Robotic Beef Splitting

Summary

Background
Splitting the beef carcase after slaughter is a routine step in the beef dressing process.  The half carcase is more effectively handled, and offers the most favourable presentation for rapid chilling. The process of beef splitting is repetitive and physically demanding with a highly skilled operator guiding a purpose built handheld bandsaw expertly along the vertebrae and guided by the feather bones or spinous process .
Automating this task has been extremely challenging due to the enormous variability of livestock in terms of size and breed (ie; bos indicus hump), and the flexibility of the warm carcase especially in the neck region.  Splitting down the centre of the vertebrae revealing the spinal cord is important to remove this specified risk material (SRM).  A number of active (featuring ultra-sound sensing), and passive (mechanical guidance along the vertebrae) automation solutions have been investigated via the projects below. However, a cost effective and reliable solution has so far been elusive.
Research
Early projects in 2004-5 (PRTEC.007, 029, 035) investigated various beef splitting technology options but did not lead to a viable system.
Later projects in 2009 were jointly funded with MAR (P.PSH.0277 and 0526) and were focussed on performing cutting trials for beef splitting.
Projects A.TEC.0058 and 0060 seperately investigated utilising an x-ray unit to as a tool for identifying deep tissue carcase features to control beef splitting automatic devices.
Outcomes
Further work in this area has been put on hold owing to lack of further industry support and that the cost:benefit may not be viable.  However, it is likely this task can be sucessfully automated based on the R&D carried out.