▌ Solution Overview
Meatech's burger patty processing line delivers full automation from raw chicken input — fresh carcass or frozen block — to individually quick-frozen, portion-accurate finished patties, with an optional in-line coating and frying module for breaded chicken patty products. The line is engineered as a system rather than assembled from catalogue equipment: each stage is sized and interfaced to match your target throughput (1 T/h to 5 T/h), and the transition between machines — feed heights, conveyor speeds, temperature handoffs — is designed to prevent the bottlenecks and contamination risks that arise when equipment from different suppliers is combined on the same burger patty production line.
▌ Process Flow — Stage by Stage
Stage 1 — Raw Material Pre-Treatment: Thawing, Cleaning & Primary Cutting
Frozen raw material is thawed in a Meatech low-temperature high-humidity thawing machine to a core temperature of 0–4 °C with drip loss below 1%, preserving protein structure and meat colour for downstream processing. Fresh or thawed carcasses then pass to a bone saw for primary segmentation before a bone meat separator recovers residual meat from frames at 65–90% yield with bone residue content below 0.15%. This stage directly determines raw material utilisation on any burger patty processing line: a 1% improvement in frame meat recovery across a 3 T/h line represents significant annual cost savings.
Stage 2 — Emulsification & Paste Preparation: Bowl Chopper & Vacuum Mixer
Recovered meat and portioned breast meat are processed through a frequency-conversion bowl chopper — blade speed up to 4,500 rpm — to produce a fine, stable emulsified paste with the protein extraction required for patty sliceability and bite structure. The vacuum mixer then incorporates fat, starch, soy protein, seasoning, and ice under negative pressure (-0.08 to -0.1 MPa), removing entrapped air that would otherwise create voids in the formed patty and reduce cook yield. Vacuum mixing is a non-negotiable step for premium burger patty texture — it cannot be replaced by atmospheric mixing without measurable quality loss.
Stage 3 — Precision Forming: Hydraulic Patty Forming Machine
Paste is fed into the hydraulic patty forming machine, where servo-controlled mold filling and pressing produces each patty to ±1 g weight accuracy at 30–60 cycles per minute. Mold designs are custom-manufactured to your exact specifications — any diameter, thickness, or portion weight in the 50 g–300 g range typical of burger and sandwich patties. Quick-release mold holders allow diameter or thickness changeover in under 15 minutes, letting one burger patty processing line run multiple SKUs across a single shift. The forming machine discharges directly onto the downstream conveyor, feeding either the coating module or straight to freezing depending on product type.
Stage 4 — Coating & Frying (Optional Module): Battering, Breading & Continuous Fryer
For breaded chicken patty products, formed patties pass through a pre-duster, liquid batter applicator, and crumb/flake breading drum in a single pass, then a continuous oil-water mixing fryer that holds frying temperature to ±1 °C across independently controlled zones, forming a golden crust while locking internal moisture. Plain, non-breaded burger patties bypass this module via a diverter conveyor and pass directly to freezing — giving one burger patty processing line the flexibility to run both breaded and non-breaded SKUs. Oil-water separation removes food residue continuously, extending oil service life by over 30% versus conventional frying.
Stage 5 — IQF Freezing, Inspection & Packaging
Patties are air-cooled and enter the IQF tunnel freezer, where core temperature reaches -18 °C in under 30 minutes, preserving juiciness, shape, and bite texture in the finished patty. A 100% in-line metal detector and checkweigher provide the inspection documentation required by retail, foodservice, and export buyers. Automatic weighing and multi-format packaging machines complete the line, discharging retail- and foodservice-ready patty cases for automated palletising.
▌ Solution Highlights
● Custom mold design for any patty diameter, thickness, or client specification — no off-the-shelf compromises
● Optional coating and frying module with bypass conveyor — one burger patty processing line for both breaded and plain patty SKUs
● Single engineering source for the full line — interface design, layout drawings, and throughput matching included
● All food-contact surfaces in SUS304 stainless steel with no sanitary dead corners — HACCP and GMP compliant
● Capacity configurations: 1 T/h, 2 T/h, 3 T/h, and 5 T/h — matched to client investment and market demand
▌ ROI & Commercial Value
Labour cost reduction | Over 50% vs manual and semi-automatic operations at equivalent output |
Raw material utilisation | Frame meat recovery at 65–90% yield; drip loss below 1% from thawing stage |
Product qualification rate | Above 99% on weight, diameter, and thickness specification |
Oil consumption saving | Over 30% reduction via oil-water mixing fryer technology (breaded patty SKUs) |
Payback period | Typically 12–24 months depending on throughput and labour market |
▌ Equipment in This Solution
● Low-temperature high-humidity thawing machine — 0–4 °C, drip loss < 1%
● Bone saw machine — primary carcass segmentation
● Bone meat separator — frame recovery, bone residue ≤ 0.15%
● Bowl chopper — emulsification, up to 4,500 rpm
● Vacuum meat mixer — paste blending under -0.08 to -0.1 MPa
● Hydraulic patty forming machine — ±1 g accuracy, custom diameter and thickness
● Pre-duster, batter applicator, and breading system (optional,for breaded patties)
● Continuous oil-water mixing fryer — ±1 °C, zoned temperature control (optional module)
● IQF tunnel freezer — core to -18 °C in < 30 min
● Metal detector (100% in-line) + checkweigher
● Automatic weighing and packaging machine
