A holistic approach to breast meat deboning

A controlled, integrated process from filleting to final inspection

By connecting these processes, the plant gains more control of the consistency and efficiency of all operations involved in the deboning line. Each fillet is processed in a predictable way, with fewer manual handling, and highest possible product quality and yield in the end. Information stays with the product throughout the process, making downstream decisions easier and more reliable.

In practice, this holistic approach simplifies daily operations. Operators know what to expect, machines adjust automatically to product variations, and quality checks are built into the flow instead of added afterward. The result is a smooth process that starts with filleting chicken breasts and ends with a fully inspected, boneless product of the highest quality.

Made-to-measure deboning

The holistic process starts even before deboning, with the ACM-NT breast cap cutter. After cutting, breast caps are released by a chute, well-positioned for ergonomic handling further down the line. When they arrive at the ATHENA system, all breast caps are aligned in the same direction, making loading simple and comfortable for operators. All they have to do is simply slide the breast caps into the loading units, reducing physical strain. Then the product is automatically fixed onto the holder.
Within ATHENA, deboning is fully automated and adapted to flock variations. Recipes for different flocks or breeds can be selected easily on the touchscreen, resulting in automatic adjustments of the module settings. The measurement unit at the entry of the ATHENA ensures that the downstream modules handle each breast cap according to its specific size. This creates a made to measure deboning process that delivers stable yields, consistent high-performance and repeatable results, independent of operator skill.

Data-driven

Beyond cutting, ATHENA also plays a central role in data management. Product and process data are collected and passed on to downstream equipment through secure machine to machine communication. Each fillet carries information about its origin, processing settings, and destination, supporting the holistic approach across the entire deboning line.

AI-grading

Although the deboning process may seem complete after ATHENA, inspection and trimming are still critical steps in safeguarding product quality. Products leave ATHENA in a singulated flow, which is ideal for visual inspection by the OQULA system. Using AI assisted vision technology, OQULA inspects both sides of each fillet for visible defects. Through deep learning, the OQULA vision system has been trained using a comprehensive library of stored, categorized, and labeled defects. This allows the system to accurately assess any new fillet it has never encountered before. OQULA’s defect detection capabilities match and even exceed those of human inspectors or trimmers, identifying issues such as bruises, blood spots, fat, green muscle disease, halving errors, and visible bones or cartilage.
Based on this inspection, fillets are classified as A grade or B grade. With the help of the SystemFlex Distributor, A grade fillets remain untouched and continue directly to the next process, while B grade fillets are routed to trimming. 

Trimming ergonomically

Trimming of boneless products remains a manual task. Even with AI-supported vision detection, defects must still be removed by hand using a knife to upgrade the product from B to A quality. To support this process, JBT Marel offers a range of trim stations designed with operator efficiency and ergonomics as key priorities. One of these solutions is CheckLine. It distributes incoming fillets fairly and efficiently among operators, based on real-time demand and individual operator capability. 
CheckLine automatically presents fillets to each workstation using flippers. As a result, operators no longer need to reach for products, which helps reduce physical strain. Because CheckLine is positioned after the OQULA system, every fillet arriving at the station is already known to contain a defect and therefore requires trimming.

Final control

Once trimmed, the fillets are upgraded to A quality and re enter the main flow, so that all fillets have come together again for their final internal inspection, taking place in SensorX, where X ray technology checks for hidden bones or hard particles. The SensorX, equipped with the new Xpress image-processing algorithm, can handle the highest speeds while still keeping its benchmark accuracy, with the least false positives. When SensorX detects a hidden bone or foreign particle, manual trimming is required and the fillet must be re-entered into the process. This is handled efficiently with OneFlow, a smart system that places the product back onto the belt without causing overlaps. The operator simply places the trimmed fillet into the ‘dropper’ next to the cutting area. This buffer tray waits for a free space on the belt and then releases the fillet in the correct long-side-leading orientation, ready for packing.

Extending the benefits

After this step, the holistic approach to breast deboning is complete, and packing can take over. The collected quality, size, and weight data can also be used to support downstream portioning and packing solutions, such as I-Cut 122 and RoboBatcher, extending the benefits of the holistic approach even further.