Information
As the leading global innovator in the poultry industry, JBT Marel has developed the FHF-D: a revolutionary, automated, high-capacity front half deboning solution for ducks. It saves considerable, expensive and skilled manpower, and delivers both high yield and consistently top product quality.
The FHF-D system is truly a world’s first: an automated, modular system to debone duck front halves with a capacity of up to 2,500 dph. Only two operators are needed to load front halves onto the FHF-D product carriers. At a capacity of 1,250 ducks per hour, even one operator is enough. Because there is much less human contact, hygiene and food safety levels go up.
JBT Marel designed its unique FHF-D duck modules entirely from scratch, with several requiring completely new approaches. For instance, there is no skinner, the wishbone remains in place, and the tenderloin stays attached to the fillet. Also the product carrier features a fully redesigned shape, ensuring a perfect fit and optimal performance.
The filleting process
The starting point of the FHF-D is a front half without wings, as produced by the ACM-NT cut-up line, of a 6-week-old Pekin duck. The default production setting is to harvest a skin-on half breast fillet together with the tenderloin.
The process begins with an incision and a rolling motion that opens the breast and scrapes the fillet loose, leaving the carcass completely clean. In the following steps, an innovative knife cuts through the first joint into the fillet, opening up the front of the breast. A further step opens the joint and cuts the remaining tendons. At this point, the breast fillet is sufficiently loosened, and the final module simply cuts it off. Finally, the remaining carcass is unloaded from the carrier. All of this is fully mechanically controlled, and the result equals or even surpasses skilled manual operations.
