Automated beef boning on our doorstep

The extension to beef of leading edge robotic boning used in the lamb processing business has taken a big leap forward with the forging of partnership between research and development funding body MLA Donor Company and robotics experts Scott Automation.

The deal paves the way for $3.7 million to be pumped into delivering the technology, anticipated to be capable of facilitating a $15 per head benefit and major workplace safety benefits.

The work on boning automation in beef has been able to progress with the advent of objective carcass measurement via DEXA (Dual Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry). The x-ray images generated are used to precisely guide automated cutting modules.

Beef industry technology masterminds say the perfect storm now exists for massive advancements in the processing game which will keep us ahead of the pack in an increasingly competitive global beef exporting landscape.  

A processing sector that needs to address high costs, the ability to leverage lamb automation into beef now that DEXA units are up and running and the potential for producers to use a portion of levy money to implement new technology in abattoirs sets up plant managers to reap big benefits from fast-paced technology improvements, they say.

MLA’s general manager research, development and innovation Sean Starling said the introduction of beef boning automation in conjunction with DEXA would benefit the entire supply chain and make Australia’s processing sector more profitable and sustainable in the long term.

“When we do lamb boning we only need a single energy x-ray unit but that does not work for beef due to a number of factors such as the fact the animal is bigger and we need different points to drive cutting lines,” he explained.

“As we roll out DEXA in processing plants, processors can add automation off the back of it.”

Automated boning in lamb processing has given a $5 per head benefit.

DEXA had actually been used to drive beef boning automation for the past two years at the JBS Dinmore plant so there was no question it was ‘doable’, Mr Starling said.

“It has been doing a beef scribing cut - an entry level task - but that has proven a great first step,” he said.

“This new project is about doing sophisticated value-adding automation around cube roll and striploin - two of the most expensive parts on the animal and ones that if you get accurate will deliver great returns for the supply chain.”

Not only will the project be utilising DEXA know-how, it will allow researchers to start to look at how bespoke CT technology can be implemented.

“That will give us a quasi three dimensional of a bone in cube roll or striploin and that image, along with robotic cutting and trimming, is anticipated to enable us to accurately remove the chine bone to trim the outer layer of fat to customers specifications (10mm) and possibly provide a very accurate marbling score that far exceeds human marble grading today,” Mr Starling said.

Within 12 months, it was expected the ‘what and how’ of applying the various sensing systems would be known and once that was demonstrated, the cutting equipment would be only another six months in the pipeline.

Chief executive of Scott Technology Chris Hopkins said developing new technologies in a challenging commercial environment was not easy and the partnership was important to not only share the risk but to ensure that the processing industry was fully engaged.

“Our customers are telling us they want automation for beef boning and we believe with the current environment and new technologies, the timing is right,” he said.