Method and device for positioning and/or handling carcasses and/or carcass parts during the slaughter of animals on an industrial scale

A device for automatically positioning and/or handling and/or transporting a stunned animal or a carcass and/or a carcass part of a slaughtered animal during a slaughter process of animals on an industrial scale, comprising:

• a controlled first robotic manipulator with at least four axis;
• at least one suction element and/or at least one mechanical meat gripper for contacting a surface of the stunned animal or carcass and/or carcass part;
• an extractor connected to the at least one suction element for performing a suction effect in the suction element and/or
• an actuator connected to the at least one meat gripper for making the meat gripper gripping a part of the stunned animal, the carcass or the carcass part, and
• at least one controller for controlling the robotic manipulator, the extractor and/or the actuator.

A method for automatically positioning and/or handling and/or transporting a stunned animal or a carcass and/or a carcass part of a slaughtered animal during the slaughtering process of animals on an industrial scale, comprising the steps:

• a) providing a stunned animal or a carcass and/or a carcass part of a slaughtered animal;
• b) bringing at least one suction element and/or at least one mechanical meat gripper in contact with a surface of the stunned animal or carcass and/or carcass part, where the at least one suction element and/or at least one mechanical meat gripper is controlled by at least one robotic manipulator with at least four axis;
• and
• c1) activating an extractor for locking the at least one suction element to the surface of the stunned animal or of the carcass and/or carcass part by creating an under pressure in the at least one suction element and/or
• c2) activating an actuator for locking the at least one mechanical meat gripper to the surface of the stunned animal or of the carcass and/or carcass part,
• d) hereby positioning and/or handling the stunned animal or the carcass and/or the carcass part.