Apparatus and method for removing ribs

Abstract

The apparatus for automatically removing ribs portion from belly of a beast flank, such as pork flank, comprises a conveyor provided with gripping hooks for holding the flank in position on the conveyor during ribs portion removing, a camera disposed over flank top surface showing ribs for generating image electrical signals representing an image of the flank top surface, a laser triangulation unit for generating surface profile data characterizing the flank top surface, a pair of lateral cameras for generating ribs thickness data for the ribs and analyzing device such as computer for receiving the image electrical signals, surface profile data and ribs thickness data for deriving therefrom a programmed cut profile according to a predetermined meat thickness to be left under the ribs. The apparatus further comprises a robot having a robot arm provided with a end cutting tool, and a programmable logic controller (PLC) for controlling the conveyor and the robot, to create a relative movement of the cutting tool with respect to the flank according to the programmed cut profile to produce removal of the ribs portion from the belly.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.