FHF FlexControl at Boscher Volailles

Five front half deboning lines for 730,000 chickens per week

One of Boscher Volailles’ key goals is to recover back meat, which increases yield. François Nevot, Production Director, explains: “We are always looking for that extra gram that makes the difference at the end of the week. Soon, we will be processing 730,000 chickens per week. Every little gram we can gain from each product adds extra material and has a significant financial impact.” 

Installation

How did the installation of the FHF FlexControl go? Manager New Projects Stéphane Le Saux comments: “When the equipment was set up, the start-up went very smoothly. We were able to switch quickly to production mode with the help of JBT Marel’s technicians and engineers.” François Nevot: “There is always some concern with such a new project. But thanks to JBT Marel’s reliable support, this project went very well. The JBT Marel teams were onsite at key moments from the very start. It was a success, and our teams experienced it positively. Today, we talk about it with a smile.”

Males only

“We use the FHF FlexControl for deboning large chickens. Our live birds weigh 3.3 kg and are quite uniform, as they are all males of the same breed. We could create standard recipes for this weight range. Sometimes, however, we get batches with variations in weight. That’s why we have four deboning lines. This allows us, using SmartWeigher, to allocate chickens to each line according to their weight.”

Adjust remotely without stopping 

Lionel Robin, Operator at Boscher Volailles, says: “For me, the main advantage of the FHF FlexControl is that you can make adjustments without stopping the line. We are much more efficient now.” Stéphane Le Saux adds: “The ability to adjust without stopping the line improves yield and reduces downtime. Operators can fine-tune line parameters to match the batch being processed, based on bird size and shape, preselecting recipes for the next batch in advance. With the FHF FlexControl, our goal was to achieve far greater precision in adjusting each module. Now, the system adapts to the chickens more accurately, making the work easier, more efficient, and reducing operator workload.”

Maintenance station

Boscher Volailles sees other advantages in the FHF FlexControl, particularly for the maintenance of the product holder.
Stéphane Le Saux: “If there is a defective product holder, it will be automatically detected and stopped at the maintenance station without having to locate it visually. There’s no need to call maintenance for small jobs like this. The operators themselves can replace the holder.” François Nevot adds: “It’s a real plus to be able to manage product holder breakage in this way. Before, we hardly saw it. Now, the FHF FlexControl detects it and makes holder replacement easy and practical, again without stopping the line.”

The tablet

François Nevot talks about the use of the tablet : “With an HMI in a fixed location, you can’t see the module. With the tablet, you can stand in front of it, make adjustments in real time and immediately see the results.” Lionel Robin adds: “When I notice a drop in performance, I adjust the parameters on the tablet according to the module causing the issue. This can be done with great precision. We constantly monitor the FHF FlexControl, either with the tablet or on the HMI screen. In case of errors, such as open doors or triggered emergency stops, we can immediately identify the module, go there with the tablet and intervene.”

Collaboration

On the collaboration with JBT Marel, Pascal Delannoy, Site Director at LDC Boscher Volailles, says: “Above all, the exchange with JBT Marel’s experienced engineers was very pleasant. They are always open to discussion, respond to our needs, and provide extensive explanations, was very pleasant. JBT Marel is our longstanding supplier. They support us on many topics, and we definitely want to cooperate with JBT Marel on future projects as well.” 
Pascal Delannoy concludes: “The implementation of the FHF FlexControl has been a real success. We have seen a significant reduction in breakdowns, which allows us to operate more efficiently and reliably. The impact on our site is clearly positive.”