our offer. This is all possible thanks to our expertise, which has been gained over many decades.
