▌ Solution Overview
Meatech's fresh meat cutting and packing solution is designed around two non-negotiable requirements: precision and speed. The line integrates thawing, primal segmentation, retail-standard portion slicing, checkweighing, and modified-atmosphere packaging into a cold-chain-continuous workflow that minimises time between cutting and sealing, maximises cut accuracy, and produces the traceability record required by supermarket chains, online fresh meat platforms, and export market buyers.
▌ Process Flow — Stage by Stage
Stage 1 — Controlled Thawing
For operations processing frozen primals, the thawing machine brings material to 0–4 °C with drip loss below 1% — preserving water-holding capacity and cutting quality. Meat thawed unevenly or with high drip loss cuts inconsistently and has shortened shelf life after portioning.
Stage 2 — Primal & Sub-Primal Segmentation: Bone Saw
Whole sides, primals, and large bone-in cuts are segmented by the bone saw at ±0.1 mm cut accuracy. The servo-driven feeding system prevents the lateral movement that causes angled or uneven cuts — the most common cause of trim loss in manual bone saw operation. Smooth, flat cut surfaces also produce better retail presentation and reduce the exposed surface area that accelerates oxidation in retail display.
Stage 3 — Retail Portioning: Meat Slicing Machine
The meat slicer produces retail-standard portions at ±0.1 mm thickness accuracy across the full shift. For high-value products (ribeye, pork belly, lamb leg slices), thickness accuracy directly determines whether each slice falls within the declared portion weight range without excess giveaway. Slicing speed of up to 3,000 kg/h eliminates the throughput limitation of manual portioning.
Stage 4 — Weighing, MAP Packaging & Inspection
Portions pass through the checkweigher — confirming compliance with declared weight and flagging out-of-tolerance pieces for re-trim before packaging. Modified-atmosphere packaging with CO2/N2 flush extends chilled shelf life by 2–4x versus air-packaged product. Metal detection provides the 100% inspection documentation required by all major retail buyers.
▌ Solution Highlights
› ±0.1 mm slice thickness accuracy — maximum yield from each primal, minimum giveaway per pack
› Checkweigher integration — giveaway control to < 0.5% of declared weight across the full shift
› MAP packaging — extends chilled fresh meat shelf life 2–4x vs air packaging
› Cold-chain-continuous workflow — minimises time between cut and seal, directly extending display life
› Full traceability record — cutting log through packaging record, meeting retail chain buyer requirements
▌ ROI & Commercial Value
Giveaway reduction | ±0.1 mm slice accuracy + checkweigher → < 0.5% giveaway vs 2–4% for manual portioning |
Shelf life extension | MAP packaging extends display life 2–4x — reduces markdown and waste losses |
Throughput improvement | Slicing machine at 3,000 kg/h vs 300–400 kg/h for skilled manual team |
Labour saving | Automated portioning and packaging replaces 6–10 manual cutting and packing operators |
Payback period | Typically 8–14 months at medium-to-large centralised cutting facility volume |
▌ Equipment in This Solution
› Thawing machine — 0–4 °C, drip loss < 1%
› Bone saw machine — primal segmentation, servo-fed, ±0.1 mm cut accuracy
› Meat slicing machine — retail portioning, ±0.1 mm thickness, up to 3,000 kg/h
› Checkweigher — declared weight compliance, giveaway control < 0.5%
› MAP packaging machine — CO2/N2 flush, 5–21 day shelf life depending on product
› Metal detector — 100% in-line finished product inspection
