HB Grandi to install FleXicut system

The new system includes the Marel FleXicut water-jet cutter along with a raw material grader and a pre-trimming flowline, as well as the Flexisort distribution system and packing stations for the end products.

HB Grandi will also install Marel’s Innova Food Processing Software that supports the machinery. The software enables improved utilization of raw material and supports compliance with quality standards and food safety regulations.

“HB Grandi’s purchase of this new system is a step towards automating and implementing new technology in fillet processing, portioning and packaging of whitefish,” explains Óskar Óskarsson, sales director at Marel. “The new FleXicut system is designed to maximize yield and maintain the quality of the raw material.”

FleXicut is designed for processing various whitefish, like cod, saithe, pollock and haddock. It offers a variety of cutting patterns for individual fillets using a combination of cuts according to a range of cutting patterns.

The FleXicut is the centerpiece of the new system. It uses advanced technology to locate and remove the pinbones in whitefish fillets. The introduction of the high level of technology and automation in this process has transformed the very nature of fish processing.

The Innova software solution will collect information from the whole production system in real time. It includes an advanced quality control system that enables HB Grandi to monitor every facet of production.

Innova gives the factory manager real-time control of the progression of the raw materials through production. “Real-time surveillance is important and with Innova HB Grandi gets a highly advanced production management system,” says Óskarsson.

The sales agreement was signed on 1 June 2016 and installation will begin in the fall.