Intelligent Y-cutter

The Y-cutter tool head is mounted on a robot arm (orange). In the abattoir, the complete robot is protected by an all-enveloping white wash-down shroud.

Robotic systems are much needed in abattoirs, because:

• high staff turnover creates a shortage of trained people
• repetitive physical work has risk of strain injury
• the working environment is difficult and unattractive.

The challenge

• Every carcass is different, with a variety of breeds, shapes, and sizes.
• The variation in wool density and length makes sensing difficult.
• Wool is seldom clean, increasing the wear of cutting blades.
• A food grade environment requires equipment to withstand high-pressure washing and be resistant to chemical attack.

The intelligent Y-cutter

• The 'Y-cut': on a sheep processing line, animals are suspended from a chain by the legs, and a cut is performed down the inside of each foreleg, to meet in the middle.
• Our Y-cutter robot is the first machine in the world to perform the “Y-cut” automatically.
• The key feature is the Y-cutter tool head that is specially designed to cut the pelt without penetrating the skin. It therefore avoids contamination being transferred across to the carcass.
• The machine has sensors to detect the size of each animal and determines the optimum robotic path to perform the “Y-cut” down each foreleg.
• It processes continuously on a moving chain at a throughput of up to 9 carcasses per minute – among the fastest in the world.

This project was made possible with the support of MIRINZ, Meat and Livestock Australia and Ovine Automation Ltd.