Feasibility Review - Automated X-ray Beef Boning

Summary

Background
Beef boning which includes primal cut breakdown, de-boning, portioning, and product handling, is a key phase in the transformation of livestock into high value food.  Beef processing is a highly optimised largely manual activity.  The cost structures existing in Australia necessitates a review of this process with a view of evaluating the feasibility of applying modern manufacturing automation techniques and technologies, while noting that these cost pressures do not exist to the same extent with other beef exporting competitor countries.
The highly variable nature of livestock in combination with the highly unstructured nature of meat processing limit the availability of viable cost effective solutions.  However, recent automation advances in the lamb processing sector have suggested that a similar approach may be possible, while noting that the beef carcase is significantly more complex due to its size. The benefit to the supply chain is the potential for a transformative evolution of beef processing with a major impact on value, cost and wastage reduction, and the impact of sensing and carcase data on supply chain efficiency, response, and market signalling.
Research
Scott's Technology in conjunction with MLA is developing a fully automated x-ray beef boning solution. This system is being developed to automate the bandsaw cuts of the beef carcase. The proposed system has the potential to improve accuracy of cutting lines and reduce OH&S issues while increasing the plants ability to manage room productivity. The below report is an ex-ante review of the commercial viability of the system, including where value could be generated from and its likely magnitude.
The sections of the carcase to be affected by a potential system are as follows:Splitting of the forequarter between the 5th and 6th ribs;Scribing of the ribs through the point end forequarter;Dissection of the navel end forequarter;Splitting of the hindquarter between the rump and striploin;Refining the hindquarter boning process;
The x-ray beef solution is being designed to include four main stations that would remove a scribing saw and four bandsaws. The system is to include the following:X-ray system for image analysis;Aitch Bone puller (4 labour units saved);Cutting system to break the forequarter (3 labour units saved);Hindquarter splitting system (2 labour units saved);
The development of an automated boning solution could create new ways of breaking a carcase and to optimise value between cutting lines that has been constrained by traditional manual methods. Identifying and modifying cutting lines with image analysis that account for difference in carcase size as opposed to anatomical location could increase the saleable value of a number of cuts.