Process for pressing and, if necessary, slicing a loaf and slicing machine suitable therefor

A method of pressing an irregularly shaped, elongated loaf of an elastic material into a strand with a cross-section which is constant along a longitudinal extension of the strand, while changing a length and a cross-section of the loaf, in a slicing machine, the method comprising:

• receiving the loaf in a form tube of the slicing machine, the form tube having a same cross-section over a longitudinal extension of the form tube;
• determining, before pressing the loaf in the slicing machine, basic data of the loaf in an automatic manner by a basic data measuring device of the slicing machine and/or receiving, before pressing the loaf in the slicing machine, the basic data via an input unit, the basic data comprising a first type and/or a second type different than the first type, wherein the first type comprises physical basic data of the loaf before pressing the loaf in the slicing machine;
• determining a target length change of the loaf between an unpressed state and a pressed state by a control system of the slicing machine based on the basic data;
• determining a target cross-sectional change of the loaf between the unpressed state and the pressed state from the target length change and from the physical basic data of the loaf in an automatic manner by the control system;
• and
• pressing the loaf in the form tube in a cross direction to the longitudinal extension of the form tube by a cross press stamp and in a longitudinal pressing direction of the form tube by a longitudinal press stamp, according to the target length change and the target cross-sectional change.